03/08/2023
A throwback to my Labrador rescue behaviour work some years back…
Being a critical thinker, I’ve always questioned assessments on dogs, not that they are right nor wrong, but that they are only a glimpse of a dog’s behaviour in time.
As trainers we know, ‘change the environment and you’ll see a change in the dog as time progresses,’ and that’s very true.
Assessments can stick to a dog’s profile like glue, or labels that are pinned on a dog. They don’t help dog nor handler…
I’ve worked with and given countless assessments on dogs over the years in rescue work. That doesn’t happen after 2-3 hours of meeting the dog…
When I’m asked to report back on a dog’s ongoing progress I usually check in regularly over a period of 6 months and we evaluate regularly in that time. During that time there may be numerous changes in the dog’s environment, it’s life, and the people involved in its daily routine.
Labels…, no, I won’t label a dog. I’ll work with any behaviours that need attention because I know there is more in there to be revealed. Relationship has to form for the strength or lack of one can affect any dog’s behaviour.
This young boy was deemed a lost cause when he came into rescue, as time went by we found his niche in a life in the mountains looking for lost people…with a handler he loved and bonded deeply with.
How ironic and beautiful…
