SPOT & CO

11/05/2024

National Shelter Appreciation Week! We and so many animals thank you!

November 4, 2024 🐾

10/09/2024

When dogs are afraid, it’s really worth using reward-based methods to rehabilitate them as quickly as possible. Chronic fear and anxiety cause real suffering so if you can rebuild the dog’s confidence quickly, it’s so very worthwhile because it means they can get back to enjoying life that much sooner.

If you want to build a dog’s confidence and help them feel comfortable, one of the most valuable tools you can use is food. If a stimulus is paired with food frequently enough, the dog will start to associate the stimulus with food and this will cause the dog to feel better about the stimulus. Luring a fearful dog with food can be a very powerful technique that really accelerates rehabilitation BUT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL that you don’t push the dog too far too fast.

If a dog is very food motivated, you can lure them too close to something that makes them feel very scared, and this can be a dangerous and counterproductive situation. If the dog is too scared they might take the food and then react aggressively as soon as the food is gone, or they may simply be so scared that they are unable to form a positive association from the food.

On that note, you should not use this exercise (or any exercise you read about on the internet!) with a dog that is dangerous. If a dog has bitten a person hard enough to cause a serious injury, it means they are likely to do so again. This dog needs help from a professional dog trainer who understands how to read body language and use positive reinforcement methods to safely rehabilitate the dog.

Fortunately, most fearful and reactive dogs are not dangerous. They bark, they lunge, they snap, and they may even “bite” but their bites don’t make contact with the skin, or they don’t break the skin. These dogs have learned bite inhibition and they are safe to work with and you can use this technique to quickly rebuild their confidence.

Yes, this technique involves using food to lure the dog to approach you (or some other stimulus that makes them uncomfortable) but you don’t lure them so close that they are overwhelmed with fear or in danger of reacting aggressively and that makes all the difference.

As they approach, they get high-value treats, reinforcing them for approaching and helping them form a positive association with you (or the scary stimulus). But then, you use a lower value treat to lure the dog further away again. This low value treat is still providing a Classical Conditioning effect, helping your dog form a positive association with the stimulus, but it’s also providing a contrast to the high-value treats that the dog received during their approach.

Crucially, the dog is now back to a very comfortable distance again so when you toss high value treats to lure them to approach, they are moving towards you, but they’re comfortably far away.

Luring a dog to approach a scary stimulus like this is a very powerful and useful technique that can really accelerate the rehabilitation process, so long as you don’t push the dog too far too fast. And as you repeat these steps, luring the dog to approach and retreat repeatedly, the dog is going to get much more comfortable about approaching and being near you.

You can test this at any time by pausing the exercise and seeing what the dog does and where they go when there are no treats offered. At the beginning, a fearful dog will stay quite far away, but after a few minutes of this exercise, there is a good chance that they will readily come closer to the person, even without any food to lure them.

Be patient, watch your dog’s body language, and keep luring the dog back to a very comfortable distance to reset and this technique can work wonders.

If you do this long enough, you will get to the point where the dog will come right up to you without you offering a food lure. If the dog comes right up to you without you tossing a treat to lure your dog, and the dog looks comfortable, you can now try offering a treat directly from your hand. When you do so, you should keep your hand down by your side and you should always have multiple treats in your hand. When you get to the last treat, either toss it to lure the dog away from you, or withdraw your hand before you feed the last treat because an empty human hand is much scarier than a human hand with treats in it.

If you do this enough, it won’t be long before the dog happily takes treats from your hand. At this point, you can feed the dog an entire meal by hand and they will quickly start to feel comfortable around you, and the dog’s life will be much more relaxed and happier as a result.

Again, you should not do this with a dog that is dangerous, and you should be very patient with this exercise. Don’t rush it. Keep luring the dog back to a comfortable distance and it won’t be long before this dog loves approaching you and being near you.

Wow, did you really read all this? Amazing! Do you have or know a fearful dog? If so, tell us about them in the comments.

If you’d like help rehabilitating a fearful dog, you should join the Top Dog Academy, which you can do now for free with a 1-month free trial. We can help you rehabilitate your fearful dog with methods that are easy, gentle and also quick and effective. We want to rebuild your dog’s confidence as quickly as possible!

https://dunbar.info/oct2024TDA

Sign up now and you’ll get instant access to lots of great resources. We’ll be available to guide you through the process with personalized training advice. In one month, you could resolve their fearfulness and be back to enjoying a fear-free life together!

And if you’d like to download a PDF version of this document, or if you’d like to learn more about it, go here: https://dunbar.info/retreat-with-honor

09/27/2024

🚨 Darwin is still missing and we really need your help! Please share, especially in Tiffin and Coralville. He'll likely be fearful so please do not approach him - just call 319.491.7131 ASAP with any info. Thank you!!

09/20/2024

Lost Dog in Tiffin, Iowa

09/06/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

07/20/2024

07/01/2024

Someone passed this onto us and we thought it was a great idea to share.
With the 4th of July right around the corner we tend to get several calls about dogs getting out, and owners frantically trying to find them. We ask that you make sure your dogs have their collars on, updated contact information on their licenses, or do something similar to the picture below !

We love our community fur babies and want to make sure they are safe! 🐾💕

06/12/2024

Like the famous Hubble telescope, Hubble the Puppy also explores and finds new things. Last night, he found his graduation certificate and made his unique, signature mark on it.
Congratulations on your graduation, Hubble! Good Boy!

03/24/2024

Important information.

03/15/2024

Join us on March 20 and April 3rd from 9 - 1 pm PT/ noon - 4 pm ET for Camp Maddie: Behavior Edition, a FREE online event devoted to dog behavior in animal shelters. We have an amazing line-up of speakers, including Michael Shikashio, Dr. Wailani Sung, and Dr. Chris Pachel. Check out this link to learn more! https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiebehavior

02/10/2024

Clear and important information about the differences between pet, emotional support and service dogs.

01/02/2024

Attention all dog owners!
Did you adopt your dog in the past 15 years? If so, click here to help an ACVB resident with their research: https://forms.gle/TUhiPSCWw1GP4YQx5

12/01/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZnxYzvQHTE

From the new Jimmy Buffett album, “Equal Strain on All Parts” OUT NOW!This video was created in collaboration with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the P...

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for each of you.

11/15/2023

It's the season for giving, so we're asking that you lend a paw to the community through the public pet food bank at Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center! This pet food bank provides temporary relief to those in our community who may need help affording care for their animals.

We are asking for donations of any brand of: adult dog food, adult cat food, and cat litter

Donations can be brought to the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center.

11/03/2023

Favorite Hug: Story of the Day

My favorite hug is the kind where my best friend leans against me and wags his tail.

This story by Ren Pettit-Ehler, with art by Matthew Andreas, is available as a print here: http://ss1.us/a/dyK2nwn1

10/28/2023

🐾 October is National Pit Bull Awareness Month and today, October 28th is National Pit Bull Awareness DAY! These block headed, squishy face, happy tail lovers get quite the bad rap and we're here to debunk some of those myths.
(and as ALWAYS, we'd love to see pics of your pitties in the comments!)

🐾 "Pit Bulls come into the shelter more than any other breed, and they are euthanized in the greatest numbers as well. Only one in 600 Pit Bulls in shelters will win the lottery and find a forever home. Around 33% of dogs coming into shelters are labeled Pit Bulls."

🐾 "Its a well known fact - Well managed, responsibly owned Pit Bulls are some of the best family dogs. The American Canine Temperament Test Society lists this breed as having one of the most stable temperaments of any of the purebreds, right up there with golden retrievers."

🐾 Pit Bulls as Service Dogs! "Their loyal, dedicated, and intuitive nature makes them a natural for offering emotional or physical comfort for those individuals with psychological or psychiatric conditions like PTSD, depression, or social anxieties. The American Pit Bull can also be trained to be a Medical Alert Service Dog."

🐾 "Pit Bulls have served as wartime soldiers and mascots, including Stubby, who went to war in France for 18 months during WWI. His service and acts of bravery — including saving his regiment from mustard gas attacks — earned him the rank of Sergeant, and he returned home to a hero’s parade."

🐾 "The “Pit Bull” is not an official breed. “Pit Bull” is an umbrella term commonly reported to contain the following 3 registered breeds of dogs: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Pit Bull Terrier.
Many dogs that are classified as “pit bulls” are actually a combination of mixed breed dogs of unknown pedigree or other purebred dogs which bear some physical resemblance. It is not easy to identify a dog’s breed origin(s) from appearance alone, therefore many dogs who are labeled as Pit Bull-type dogs are actually not."