Dogs

Canine Assessment & Enrichment, Dogs

Training a Dog Is Loving a Dog

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Here at Pay It Forward For Pets, we believe training a dog is loving a dog! Dogs want to please us, and it hurts their feelings when their humans get frustrated with them. So it’s our responsibility to kindly and patiently show them what they need to know to be the best doggies they can be!! That’s why we have our Canine Behavioral Assessment and Enrichment Program to help dogs at Summit County Animal Control who are frustrated with being cooped up in a kennel and/or were never trained by their previous owners. READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM: Many dogs do not reveal their true personalities when they are stressed-out in a shelter environment. In an effort to reduce the possibility of euthanasia, a behavioral assessment is performed when a dog displays behaviors of concern. An activity and handling plan is designed after an evaluation. Pay It Forward For Pets utilizes local, well-respected Canine Behavioral Trainers to determine the unique characteristics of fearful dogs. This critical assessment ensures the proper handling by facility staff and volunteers. Many of these orphaned animals are often just requiring some extended time to decompress and this program assures this consideration. Additionally, the staff is educated to the unique needs of each dog so that they can better match them to an appropriate adopter with a specific lifestyle and family dynamics. As an added benefit, our Canine Behavioral Trainers will work with the public to assist in modifying behaviors once a dog is in its new home. This aids in reducing the number of dogs returned to the shelter. Funding this program extends a dog’s residency in the shelter. “Dogs want to please their families – they just need to be kindly taught what is expected of them!”

Dogs

Stop saying “It depends on how they were raised.”

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We’ve all heard it and often times it’s said by pit bull lovers, but the truth is… the phrase is killing shelter dogs, especially our pit bulls, all across the country. Why? Because pit bull type dogs outnumber any other breed in U.S. shelters and are the most euthanized. Most of them come in as adults. That means when well-intentioned people spread the lie that “it all depends on how they’re raised,” they are actually saying… you can’t trust these adult pit bulls up for adoption because you don’t know how they were raised. This applies to every shelter dog really, though it’s most often said about pit bulls. Often times, we don’t know a dog’s background… all we know is what’s right in front of us and that is typically a happy dog ready to love a family. In most cases, shelter dogs were raised with love and compassion, and they either got lost or were surrendered through no fault of their own. And even in the cases where we know the dog has had a rough life prior to coming to a shelter, the beauty of dogs is that they live day by day and they are ready to forgive! We’ve witnessed dogs, including pit bulls, that have backgrounds of abuse and/or neglect, but the dog isn’t defeated! They still want to love and live a happy life! We know every one means well! But the more we know, the more we can help!! And, hey, if you don’t believe our claims… feel free to go volunteer at your local animal shelter. The proof that every dog, no matter their background, is an individual that deserves a chance to show how great they are is right there!

Canine Assessment & Enrichment, Dogs

Doggie Treadmill Video

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Check out Willow’s first time on our treadmill! She’s quite the natural 🙂 We know that this new skill will help Willow prepare for her forever home as a treadmill gets dogs to a calm state, where they learn the most! Olivia Mandala, part of our Canine Assessment and Enrichment program, says “Willow is an awesome dog! She is very attentive and responsive to training. She has great eye contact, and frequently looks at her handler on what to do next. Willow does need some guidance on how to politely react to other dogs, and we think the treadmill will be a useful tool in this process.” Willow does act overly excited, but we’d like to clarify that it’s not in a mean way. This loving girl is preparing for her forever home at Summit County Animal Control​! She’s a joy to be around, and we’ll continue to work with her until she finds her family 🙂

Dogs

All Dolled Up and No Where To Go

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“All Dolled Up and No Where To Go” came from the frustration of watching great dogs, who happened to be pit bulls, wait too long for a home. The dogs let us dress them up, put them in front of strobe lights that must have been scary, all while minding all the “sit” commands we asked of them. Sound vicious? No. Extraordinary? Yes. There was a time when the American Pit Bull Terrier was considered a family dog in this country. They were a symbol of courage during WWI and the mascot of The United States Marine Corps. They were present in children’s film, most famously “The Little Rascals”, that’s right… Petey was a pit bull. We all know this history! We are dog lovers, we do not discriminate! But the sad truth is that many people see the media stories about pit bull attacks and believe that every pit bull will maul them. They hear about dog fighting rings and gang violence, and they may pity the dogs, but they surely do not want to adopt a pit bull with baggage. Most pit bulls, fortunately, have never been in a fight. They have never attacked children. The truth is, they are dogs. We love them and they are beautiful, but there is nothing different about them. They love you unconditionally, just like any dog who is treated with kindness and love. All of these dogs are available for adoption at Summit County Animal Control. They are all looking for a chance to show how great they are. Remember that many dogs do not show well in a shelter environment. Insist on meeting any dog on a walk outside the shelter or rescue. They are happier outside and their personality shines through.     

Dogs

Why Mutts Are Awesome

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Very recently I was volunteering at a local rescue. I was letting an adorable, kind, and wellbehaved pitbull-type dog out to potty. She is very pregnant! A car that was speeding by came to a quick halt when he saw us. He rolled down his window to inquire about the dog. He asked if I knew who the father was, if he was also a purebred pitbull (which by the way does not exist seeing as “pitbull” is not a breed), and I replied that this was a rescue and we do not know who the father is, just that this Mom-to-be needs a safe place to stay. He ask a few more questions before saying “That’s a shame, but I can’t raise no mutt” and drove away. The conversation angered me. Without getting into why this man wanted a “purebred pitbull,” I just want to say “mutts” are awesome! Mixed breed dogs are unique and do not look like any other both in the looks and behavior categories. Only in mixed breeds can you see the muscle and build of an English bulldog with the hair of a terrier and the face of a beagle! Because they have features from two or more types of breeds, some behaviors will not be as prominent. You may adopt that beagle/bulldog/terrier/whoknowswhatelse mix and the dog may never howl like a beagle, but still has those adorable ears! Mixed breeds are also known to be healthier. Bad breeding can cause a multitude of health problems and bring out the worst in a breed of dog. Mixed breeds, again since they have many types of genes, are less likely to develope these breed-specific problems. And by the way, dog competitions are still available to mixed breed dogs, and you do not have to be purebred to be a therapy dog! Beyond being healthier, mixed breeds are in need of saving everywhere! You can go to a pet store and buy a $600 dollar shihpoo, maltipoo, shih malti or other “mutts” they call designer breeds, or you could go down to a shelter and adopt your perfect mixed breed dog that already comes vaccinated and spayed/neutered for typically less than a $100 adoption fee. My sister adopted a lhasa apso/poodle mix and a cockerspaniel/poodle mix that both ended up in animal control facilities before they were a year old. They are great dogs! If you keep looking and don’t give up, anyone can eventually find what they are looking for in a shelter or rescue. I’d like to end on this: People often think that a dog needs to be “perfect” in order to love them, but dogs are dogs. These mutts are worth just as much as purebred, rare, expensive dogs! And to the man who could never raise a mutt, you obviously have never received their unconditional love and appreciation for rescuing them. If you are still not convinced that mutts are awesome, check out the hundreds of purebred rescues out there! We don’t care, as long as you’re saving a life and providing a home to one of the many homeless, unloved pets out there.

Dogs

Don’t Judge a Dog in a Cage

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Everyone has heard the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we forget that we have to do the same for dogs. Often times the behavior one sees from a dog in a cage is not what they would see if they met the dog on a walk or a quiet room. Dogs who are scared off in a corner or even right at the cage door baring teeth end up being fine when removed from that environment. It is a sad but true fact that even after meeting these dogs outside, potential adopters still see a “shut down” or “aggressive” dog. Let’s try to put ourselves in the dogs shoes… or paws rather. We come to a new, stressful, loud place where dogs are always barking or crying. We were, at some point or another, once a loved dog. Either our owner surrendered us or we got loose and never found our way home. We are put into a cage. The staff and volunteers at this place care and try their best to get every single dog out at least once during the day, but what about the other 23.5 hours of the day? We sit and we lay and we watch as people pass us by. “No, not that one” we hear too often. We only have this small space to ourselves, cornered, as people stare in at us. Don’t they know that strong, long eye contact is a threat to dogs? It makes us nervous, those strangers talking and staring at us when we have no where to go. Some dogs don’t mind it at all and others retreat to the furthest corner of the cage and try to ignore the strangers. Personally, we decide that barking, growling, and baring our teeth gets them to move away much faster. It’s such a strange feeling, in any other place we would want that person’s attention, but here… stuck in this cage with all this cooped up energy turning into anxiety… It’s just too intimidating. Pay It Forward for Pets volunteers got to meet the most wonderful dog this past weekend while photographing!! Her name is Whitney. Canine behavioral trainer Ron Shannon brought her in the room and let us know to go slower, she was nervous and growled a little in the cage. Always on the side of caution, we listened. Quickly, however, Whitney’s tail started wagging, her ears perked up, and she was ready to play and receive attention. We kissed her on the lips, talked to her, asked her to do tricks, and wouldn’t you know this dog knew her tricks… even “sit pretty.” We asked her to do it over and over again until we got one of our new favorite photos: Everyone who works with pets can agree on this: They never stop surprising you, and they never cease to amaze you. Whitney was adopted pretty quickly and we heard from her new mom that she’s doing great in her forever home. Many people think that a dog that shows bad in a cage will have other aggressive behaviors. This simply is not true. The stress that these dogs go through in a shelter environment is abnormal for them and you can’t compare that to how they’ll be when they are in the comfort of a loving home. We’ve seen it time and time again though… dogs that show badly in a cage (bark too much, jump all over, spin, growl, retreat to the back, shut down) get passed up. Please remember that on your next visit to the shelter looking for “the one”– Don’t judge a dog’s behavior in a cage! Put yourself in their position and think about what they must be thinking. Furthermore, be smart and ask a staff member or volunteer about the dog. There is a big difference between being nervous of strangers/environment and cage aggression (where they are actually protecting their cage). Most of these dogs just need some time to decompress and are not trying to protect anything other than themselves. If you’ve read an awesome bio on a dog only to visit the shelter and see them acting badly in a cage, ask a staff or volunteer to introduce you to them on a walk. You’ll be amazed at their transition! And if you adopt them… they will only continue to blossom.

Dogs

Dogs in Shelters -The Truth

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We have heard every excuse in the book as to why people choose to buy a pet instead of rescuing one. We do not judge people, but we do know better as we work directly with these rescued pets. All the pets pictured in this article have been photographed by PIFFP and were at one point at Summit County Animal Control. Misconception #1: Pets are in shelters because they behaved badly in their previous home. This is the one we hear the most. However, most dogs end up in shelters to no fault of their own. The most common reasons: moving and can’t bring their pet, major life change such as getting married or having a baby, and allergies.Should these pets be considered “bad” because their past family could not be their forever home? Absolutely not. This is not to say that there are not dogs who need to learn proper manners in shelters. Many dogs have never been taught what is right or wrong and were punished by being abandoned by the “family” who failed to teach them in the first place. But wait, if you buy a puppy you’re going to have to teach them these same manners (i.e.sit, come, stay, potty training) so why not give a shelter dog a chance? Misconception #2: All shelter pets have “baggage” due to their pasts. Dogs live day by day. That’s the beauty of them! They do not worry about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Every dog in a shelter can be led by a human to become confident and amazing. And let us tell you, there is nothing that can make you feel as good as helping a dog or cat come out of their shell and trust again. Misconception #3: There are no purebred or designer breeds in shelters.  You may have to wait a little longer, but 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred. There are also many breed specific rescues all across the country. If you are determined to find a purebred dog, that’s okay (though we prefer mutts!), do some research on how you can still rescue! Check out how many purebred dogs we’ve seen just in the past year while working with Summit County Animal Control: Misconception #4: There is no way of knowing their background. With most pets, it is true that there is no way of knowing their full background. Every adopter should take their new pet to their vet within two weeks of them coming home to ensure that there is no preexisting illness or medical concern. Other than that, why do we really care? If you have truly fallen in love with a dog or cat… nothing can stop you from loving and caring for them. Misconception #5: Shelter pets are sick and carrying diseases. Disease does spread rapidly in shelter-type environments because of the number of animals they house and pets coming in at a rapid rate. However, responsible shelters take all precautions to prevent this from happening. You should be able to tell just by walking in if the shelter is clean or not just through sight and smell. Ask about their quarintining processes, and how they deal with sick pets to prevent the spread of illnesses. Misconception #6: There are no young pets available. We believe in spaying and neutering as this is the only way to stop pets from being euthanized in the long scheme of our mission. But there are plenty of young puppies available for adoption. Just like purebreds, you have to keep a closer eye out for puppies as the get adopted very quickly.

Dogs

Fun Winter Activities for Your Dog

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Winter can be a drag when it comes to exercising our pets! Here’s some things you can do to make sure your dog stays healthy and active during cold, snowy days: Play hide and go seek. Start out with easy hiding places and call your pet to you so they can learn the game. Once they understand that you want them to find you, make the game a little bit harder. This is mentally stimulating and makes them use their noses! Plus it’s super fun when they get so excited that they found you! You can also play this game by hiding treats or their favorite toy, indoors or outdoors. If you have one available, a treadmill is an excellent way to burn off your pets excess energy. Like anything else, you want to train them right so that they enjoy walking on the treadmill and it doesn’t become a scary thing. Start off with just turning the treadmill on and giving your dog a treat. Once they become comfortable with the noise and movement of the treadmill, place them on it while it is turned off and again treat them. Start off slowly when when you begin to teach them to walk on it and always reward them. It may take a few days before you can start increasing the speed. Every dog is different with treadmill training. Teach your pet more challenging commands such as stay, roll over, wait, watch me, sit pretty ect.. There are so many youtube videos that explain how to teach your dogs tricks, or do call in a trainer to show you how. Maybe even enroll yourselves into a class or doggie day care. Depending on how cold it is, most dogs do like playing in the snow! Get out there with your dog and watch them prance around! Playing fetch becomes harder when the toy gets buried in the snow and your pet has to dig for it. Walks are still an option! We know it’s cold, but just like us, if you dress your dog up for the weather, most days they will be more than happy and willing to go on a walk. Get them a winter coat and some doggie boots to protect their paws from salt and ice. You probably won’t like it as much as your warm walks, but your dog will be grateful!

Dogs

End Breed Bullying

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Bullying is an unacceptable and reprehensible behavior. The act will often evoke a lifetime of sadness and distress in the hearts of those that have experienced it. We are grateful for those individuals who have made it their mission to bring education and support to their communities to cease this behavior. Sadly, our domestic pets have been bullied too. Since the late 80’s, the Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Mastiff and Doberman breed dogs have been bullied. Labeled “a bully breed,” they have been subjected to discrimination in Ohio. Imposing harsh and unreasonable restrictions on pet owners, many municipalities made it very difficult to own these breeds. Even mixed-breed dogs showing physical characteristics of the breeds were subjected to discrimination. With the passing of House Bill 14, Ohio became the 49th state to eliminate breed-specific legislation and the wrongful labeling of dogs. Per Ohio law, a dog can only be judged on their past behavior and no longer on their looks. Though it is to the discretion of municipalities to adopt the law, we are hopeful that this newer mindset will be embraced in all neighborhoods. So, let’s celebrate our deserving Terriers with the hope that all dogs born, no matter what their breed may be, will know the love and kindness of humanity, and will experience a secure home for their lifetimes. If you are interested in adopting a Pit Bull contact Georjette Thomas at 330.760.0763. There are so many at the shelter that need you and your family – and an opportunity to be what they were born to be.

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