Meet Annie -

     If there were ten stars I would give it to Sue. My puppy Annie is a rescue and was scared of people and dogs. Sue was very gentle with her and let Annie stay on my lap the first three classes. Annie started to greet the other pups and parents and took treats from the parents. By the fifth week Annie would play with some of the pups and wagged her tail the whole time. I really appreciate how well Sue understood a scared rescue puppy and let Annie come out of her shell at her own pace. We love Sue!

     -From, Annie's Dad Troy.

Rescues often come with 'baggage' from a past life of abuse, abandonment and neglect. He might start out with difficulties but Don’t. Give. Up. He's been tossed away like a bag of old clothes by people in the past. Give your rescue a second, third or a fourth chance to learn about his new, loving home with you. It might take some time; just because he's changed his address doesn't mean he can change his behaviors, quickly.

My Ph D is Trauma in Dogs. I understand how to get into the mind of a Traumatized Dog. Many rescues, in addition to the appalling abuse suffered have also suffered Trauma. Yes, dogs can have PTSD. Unless your rescue gets treatment for Trauma in addition to the love you give him he'll still carry those memories into his current life.

Rescue often don't like other dogs. Yours might lunge, bark and carry on when in the presence of other pets. Don’t. Give. Up.

Time, training and patience is the prescription for your 'doesn't play with others' rescue. If your new rescue isn't able to come to the Family Pet class yet the Reactive Dog class gets him comfortable around dogs and ready for 'regular' school. Lots and lots of rescue dogs earn their Canine Good Citizen award from the AKC and become Therapy Dogs. 

Does your rescue have Separation Anxiety? Is he destructive in your absence? Is he terrified and drooling if you crate him? Does he whine when he sees your preparation for leaving? Don’t. Give. Up. He's been abandoned before, maybe several times, and he needs time and special training to learn that when you leave you'll always come back. Think of how many times people betrayed him in the past. Don’t. Give. Up.

Sometimes rescue don’t like men and try to bite. These are usually defensive behaviors from a scared and abused dog whose life has been marked by fear, pain and abuse. Don’t. Give. Up. Creative problem solving and patient, skilled training can turn many a biting rescue into a tail wagging one. It's common for rescues to get along well with women and not so well with men. Your rescue isn't a bad dog he's a scared one. Don’t. Give. Up.

How do I know so much about and work successfully with rescues? Yes, forty years of experience helps. Yes, a Ph D in Trauma in Dogs helps. But, know what helps with the heart and love that rescues need? My own rescues.