| Volunteering for the Idaho Humane Society |
I have a volunteered for the IHS for several years. I had the honor of being made the Volunteer of the Year
2006.
With more time and flexibility I have been able to return to some of my old activities at the shelter as well as
add new projects.
• I am back to testing and evaluating dogs once a week and every so often I write the descriptions for the
IHS website.
• I usually help bring dogs to the IDAPI program (dogs trained in prison to make them more adoptable) and
pick them up again 8 weeks later.
• Since I haven't had the opportunity to get back into regular dog training as an instructor, but still love
teaching and educating, I helped start up a continued education program for foster parents, volunteers and
staff. I am the coordinator and arrange seminars or training about once a month. I conduct the training myself
and invite guest speakers for the seminars, which are usually about some dog subject, but also other animals.
We have been broadening the target group, so that other active dog people are invited. We see it as an
opportunity to create stronger ties to other local animal and rescue groups and the animal community as a whole.
Things are still a bit slow, but we have only been doing this for about a year.
• I also just developed and taught the first new Dog Walking class for the volunteer office, and if the
feedback is positive we may offer it regularly.
• Occasionally, the shelter has mobile adoptions or a booth at some local event. These are staffed by
volunteers and we will often have both shelter and foster animals present.
• I still foster dogs, and I mostly take border collies and border collie mixes or related breeds.
Sometimes I take the ones that are a little wild and misbehaved and teach them some house manners and basic
commands. I also foster very timid or fearful dogs that need a specific kind of behavior modification. These
dogs sometimes have to stay in foster care for several months before they are ready to go to a new home, and
then only to people who will continue working with them.
• Once in a while I help as an adoption assistant and help match the right people with the right dogs. Now,
that takes psychology! - Especially when you have to talk somebody out of adopting a dog that is all wrong for
them.
Dog evaluation
Our shelter evaluates stray dogs, dogs that have been reported to have a behavioral problem, and owner
donated dogs that we haven’t been given much information on. We don’t see all dogs because some get adopted
before we get to them. At the same time as we evaluate we take the photos that go on the website.
Our evaluations are aimed at giving the public a better idea of the personality, suitability and needs of the
individual dog. It is our belief that with more information, people are better able (and hopefully more likely) to
choose a dog that will suit them, thus being inclined to offer it a better, more fulfilling life and not feel
compelled to return it to the shelter. We consider most dogs adoptable with the right recommendations. We do
not test for aggression per say as aggression is very situational and related to past experiences and learned
behavior as well as genetics. Something that has been learned can be unlearned, at least to a degree. Negative
experiences can be balanced or even outweighed by positive experiences. The expression of genetic
predispositions can be modified and managed. In short: With the right owner, a dog with problems can still get
to live a fairly normal life and bring satisfaction to everybody involved.
With some dogs we recommend they be placed in a foster home so that they can calm down in a less stressful
environment as well as better be assessed.
Only rarely is a dog deemed to be so reactive, unpredictable, and/or aggressive that it needs to be euthanized.
We try to see how the dogs respond to other dogs, but we generally do not test them on cats. We don’t test on
children, either, though if we see them interact with kids from the public we will note it on their card.
We do not use a specific procedure or quantified tests for our evaluations but rather Handle and work with the
dogs and use our experience to read the responses the dogs give us. With some of these dogs I suspect we know
more about them after 15 minutes than the owners did after keeping them in the back yard for 1-2 years. Sad!
One of the more fun, occasional uses of our testing is when we look for a new dog for a local K-9 handler to
train. Besides working his own dog, he and his wife train detection dogs that are sold to other agencies across
the nation. He has a very good reputation and he always trains shelter dogs. We look for high drive, ball crazy
labs and lab mixes or similarly minded dogs. We love to see a very busy and bouncy dog, that is not well suited
for regular family life, get a chance at a fulfilling existence and a positive energy outlet.
IDAPI program
Pets on Parade
Public education
Adoption assistant
2006.
With more time and flexibility I have been able to return to some of my old activities at the shelter as well as
add new projects.
• I am back to testing and evaluating dogs once a week and every so often I write the descriptions for the
IHS website.
• I usually help bring dogs to the IDAPI program (dogs trained in prison to make them more adoptable) and
pick them up again 8 weeks later.
• Since I haven't had the opportunity to get back into regular dog training as an instructor, but still love
teaching and educating, I helped start up a continued education program for foster parents, volunteers and
staff. I am the coordinator and arrange seminars or training about once a month. I conduct the training myself
and invite guest speakers for the seminars, which are usually about some dog subject, but also other animals.
We have been broadening the target group, so that other active dog people are invited. We see it as an
opportunity to create stronger ties to other local animal and rescue groups and the animal community as a whole.
Things are still a bit slow, but we have only been doing this for about a year.
• I also just developed and taught the first new Dog Walking class for the volunteer office, and if the
feedback is positive we may offer it regularly.
• Occasionally, the shelter has mobile adoptions or a booth at some local event. These are staffed by
volunteers and we will often have both shelter and foster animals present.
• I still foster dogs, and I mostly take border collies and border collie mixes or related breeds.
Sometimes I take the ones that are a little wild and misbehaved and teach them some house manners and basic
commands. I also foster very timid or fearful dogs that need a specific kind of behavior modification. These
dogs sometimes have to stay in foster care for several months before they are ready to go to a new home, and
then only to people who will continue working with them.
• Once in a while I help as an adoption assistant and help match the right people with the right dogs. Now,
that takes psychology! - Especially when you have to talk somebody out of adopting a dog that is all wrong for
them.
Dog evaluation
Our shelter evaluates stray dogs, dogs that have been reported to have a behavioral problem, and owner
donated dogs that we haven’t been given much information on. We don’t see all dogs because some get adopted
before we get to them. At the same time as we evaluate we take the photos that go on the website.
Our evaluations are aimed at giving the public a better idea of the personality, suitability and needs of the
individual dog. It is our belief that with more information, people are better able (and hopefully more likely) to
choose a dog that will suit them, thus being inclined to offer it a better, more fulfilling life and not feel
compelled to return it to the shelter. We consider most dogs adoptable with the right recommendations. We do
not test for aggression per say as aggression is very situational and related to past experiences and learned
behavior as well as genetics. Something that has been learned can be unlearned, at least to a degree. Negative
experiences can be balanced or even outweighed by positive experiences. The expression of genetic
predispositions can be modified and managed. In short: With the right owner, a dog with problems can still get
to live a fairly normal life and bring satisfaction to everybody involved.
With some dogs we recommend they be placed in a foster home so that they can calm down in a less stressful
environment as well as better be assessed.
Only rarely is a dog deemed to be so reactive, unpredictable, and/or aggressive that it needs to be euthanized.
We try to see how the dogs respond to other dogs, but we generally do not test them on cats. We don’t test on
children, either, though if we see them interact with kids from the public we will note it on their card.
We do not use a specific procedure or quantified tests for our evaluations but rather Handle and work with the
dogs and use our experience to read the responses the dogs give us. With some of these dogs I suspect we know
more about them after 15 minutes than the owners did after keeping them in the back yard for 1-2 years. Sad!
One of the more fun, occasional uses of our testing is when we look for a new dog for a local K-9 handler to
train. Besides working his own dog, he and his wife train detection dogs that are sold to other agencies across
the nation. He has a very good reputation and he always trains shelter dogs. We look for high drive, ball crazy
labs and lab mixes or similarly minded dogs. We love to see a very busy and bouncy dog, that is not well suited
for regular family life, get a chance at a fulfilling existence and a positive energy outlet.
IDAPI program
Pets on Parade
Public education
Adoption assistant
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To be continued