Hi there! We have successfully rehabilitated about 20 dogs over the past 4 years by utilizing a combination of training. We do use medical protocols to begin therapy but we do not use them long term as we have noticed an issue with training retention while using medications like gabapentin and trazodone. We do not see this issue with CBD oil so we do dose with CBD to lower stress levels. With a new intake showing fear reactivity we will pick one or two people who will be the caregivers for the animal initially and then we add people along the way. These people will spend a lot of one on one time sitting near the animal, hand feeding if possible high value treats like canned food, Vienna sausages, soft treats, etc. after a couple of weeks of just this then we start to focus on muzzle training or leash training depending on how the dog has responded to everything up to that point.
It is a very slow process! Some dogs can take up to a year before they show an obvious difference in behavior. Lots of patience, high value rewards, and positive reinforcement.
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Dava Cooley
Ex. Director
County Roads Rescue
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-30-2023 12:02 PM
From: Krystle Woodward
Subject: Feral dog rehabilitation
What are your successful practices in rehabilitation for feral dogs?
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
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Krystle Woodward
President/Founder
Paws/Pinky Paws Search & ResQ
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