Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  resources/advice on how to train new volunteers to walk dogs in urban areas

    Posted 09-27-2021 01:43 PM
    Posting on behalf of @Axton Riker

    I am looking for resources/advice on how to train new volunteers to walk dogs in urban areas that have a lot of traffic/people.

    Our main shelter is located off of a main road but we are fortunate to have a large area away from the main road for volunteers to walk dogs in.
    However, we have two other partner locations which are located closer to busy streets that don't have more remote areas that the dogs can be walked in.

    I want to develop training for new volunteers on how to walk dogs in more urban, busier areas so that we can have volunteers visit our other locations and walk dogs in a safe way.

    Thoughts? Suggestions? Resources?

    Thank you!

    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #EducationandTraining
    #PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)

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    Thank you all for all you do!

    Amber Freiwald
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: resources/advice on how to train new volunteers to walk dogs in urban areas

    Posted 09-29-2021 12:01 PM
    Hi Amber,

    I'm not sure if this will have what you are looking for, but I recently spoke with Ian Dunbar about his Open Paw Shelter Program. It includes 4 levels of volunteer training which includes how to walk on leash safely and so that behavior improves rather than worsens (as it can with uneducated people walking dogs). Hope this helps : )

    Open Paw - building lifelong positive relationships with pets
    Openpaw remove preview
    Open Paw - building lifelong positive relationships with pets
    Open Paw in Shelters Materials for Implementing Open Paw * Want to be an OP Shelter? * Minimum Mental Health Requirements Open Paw is pleased to announce its 2012 Open Paw® Shelter Grant award recipient: The Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) of Washington, DC.
    View this on Openpaw >


    Best,
    Diane

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    Diane Zahorodny
    World Ready Pets
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  • 3.  RE: resources/advice on how to train new volunteers to walk dogs in urban areas

    Posted 09-29-2021 01:28 PM
    I like the "Less Stress, More Success" videos by Drayton Michaels on his Urban Dawgs YouTube channel mostly because they include a lot of real-world footage of managing reactive or alert dogs in an urban setting, making use of the environment. The one I use most for adopters is: https://youtu.be/XMLVmiZKlug  Maybe incorporating some of these to volunteer training?

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    Emme Hones
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  • 4.  RE: resources/advice on how to train new volunteers to walk dogs in urban areas

    Posted 09-29-2021 11:27 PM
    Hello Axton,

    I think step one when training new volunteers is to teach them how to fit a harness or head collar for safety. I prefer the new freedom harness because of the martingale on the back but they can be bulky. The balance harness can be double clipped for safety as well. There is a free course on the Instinct Dog Training Website https://onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com/course/training-leash-reactive-dog that I have found helpful in the past for managing reactive dogs in busy urban areas.

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    Christine D. Calder DVM
    Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
    Calder Veterinary Behavior Services
    www.caldervbs.com

    Veterinary Behaviorist
    Behavior Specialist, MPF
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