Do You Have a “Rescue” Dog?
Bruno and I have a request for you to consider. What if you stop referring to your dog as a “rescue dog” and just consider them a dog? Your dog. Hopefully, a very happy dog.
Language and Labels
Let’s think about the labels we may use to identify our pets, and how that could affect our goals and outcomes, as well as our relationships. I often see posts or hear people say things such as “My rescue dog is afraid of strangers,” or “My dog is reactive, he is a rescue,” as if it were an affliction or a flaw, or as if the label somehow explained the reason for a particular behavior.
of the family!”
(© D. Antolec)
When I hear “rescue” used as an explanation of something, I too often interpret that a person has resigned to the behavior that disturbs them, thinking there is no point in working on it, because their dog is a rescue.
I am concerned that labels may imprison dogs to a category, from which there is no hope of release.
The means by which a dog entered your life cannot be modified, so why bother even considering it? On the other hand, behavior can be modified, and that can lead to improvement.
The language we use and the labels we apply to dogs influence our attitude, and at times maybe taints our attitude.
Imagine if a family adopted a child, who perhaps struggled in school, and they told friends “Her grades are poor…she is adopted.” Or “He is uncoordinated in sports, because he is adopted.” Would that make any sense? Would such an attitude lead to any improvement, or a stronger relationship?
Reasons for Behavior
OK, I recognize that not all persons who use the term “rescue” mean it in the manner I described in this post. Still, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the labels we use and how they can affect outcomes.
Let’s shift our focus from labeling dogs to a focus on the reasons for their behavior, and possible ways to improve our relationships.
If your dog is fearful of things, understand that fear can develop for a variety of reasons, and placement in foster care or a shelter is not necessarily one of them. He may have been given up to a shelter due to his fear, such as fearful reactivity to strangers or other dogs, but that is another matter. If a dog was born in a puppy mill environment and ultimately ended up in a shelter environment waiting for adoption, which environment do you suppose caused the behaviors that may concern you?
Dogs Are Family
I can also attest that a dog obtained from a breeder may also have behaviors of concern, based upon many of the dogs I have worked with.
Take my own dogs for example. We obtained Samantha as a puppy from a friend who thoughtfully bred her mother, and we paid my friend money in return, so you may say that we bought her from a breeder. When Charlie’s owners divorced, neither could keep him, so they offered him for adoption. We paid money anyway, as a gesture, upon seeing how heartbroken the man was when he said goodbye to his best friend. Jake was adopted from a shelter after living there for six months. His family did not train or confine him, and when he wandered away and was taken to a shelter, they declined to reclaim him. Buddha went into foster care when his family lost their home. Gandhi was a stray, found starving during a bitter winter, and Bruno was adopted from an organization specializing in Labradors. His original owner had to give him up due to her health problems.
One of our dogs was very stressed while riding in a vehicle, going to a vet clinic, and during thunderstorms. Two others had separation anxiety.
Whether they were adopted or not was absent from the consideration of management, training and behavior modification measures to help them.
They were all fine family members, and any issues that we worked through did not stem from the way we brought them into our family.
Rethinking “Rescue”
Personally, I do not think of rescuing dogs; I think of adopting them. We choose to bring them into our lives because we value them. That, in turn, shapes our attitude toward them and defines our relationship.
Bruno is my buddy, pal, companion, family member, teacher, student, playmate and my dog. He is not my “rescue”. If anything, I could say that he rescued me. That too, is another matter.
About the Author
Daniel H. Antolec, PCT-A, CCBC-KA, CPDT-KA began teaching dogs in 2011 and founded Happy Buddha Dog Training. He teaches dogs in a way that makes it fun for pet stewards and pets alike, emphasizing the welfare of all stakeholders.
