What should be the minimum daily protocol of activities for shelter dogs (and dogs in foster homes)? What can be done to help ensure they don’t mentally break down? What can be done to increase their potential for adoption and reduce behavioral returns? And what can be done to create photo opportunities to market the dogs to the public?
Here are some suggestions. (This is a better example of what “environmental enrichment” should be for shelter dogs.)
Shelters should facilitate daily enrichment opportunities for each of the dogs. Housing a dog isn’t like putting a turtle in a bowl. When dogs are confined and bored they will develop deep seated behavioral disturbances and health problems. Thus, dedicated “play areas” should be set aside to incorporate:
- Exercise opportunities, such as treadmills. And if the shelters can be located adjacent to public parks, daily strolls are highly advised on alternate days. Don’t overtrain the dogs.
- Designated training challenge areas to focus on home manners… have a fake door to practice greetings; a dog bed area to practice Place; an area to teach specific skills like Up/ Off, Sit, Come, Heel, Down, Speak/ Quiet.
- An outdoor run to practice Fetch/ Drop It (since dogs often get things in their mouths, are chased and cornered, and then they bite).
- Parallel play areas so more than one dog can be worked so they get used to obeying, playing and exercising around another animal and person.
The goals are to:
- Reduce boredom.
- Reduce food guarding (since confined dogs often only find comfort through feeding, they become fearful of having their bowls taken away every day).
- Jump start some basic skills so they are adoptable (by anticipating what the dogs might need to know to reduce returns.
- Prevent anorexia (stressed dogs in shelters under eat and then go a new home and guard the bowl, get in the garbage, etc.).
- Use exercise to maintain their immune systems, reduce sickness, prevent or rehabilitate injuries, and lower stress levels.
- Maintain a social relationship until adoption. (Dogs can survive longer term in rescue if they can bond to and interact with at least one caring person). I highly recommend at least one outing per week away from the shelter to take the dog for a walk, or to decompress at a foster home, or go with for some daily errands. This person should also take pictures which can be used for marketing purposes.
All of this is needed… and possible. STOP WAREHOUSING DOGS.
Plan accordingly.