Rehabilitation at the Ranch Spring, 2008 Starting in March, we had the good fortune to be able to run the kennels at Watermelon Mountain Ranch for a few months.  We made it a goal that while we were managing the facilities, any dog that was adopted from the Ranch would be better off then when they were surrendered.  We found our time there to be a very enriching experience. Dogs in a typical shelter tend to act out or go "kennel crazy" because the workers that are doing their assigned jobs of cleaning the kennels and dishing out food unintentionally miscommunicate to the dogs about appropriate behavior.  Here's an example: as a kennel worker walks down the aisle to feed the dogs, they are barking and acting crazy.  He ignores the deafening sound and tries to get through the task as quickly as possible.  The dogs, on the other hand, have been waiting for this interaction all day.  They take the food as a reward for their behavior and so they connect the dots: it's barking that gets them the food.  Once they put it together, they act this way any time anyone enters the kennel, in the hopes that this time the barking gets them what they want.  You add to this the stress of being in tight quarters with so many other dogs, where the only interaction they can have is face to face aggression through a fence or the sad alternative which is to try to disappear into the corner.  You add to that the stream of strange faces poking at them through the fence (an act of aggression) and talking in high pitch tones (adding tension to an already overwhelming environment).  When you walk down the rows of a traditional shelter, you are not seeing the natural disposition of the dogs.  You are witnessing a very stressed animal in a very unnatural environment who is responding to the direction of unsuspecting kennel workers.  The animals are doing the very best they can, but with time aggression, fear, depression, hyperactivity and neurosis are a common fate for the kennalized dog.  All of these symptoms can be reversed and overcome with a little patience, and the right type of information and action, but sadly, most people only see a scary dog or a lost cause.  This is where I have a high level of respect for the thousands of rescue groups through out the country that save dogs from such unhealthy environments and place them in foster homes to create balance and peace within their lives.   Check out Our Shelters page to read about the rescue groups that we are dedicated to helping with their noble mission.  We provide a free Canine Care and Obedience Course for every new adoptee from any of our rescues.  The groups that have offered our program to their adoptive families have seen a dramatic reduction in returns. If you run a shelter or rescue and would like to join in a partnership with us please visit the Contact Us page and tell us your story.  We have a policy of only working with no-kill rescues and shelters who are dedicated to the well-being of the animals in their care. To accomplish our goals of creating calm balance, we set in place a program that brought out the best in each dog.  We took great care in matching up temperaments, controlling behaviors around food, making each day interesting and fun, providing exercise, structure, and deep, meaningful affection.  At Watermelon Mountain Ranch, the dogs that are social are kept in groups of three to seven.  In this way they can have companionship and an opportunity to fulfill a primal need - forming a pack.  Such a structure can be a wonderful situation for the dogs, if handled correctly.  It can also create numerous issues if the dogs are not given structure and clear communication from an informed staff.  The first thing that we put structure around is food.  Every dog must back up from the fence and show self control before we enter the pod (no jumping, barking, whining, etc).  Then we proceed with a feeding ritual with all of the dogs in the same space and each one of them giving respectful distance to the other dogs while under direct supervision and guidance.  Having a strict feeding structure does amazing things for their state of mind.  Once they understand what is expected (which they learn very quickly) they calm down in seemingly unrelated situations.  Best of all, when someone enters the Cottage, everyone backs away from the fence and shows manners (a wonderful way for them to get adopted!).  The dogs that are working through issues of aggression are kept separate until they learn proper canine etiquette (see Program Rehabs Troubled Dogs at End of Line) .  They are fed the same way, with a staff member present the entire time they eat, so they understand that they are safe and can relax (food naturally holds a lot of stress for dogs - it is something to guard, defend and protect).  This ritual makes fearful dogs calm and trusting, it creates self-control in dogs exhibiting aggressive behaviors and ensures that everyone has a sense of being safe and protected. The above picture shows Brindle Boy (B.B.) and the one other dog that he has been socialized with - Whoopee.  B.B. was found in the Jemez mountains as a feral adolescent with his two brothers, FJ and Roddy.  At first, he would not leave his dog house and if forced, he would show aggressive behaviors.  One very dedicated volunteer, Susan Barker, fell for him and spent hours upon hours sitting in his pen building trust. Due to her sincere devotion and continued effort, he now joins our obedience classes on Saturdays and works around strangers.  In the picture, Heather is developing trust and moving B.B. to the next level of interaction by insisting that he eat with her near him.  She would ignore him and sit still until he finished (he's a little nervous here because of the camera).  When we first started this program, he would not eat until late at night when everyone was gone.  This method laid out in very clear terms that we would provide for every one of his needs, which opened the floodgates of trust.  Hopefully one day someone will see the beauty in him like we and Susan do and bring him into a home environment.  Anyone dedicated to such a voyage would receive unending help from us.      Next, every interaction must encourage calm, balanced behavior.  This is simple to say, but takes a great deal of self-control.  We became very attached to each of the dogs, but we would ignore them until they were calm every single time we interacted.  Once they got the point, they would mellow out as soon as they saw us.  This was very rewarding because we became a source of calm safety for them instead of excitement and stress.  We played very calming music 24 hours a day (they love Nora Jones, but they howled when we played opera!).  When I (Heather) was alone in the Cottage, I would sing softly as I went about my day.  As soon as they heard that, every one of them would hang out by the doors of their pods and fall asleep.  It was a beautiful thing to know that I was creating balance in their lives.  The down side of it was that we couldn't seem to drag ourselves away from them and ended up working 10 to 14 hour days, 7 days a week for three months straight.  So, to make sure that our own pack was cared for, we made room for our Kita, Hoshi and Jackson at the Ranch and brought them to work everyday. The picture to the right was taken by the news crew.  The cottage was full of people and all of our dogs were curious, but unconcerned.  There were 31 dogs in the cottage that day (in six pods) and they behaved admirably.  We were so proud of them. The ability to work with over seventy dogs at once, applying our own methods, techniques and philosophy and to see real, tangible results was an incredibly satisfying experience. This is definitely worth seeing! A national news crew was very impressed with our work and did a three-part series on us! This news story covers our rehabilitation work Program Rehabs Troubled Dogs at End of Line      This one is about Rick's exhausting work to turn WMR into an eco-friendly shelter Eco-friendly Shelter Saves Environment, Money      This last one is about the perpetual care program that provides a safe haven for pets when their owners can no longer care for them. Perpetual Care: The Answer to Pets Who Outlive Owners     You can also access these stories by going to www.zootoo.com and typing "Dillender" into the search field. We would like to thank Mike Davis for his belief in our work and for arranging these interviews with Zootoo. Lucy Lucy, a Border Collie / Great Pyrenees, was adopted from Watermelon Mountain Ranch and had severe fear issues. Initially she hid under the furniture and would not move on her own. Her new family ended up bringing food to her and carrying her outside to do her business. We've now had three sessions with them, and we are very happy to report she is making excellent progress.  She now follows the family around the house, hangs out in the little girls' room, goes running with Gracie (see the picture to the left), and is overall turning out to be a wonderful family dog. Watch Lucy's video and first progress report here.  Check out the initial pictures of Lucy and her ongoing blog. Frodo Frodo was rescued by Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR).  He had severe fear of men so Rick worked with him to move him past this hurdle.  Watch Frodo's video. 505-604-6367 2003 Southern Blvd. SE #102-85, Rio Rancho, NM 87144 answers@afreshperspectivedogtraining.com