RightStart™ Training Program
for dogs who have been adopted from animal shelters & rescues
Adopted shelter and rescue dogs have very unique needs when entering their forever home
RightStart™ is about helping adopted shelter and rescue dogs in becoming balanced well-mannered members of the family. The program is also about avoiding the all-to-common problems associated with adopting a dog with a shelter or rescue background.
Adopting a Shelter or Rescue Dog
Most shelter and rescue dogs need help becoming balanced well-mannered members of the family. Due to the nature of shelter and rescue dogs, the sooner that intervention the better. This program is designed to address these problems as soon as an owner adopts a dog (ideally day 1), or within the first few weeks.
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Once a shelter or rescue dog has gone past this early period of adoption their problems already begin to develop. Given their associative minds tt doesn't take long for these new behaviors to become habits. These newly formed habits require a more comprehensive approach like our Fundamentals, Fundamentals Plus or Life’s an Adventure or Aggressive Dog Training for dogs showing significant aggression.
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Back Story: Why do shelter and rescue dogs need a targeted dog training program
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Unsettled Lives
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What most shelter and rescue dogs have in common is prior to being adopted they have unsettled lives usually lacking socialization, structure and consistency. This typically influences dogs in becoming insecure and reclusive, or the exact opposite – creates dogs with big, bold personalities with a lot of willfulness and prone to acting out.
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Gift of Leniency
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Out of compassion, most adoptive parents respond to their dog’s unfortunate backgrounds and make up by giving them the “gift” of leniency. What this gift does to the rescue dog is actually cultivates further insecurity and impulsiveness. This leads to disrespect and fuels the potential for aggression.
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Positive-Only Training
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What only makes matters worse is when owners do seek out help through training, often they choose a positive-only approach. A positive only approach is structured leniency. This just accelerates all of their problems, and especially aggression.
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The 3-3-3 Rescue and Shelter Problem:
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Most owners are told at adoption the 3-3-3 rule. Three days for your dog to settle in, three weeks for your dog to understand you and three months for your dog to fully himself or herself.
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Unfortunately, this is really bad advice. Most owners will keep their dogs at home, protecting them from being overwhelmed until they’ve gone through the 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 month transition. What happens is shelter and rescue dogs quickly enjoy the quietness and predictability of most homes. Then anything that changes the status quo is seen as a threat. A threat to the routine they are now attached to enjoying. That’s any new person or dog as well as any break to their everyday routine. Aggression is their tool of choice for communicating their intolerance.
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RightStart™ Rescue Dog Program: $495 - 4 classes
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A shelter or rescue dog needs a big world with plenty of stimuli. This means regular visitors to the home, and regular daily excursions into new public places. For this socialization owners need the knowledge, and correct strategy for their dog to succeed.
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Our RightStart™ training starts by introduce fundamental structure through teaching basic manners including walking on a slack leash, following owner on-command, not to jump unless invited and “nay” which means no or stop. These skills are just the tools needed to do the real work.
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These new skills are used to lead the newly adopted dog to embrace, and understand, the world around them. Where many dogs would naturally stop, tense up or back up, they are taught to move forward. They are first taught tolerance for any troubling triggers, and then a positive association whenever possible. Any early displays of low-level aggression are addressed, and in it’s place develop confidence and curiosity.
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