Just a thought..!

Here's a suggestion that might help people to adopt a dog from one of the rescue shelters  ...

Gizmo, my own rescue pooch, has a bad habit of barking at strangers he meets on a walk. We're not really sure what in his history caused this, but we're hoping that we can reverse it (any suggestions gratefully received !).*

Recently I met Dominique Doring , a dog trainer who is currently working at K9, and she's helping us try and change Gizmo's bad behaviour and overcome his anxiety. That's what  prompted this post ...

I think that it would be wooftastic if  the shelters here could could team up with a dog trainer, or at least be able to recommend one to people who have adopted a dog.

Of course not every rescue pooch comes with problems, but some abandoned dogs do have issues. So it would be great to have the back-up of a dog trainer if the going gets tough, and the new owner is thinking that they might have to return the dog to the shelter.

It may only take a few sessions with a qualified trainer before the rescue dog gets over his problem, or at least the new owner can see signs of improvement.  Then the woofer is given longer to settle in, and doesn't immediately get 'banged up' back in the cages at the shelter.

So, I think that if the rescue shelters could work more closely with a dog trainer it would give people a back-up if problems do occur, and perhaps lead to fewer dogs being returned.

* ps Gizmo's says "it's not my fault, I'm just a bit shy :-)"