4 ms·

While you're correct do note that not everyone can handle or wants to go through the pain of training a shelter dog. A dog you've raised from 8 weeks old is ve

While you're correct do note that not everyone can handle or wants to go through the pain of training a shelter dog. A dog you've raised from 8 weeks old is very different than a dog someone else has already abused and abandoned. Even if they're only 6 months old the habits have been learned and they're hard to break. Young puppies go instantly from shelters for that reason, and few people want to adopt a pit bull with behavior problems.

eropple 8y ago
Yup. Both our dogs are shelter dogs and we love 'em, but in the newest dog's case--he's probably around three, we've had him for about six months--there are enough issues that a lot of people wouldn't want to deal with some people just couldn't, while still being very good caretakers of better-adjusted dogs. In ours's case: he's not a barker and he's incredibly gentle, but he's both dumb as a post (not the shelter-dog problem, and also usually just hilarious) and extremely timid (that one is) to the point of frustration. Speak excitedly? He'll slowly sink to the floor and look worried. Tape a cable to the floor with gaff tape? He won't go over it[0]--probably because he'd experienced an invisible fence, we think. Move a chair to the other side of the living room? He sits in the corner and quietly freaks out for two hours. Leave after such a traumatic furniture adjustment? You might come home and he's nervous-chewed something. (Like, to this point, five pairs of my shoes. I am literally bankrolling Nike by my re-purchases of Air Force 1's. It doesn't help that now he's figured out how to open the doors that don't latch in our house--we're doomed, I tell you. Doomed.) He's a great dog. But we knew going into it that dealing with his issues would take some effort, and there definitely are people who could be enriched by having a dog (they're great!) but don't have the capacity to deal with even a relatively minor case like ours. The downside to this sort of generosity of the benefit of the doubt, of course, is that then there are people who can't hack it and who create more shelter dogs. I don't have a good solution for that, of course. But my intuition is more good is created than bad. [0] - His pathfinding is just not good. He'll go the entire way around the house to avoid walking over a scary black tape line. He'll also squeeze under tables, chairs, benches, etc. to avoid innocuous spaces or hop over the couch to avoid going around it. And this dog is a mess of Labrador, Staffordshire, and German Shepherd, with legs like a greyhound--watching him accordion on down to squeeze under a foot-high bench is hilarious.
- X6S1x6Okd1st 8y ago
  One of our dogs is a shelter dog and the other was given up on by it's original owner, but never made it to the shelter. Both of them required training and care beyond what most people are prepared to give. I love my dogs, but if I could have avoided the training to get them to where they are now I would have. Yet if we adopt another dog it'll likely be from a shelter or rescue.
  - drewmol 8y ago
    IME having other, well trained dogs around as part of your pack helps immensly when training a new addition so hopfully this gets easier with the next. Note this can work against you as well... I still remember the look of "oh shit, we can do that?" on (new rescue) Halo's face when Layla eagerly leaped the 5 foot fence twice in order to retreive a frisbee that had landed in the neighbors yard!
- cjdavis 8y ago
  > His pathfinding is just not good. He’s optimized for minimum anxiety, not time or distance. Your dog’s pathfinding is _excellent_.
  - eropple 8y ago
    Maybe minimum for him. I'm just waiting for him to try to stand up under a chair and send the whole thing flying.
eldr 8y ago
My partner works at a shelter and comes across this sentiment often. This is strange because a sizable portion of the dogs in their care where bought by their owners as puppies and then grew up to have physical or behavioral characteristics making them unsuitable for their owners who then bring them to the shelter. There are plenty of irresponsible shelters out there but a responsible adoption center will insist that you have interaction with the dog before you adopt. The will have done thorough behavior assessments and will do their best to make sure the dog suits your lifestyle. I would guess about 80% of the dogs at her shelter require no further training to be a pet. In the remaining cases potential adopters are given guidance before they adopt and will usually know what they're in for ahead of time.

eropple 8y ago

Yup. Both our dogs are shelter dogs and we love 'em, but in the newest dog's case--he's probably around three, we've had him for about six months--there are enough issues that a lot of people wouldn't want to deal with some people just couldn't, while still being very good caretakers of better-adjusted dogs. In ours's case: he's not a barker and he's incredibly gentle, but he's both dumb as a post (not the shelter-dog problem, and also usually just hilarious) and extremely timid (that one is) to the point of frustration. Speak excitedly? He'll slowly sink to the floor and look worried. Tape a cable to the floor with gaff tape? He won't go over it[0]--probably because he'd experienced an invisible fence, we think. Move a chair to the other side of the living room? He sits in the corner and quietly freaks out for two hours. Leave after such a traumatic furniture adjustment? You might come home and he's nervous-chewed something. (Like, to this point, five pairs of my shoes. I am literally bankrolling Nike by my re-purchases of Air Force 1's. It doesn't help that now he's figured out how to open the doors that don't latch in our house--we're doomed, I tell you. Doomed.) He's a great dog. But we knew going into it that dealing with his issues would take some effort, and there definitely are people who could be enriched by having a dog (they're great!) but don't have the capacity to deal with even a relatively minor case like ours. The downside to this sort of generosity of the benefit of the doubt, of course, is that then there are people who can't hack it and who create more shelter dogs. I don't have a good solution for that, of course. But my intuition is more good is created than bad. [0] - His pathfinding is just not good. He'll go the entire way around the house to avoid walking over a scary black tape line. He'll also squeeze under tables, chairs, benches, etc. to avoid innocuous spaces or hop over the couch to avoid going around it. And this dog is a mess of Labrador, Staffordshire, and German Shepherd, with legs like a greyhound--watching him accordion on down to squeeze under a foot-high bench is hilarious.

X6S1x6Okd1st 8y ago
One of our dogs is a shelter dog and the other was given up on by it's original owner, but never made it to the shelter. Both of them required training and care beyond what most people are prepared to give. I love my dogs, but if I could have avoided the training to get them to where they are now I would have. Yet if we adopt another dog it'll likely be from a shelter or rescue.
- drewmol 8y ago
  IME having other, well trained dogs around as part of your pack helps immensly when training a new addition so hopfully this gets easier with the next. Note this can work against you as well... I still remember the look of "oh shit, we can do that?" on (new rescue) Halo's face when Layla eagerly leaped the 5 foot fence twice in order to retreive a frisbee that had landed in the neighbors yard!
cjdavis 8y ago
> His pathfinding is just not good. He’s optimized for minimum anxiety, not time or distance. Your dog’s pathfinding is _excellent_.
- eropple 8y ago
  Maybe minimum for him. I'm just waiting for him to try to stand up under a chair and send the whole thing flying.

eldr 8y ago

My partner works at a shelter and comes across this sentiment often. This is strange because a sizable portion of the dogs in their care where bought by their owners as puppies and then grew up to have physical or behavioral characteristics making them unsuitable for their owners who then bring them to the shelter. There are plenty of irresponsible shelters out there but a responsible adoption center will insist that you have interaction with the dog before you adopt. The will have done thorough behavior assessments and will do their best to make sure the dog suits your lifestyle. I would guess about 80% of the dogs at her shelter require no further training to be a pet. In the remaining cases potential adopters are given guidance before they adopt and will usually know what they're in for ahead of time.