Tips & Tools - Rescues 2the Rescue

Tips & Tools

Tips & Tools for Shelters Ā  Ā Tips & Tools for Trainers

Matchmaking Tips

Shelters:Ā Honestly represent the dog. Unlike most people searching for pet dogs, detection dog trainers are expecting (and hoping for) ā€œa lot of dogā€. These are the quirky, busy, wired, active, intense dogs who would overwhelm most pet owners. This dog is bound to be a handful! It will be very helpful if you can convey the ways in which the dog is a handful.

Trainers: Give shelters as much information as you can about your training methods, animal care practices, and future plans for the dog. Ā Shelters need to feel confident that the dog will have a good life with you and will likely screen you for certain criteria just as they would any other adopter.

Everybody:Ā About half of the dogs who are strong candidates will not graduate from training. Both parties should agree on a contingency plan for this potential outcomeĀ before the dog leaves the shelter.

Do you have a tip or tool to share?

We have been working at this for a long time but that doesn’t mean we know everything. Ā Do you have ideas, suggestions, or tricks you think would be helpful to other members of this community? Ā We would love to hear about them!

Send us an email at Rescues2theRescue@gmail.com or use our Contact form to submit your great ideas and we just might post them here.

Additional Resources
Success stories
Wicket

Wicket was a year old and had been at the shelter for six months. Her history was unknown. She had recently been spayed by a shelter ā€œangelā€ hoping to make herĀ more appealing for adoption. But not many people want a dog who constantly whines, barks, and literally bounces off the walls of her kennel. But…

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Photo credit: Kurt Wilson
Rescues2theRescue is a program created by
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Working Dogs for Conservation
Rescues2theRescue.org is a proud member of the
Best Friends No More Homeless Pet Network.