Rehabilitation

Frequently, adopted dogs require rehabilitation. Even dogs who are "the best of the best" will be impacted by moving from one home to another. So what IS rehabilitation? How does it differ from training?

Rehabilitation of dogs is not conceptually much different than drug & alcohol rehab programs. Rehab is an experience that gives a participant the best possible chance at moving forward and functioning normally. Rehabilitation is for dogs who are doing anything outside of normal behavior.

Rehab incorporates training (meaning deliberately taught response to commands), but there are other elements. Initial training of a dog who "knows nothing", but is otherwise normal is significantly different from training a dog who knows some things but isn't doing them, or who "knows nothing" and is acting fearful, stressed, or frustrated.

When we rehabilitate a dog, we begin by removing the opportunity to make mistakes. We provide the tools we think will give the dog the best chance at being successful. And then we begin teaching.

Rehabilitation typically requires a significant time investment on the part of the human(s) providing it. Most dogs need a bare minimum of 3 hours a day to accomplish full rehabilitation. Anything short of FULL rehabilitation is simply not rehab, and not likely to result in the achievement of complete, long-term success. This routine of 3 hours a day, every single day must continue without skipping a single day for a period of at least 3-6 weeks. Sporadic "rehab" attempts can drag the process out to months or years, risking the dog's emotional well-being, not to mention the physical safety of other people and dogs, in the case of dogs showing or likely to show aggression.

The rehabilitation work of TV star Cesar Millan includes 4 hours of running, a 2-hr feeding ritual, 1/2 hour of sprinting with rollerblading human, and 1/2 hour of playing fetch with a ball. Some dogs receive additional one-on-one attention! In addition to the stimulation provided by the exercise, social interaction is recognized by research in some species to cause increased need for sleep, so the presence of dozens of other dogs helps to force the brain to work.

If you are thinking about rehabilitation for your dog, a great place to start is by providing walking every day. CAUTION! Most average pet owners don't have the fitness level to provide even 2 hours of walking every single day. If you intend to provide this yourself, start with as much as you can comfortably do, and gradually increase the amount of time you walk.

So, how do you start rehab if you can only walk 20 minutes a day?

If you have a dog over 4 years old, the timing is less critical. Just wait until you CAN walk as much as you need to. Unless you have a major issue that must be addressed now, you have the luxury of not paying a significant price for just working your way into the amount of physical work required.

However, if you have a dog who is 4 yrs old or younger, starting rehab NOW is critical. The sooner you start, the shorter the rehab phase will be, and the better your overall long-term results will be. In your situation, find a neighbor, friend, dog walker, or trainer who can work with your dog every day to make up for the time that you cannot provide.