[Lauren]

We do not use slip leads at my facility. All dogs are on martingale collars, unless they’re so defensive or unpredictable that it’s unsafe in which case they are handled only by training staff until we can get them on a martingale collar with a drag leash.

[Lauren]

We use martingale collars and ask all dogs to do a kennel routine and door routine. Kennel routine consists of dog standing “4 on the floor” prior to tossing treats in kennel, then opening door. In kennel, handler does 2 collar touches (marking with clicker and rewarding for both), then clips lead (mark/reward), ask for sit (mark/reward). If dog doesn’t sit on verbal, use food lure (mark/reward). Still no sit, leash pressure (no mark/reward). Still no sit, leash pressure and butt-prompt (no mark/reward). Then begin opening door with no leash pressure. If dog breaks sit, use negative marker (uh-uh) butt-prompt or spatial pressure to get them back into sit. Try again opening door. Dog should hold sit for door to be fully open, then release with “free” and walk to exterior door where the sit and wait for door is repeated. We have different “walk colors” for dogs based on difficulty level. If dogs jump during kennel routine the handler is to immediately turn around and ignore the dog. We assign spray bottles (water only) or shake cans for really jumpy/mouthy dogs or leash biters. Eye contact is heavily rewarded and so it yielding to leash pressure. I find that I don’t have to use the spray bottles or shake cans when others do because I’m engaging with the dogs and using a rapid/continuous reward schedule for eye contact, but others can’t seem to get it or they want to zone out and don’t give full attention to dogs when doing their walks.

[Lauren]

Thank you! Some good stuff in there. I’ve tried some of this before, it’s hard because ideally and typically these dogs aren’t in our care for long, so sometimes it feels like we are just “getting them through it” vs improving the dog and setting them up to be successful in their next home.

[Lauren]

Between index finger and thumb? Many would take those fingers off getting the treat. I’ve tried presenting it using my thumb over treat in palm, moving thumb right as the dog takes it. I was looking for advice on behavior modification, which I would do myself as training staff prior to allowing kennel staff or volunteers to hand-feed those dogs again. Robert talks about triggering the gag reflex by pushing hand back in their mouth. I’m hesitant to try this at the shelter because I don’t want a dog to get a reportable “bite history” if I cut my finger doing this. I’d try it on my own dogs or client training dogs but since I never have attempted it I don’t want to do it for the first time on a shelter dog.