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The Canine Oasis PodcastAuthor: Jonathan Mecham
The Canine Oasis Podcast was created by Jonathan - a Registered Nurse and dog lover who is creating The Canine Oasis Indoor Dog Park near Phoenix, AZ. The struggles of meeting the needs of an active dog during the Arizona Summer heat inspired Jonathan to look for solutions. With no apparent outlets for safe, summer fun near him and his dog, Chango, Jonathan decided to do something about it himself. He began dreaming of an indoor dog park that offers daycare, boarding, training, and grooming. A one-stop shop for people to meet their canines' needs and become part of a dog-loving community. Central to that dream for Jonathan is a community based around inclusivity and cooperation. A place where like-minded people recognize that each dog is its own unique being with individual interests, personality, and drives. When we satisfy our dog's personal needs, they experience a profound sense of well-being. Their bonds with their humans strengthen. And they have fewer behavioral issues, anxiety, and other problematic symptoms.Jonathan began networking with people in dog-related industries like groomers, trainers, rescue workers, retailers, veterinary service providers, and so much more. Through these relationships, Jonathan became aware of the dire need of millions of suffering dogs. At the time of writing this description, it is estimated that at least 3.3 million dogs are housed in shelters each year, and an astounding 670,000 of them are euthanized.This has to change! Jonathan wants to help and believes that awareness is paramount in that change. So many people are working to help dogs, and many more are unaware of the problem or how they can help. The Canine Oasis Podcast was created with the same dream as the indoor dog park - to create a place where people who love dogs can gather, share their ideas and experiences, learn from each other, and discuss anything that can help dogs live more joyful, fulfilled lives, rescue them from shelters, and prevent dogs with incredibl Language: en Genres: Kids & Family, Pets & Animals Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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07 - Stephen DeBono: Helping difficult to adopt shelter dogs
Episode 7
Wednesday, 14 August, 2024
If you enjoy Steve's contribution to our conversations as much as I did, please find out more on his website and YouTube channel.Steve's 3-part seminar: Strategies for Introducing Socially Challenged Dogs is invaluable. You can access it here.SummaryIn this conversation, Jonathan Mecham and Stephen De Bono discuss the importance of playgroups for shelter dogs and how to overcome challenges in integrating hard-to-adopt dogs into playgroups. They emphasize the value of socialization and supporting dogs with behavior issues. They also highlight the barriers that keep dogs from getting adopted, such as historical and current behavior, medical issues, physical traits, and shelter policies. They discuss the need for shelters to actively promote and showcase dogs to potential adopters, and the importance of providing ongoing support to ensure successful adoptions.Jonathan and Stephen discuss the importance of handling experience and the challenges of working with different types of dogs. Steve emphasizes the need for practice and lower-stakes situations to build skills. Handlers and trainers are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of dogs. Steve advocates for the responsible and ethical treatment of all animals. His view is that prongs and "shock collars" are unnecessary. Steve shares how the use of such tools can be harmful to dogs and their relationships with humans.Jonathan discusses the need to bridge the divide between different training approaches and labels, and the importance of problem-solving and understanding individual dogs and their environments.Stephen recommends the book 'The Obstacles is the Way' by Ryan Holiday as a valuable resource for problem-solving and encourages reading outside of dog literature to gain a broader perspective.TakeawaysPlaygroups are crucial for the socialization and well-being of shelter dogs.Integrating hard-to-adopt dogs into playgroups requires dedicated time and resources.Shelters should actively promote and showcase dogs to potential adopters, focusing on their positive traits and providing support materials.Barriers to adoption include historical and current behavior, medical issues, physical traits, and shelter policies.Support for adopters is essential to ensure successful adoptions and help dogs overcome behavior issues. Handling experience is crucial for working with different types of dogsPractice in lower-stakes situations helps build skillsHandlers and trainers have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of dogsSelf-reflection and learning from mistakes are important for growthBridging the divide between different training approaches and labels is beneficialProblem-solving and understanding individual dogs and their environments are keyReading outside of dog literature provides valuable insightsSound Bites"What can I do to make this dog more interesting?""You have to examine your policies to make sure you're not excluding people that would be good adopters.""You take a dog where it's a life or death situation, you better know what the hell you're doing."
