How to Bring a Dog Back to Life: Part 2

This is second part of the story of Scruffy, a six-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd who was rescued from the horrors of life in a puppy mill. It’s also the story of Gillian, the incredible woman who turned to modern dog training techniques and behavioural science to rehabilitate and bring this wonderful dog back to life. Please read How to Bring a Dog Back to Life – Part 1 if you haven’t already done so before continuing here.

Into the Larger World

Gillian has been an avid competitor in the sport of Dog Agility with her four-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd, Rocco. For a month or two she had been taking Scruffy to training and trial events with the other dogs. She would leave him in the security of the car while she took the other dogs in to be around the people and the noise. But it was time to bring him into that larger world.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Dog Agility community. In my area, these people are some of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable people about dogs and dog behaviour. In those first few visits, Gillian carefully managed Scruffy’s introductions, selecting only people she knew well to approach. She gave Scruffy lots of rewards for tolerating their closeness to him. The sensitivity and caring of these agility competitors was a marvel to see as they followed Gillian’s instructions and helped Scruffy feel comfortable.

This process, sometimes called socialization, was something that Scruffy had missed out on. It is something that most dog owners do with their puppy at a very young age to acclimatize them to the sights, sounds and smells in their larger world. For Scruffy, there was little he had seen in his six years outside of his kennel and the small area he shared in those horrific conditions, packed in with other dogs.

Careful to always provide a safe environment for Scruffy, Gillian introduced him to women and men. Perhaps because of his experience with Gillian, Scruffy took to women more readily than men. But soon he was taking food from strangers of both sexes, always under the careful guidance of Gillian who would never allow situations to push beyond Scruffy’s ability to tolerate the stress. Scruffy adjusted quickly to the sights and sounds and smells of these new and busy environments with the security of Gillian’s careful training and rewards.

Coming Back to Life

By August of 2008, Scruffy was responding to people and situations sufficiently to be moved out of Gillian’s foster care and into a permanent home. The progress this small dog had made in 33 weeks was nothing short of a miracle. He would now not only tolerate guests in Gillian’s home but he would also wander into gatherings of people as much as Gillian’s other two dogs. Although still cautious and reserved, Scruffy was willing to engage with people and did not show undue stress or anxiety.

His noise sensitivity was also greatly reduced and he would no longer run to his kennel at the sound of a doorbell or dropped cup. He would come when called and allow himself to be groomed and petted like any other dog – a huge step for a dog who had experienced precious little positive human contact in his life.

The regular trips to the park had now become something Scruffy looked forward to, and he would bark with excitement as they approached in the car. This was a tremendous step because the barking of dogs had been a particular sensitivity due to the dreadful conditions of the puppy mill. While Scruffy was not yet running with the other dogs, he was wandering farther and farther from Gillan, confidently exploring and returning to Gillian when he needed reassurance.

By mid-autumn, Scruffy would tolerate being taken on leash by people other than Gillian. And he had developed the confidence to have something of a mischievous streak, pulling items off of tables to get Gillian to come into the room to see what had fallen.  Scruffy had become a confident dog at last, taking initiative and engaging in behaviours for his own sake.

Growing Confidence

I still remember the evening when Gillian called to proudly announce that the pocket of her pants had been chewed out by a small dog named Scruffy.  Apparently he had followed his nose to the treats Gillian had left in the pocket and confidently helped himself the best way he knew how – going right through the material. While we had a good laugh, I smiled inwardly, knowing that Gillian’s careful use of positive training techniques and her careful avoidance of punishment had created a confident and inquisitive dog from what was a terrified and huddled shell only 10 months before.

It was clear to everyone now that in one sense, Scruffy was a failure — although a happy failure because, as a foster dog, Scruffy was going nowhere. The process of bringing Scruffy out of his shell had also brought him right into Gillian’s heart. He had become an important part of Gillian’s life and her home. In spite of her occasional comments about finding a permanent home for Scruffy, Gillian was finally forced to admit that Scruffy was already home.

By Christmas, Scruffy was a member of the family. Gillian took him to her family’s traditional gathering with lots of people and other dogs, and Scruffy blended in as any other dog would have. While subdued compared to the other dogs, Scruffy moved confidently around the rooms and would return frequently to Gillian for praise and affection. He was a happy, comfortable dog in a situation that would have terrified him only months before.

Nowadays, Scruffy goes to the park and runs with the other dogs.  He finds Gillian around dinner time and gently paws her leg to remind her it time to feed him.  In fact, if dinner is preparation is going too slowly, he barks impatiently much to Gillian’s chagrin.

Scruffy is a regular feature at agility events now and everyone gets to say hello to him. Gillian has even begun working with Scruffy in her back yard on jumps and tunnels. It won’t be long, I think, before he makes his debut as a competitor in an agility trial.

Scruffy now solicits play with Quincy and Rocco, his housemate dogs. He’s one of the group. He readily hops in the car for outings with the other two and he’s quite a tail wagger. Gillian continues her regular training with him, introducing him to as many new and different things as she can.

Everyday Miracles Anyone Can Do

The most amazing part of Gillian’s journey with Scruffy is its simplicity. Gillian is not a professional dog trainer. She didn’t spend hundreds of dollars working with animal behaviourists and dog experts. The techniques she used didn’t come from TV shows or magazines offering quick fixes to dog problems.

Positive dog training techniques and behavioural science are readily accessible to all dog owners. It’s relatively inexpensive too.  Authors such as Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, and Karen Pryor offer great books to introduce dog owners to the principles and concepts of how to apply modern behavioural science to working with dogs.

The Internet offers dozens of websites and discussion forums such as Karen Pryor’s ClickerTraining.Com and Melissa Alexander’s ClickerSolutions.

Professional dog trainers and behaviourists who are fluent in these techniques are becoming more common. Classes on clicker training and raising your dog using a positive approach to dog training are being offered in many areas.

A Simple Recipe for Success

What makes this story so wonderful for me is its simplicity. Gillian had done her homework. She knew and understood modern training techniques that are grounded in behavioural science. Because she had taken the time to become familiar with the fundamentals of training, behaviour, and canine learning, she was able to bring a severely damaged dog she had found in the darkest of places back into the light and back into life.

Patience, understanding, and knowledge were all applied in proper measure with Scruffy. And now, barely a year after coming into Gillian’s life, one would be hard pressed to pick out the dog that had survived those awful years in that horrible environment. I cannot tell you how proud of Gillian and Scruffy we all are.

More Stories Waiting to be Written

There are literally thousands of dogs out there like Scruffy who just need a home that can give them proper training and understanding. While not everyone has the inclination, ability, or time to rescue a dog from a shelter or other environment, Gillian’s story stands as proof that the journey of taking a rescue dog into your life doesn’t have to be difficult or filled with problems.

With enough knowledge and enough love, anyone can reach a dog and bring them back into the light. If Scruffy were here, he would paw at your leg, look up at you with a smile, and after begging for a treat or two, he might tell you what a wonderful thing people are. Isn’t it wonderful that Gillian took the time to teach him that?

If you would like more information on the resources Gillian used, you can leave a comment here or contact me at eric@northlodgemusic.com

Photo Credits

All photos courtesy of Petra Wingate © 2009

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