Training

Good Dog Academy | Basic Agility | Head Start Program

Head Start
Dog-in-Training Program

 

The Dubuque Regional Humane Society's Head Start dog-in-training program was formed in the summer of 2002. The mission of the program is to increase the likelihood of adoption of good animals that demonstrate behavior or discipline problems, by providing regular, individual, and focused training sessions for each dog (student) in the program. To date, the shelter has adopted over 65 dogs that might not have otherwise found a home.

 

 

 

Candidates for this program are staff-selected shelter dogs that are either very hyperactive or extremely shy. Dogs progress through the program at their own pace. These dogs will typically stay in the program until they are adopted (unless they become ill or their temperament becomes aggressive).

 

 

 

Take the example of Jack. This 7-month-old Border Collie mix came in on January 29, 2005, because his owner could no longer care for him. He was a smart dog that needed to learn to direct his overabundance of energy in a positive manner. This special dog had no previous training and was jumping up constantly and was hard to control. Jack entered into our Head Start program in March of 2005. The instructors worked patiently with Jack for three months. By the time that Jack got adopted on June 18, 2005, he would instinctively go to a sit and down. His new owner was very impressed with all of the commands that he had mastered. Jack sat patiently by her side as she filled out the adoption paperwork at the front desk.

 

Volunteer training recruits who are interested in becoming Head Start instructors attend the shelter’s Head Start Academy, which is a five-week training course. Each one-hour class focuses on a different training topic such as Eye Contact, Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Leave It, and Heel. The instructors also learn how to teach the shelter dog kennel manners which in turn helps the dog to present themselves more positively to potential adopters. Included in the course is instruction on how to use training equipment such as the “Gentle Leader” which is a humane training aid designed to help the dog to learn not to pull or jump up while walking on a leash.

 

Our Head Start trainers share in the staff’s joy when one of the dogs that they’ve worked with finds a forever home. We are very proud of our Head Start program.