Dealing With People...

[purple_mog]

I'm starting this thread for lack of anything else useful that I can do! Its not meant particularly to be ranty as such, just a place to unload and perhaps get some useful suggestions

 

I know lots of people on here are massively experienced in the rescue world, and have dealt with the sharp end for some time. Its all fairly new to me in the sense that I've been involved with my own dogs, home-checking and occasional fostering for about 6 years. In the last year since setting up as a dog trainer and working as a behaviourist I am of course seeing more of the tough decisions that people have to make.

 

Over half the dogs I see are rescues, majority of the rescues and bought as pups dogs that come to me have issues of one kind or another - just the kind of dog I attract! I work with my local RSPCA now which is an amazing opportunity to help dogs stay in their family rather than be handed in.

 

But, I struggle with those people who have the money to adopt or buy a dog but then can't or won't pay for training or help. I give discounts whenever I can, and always ask if people are on benefits.

 

For example: couple adopted a springer from RSPCA over a year ago, wife in particular is having problems with the dog barking persistently in the house, has gone for a couple of dogs when on lead and tried to bite the postman last week. From a chat to the husband it sounds as though it may be fairly straightforward to work through but clearly their dog is not particularly happy at the moment. They phoned the RSPCA for help and were given my contact details.

 

Basically they can't make it to my hall or classes (which is by far the cheapest option) and live about 20 miles out of York so a home visit is a little more costly. When they said they couldn't afford it (£40 is about the cheapest I could make it) I asked if they were on benefits (I'm willing to go for little more than petrol money if the dog needs me) or had insurance as that might cover it. Answer is neither, and they still can't afford it.

 

I don't think there is anything else I can do, and I'm not sure how committed the husband in particular is to the idea that the dog has some problems, he feels its only the wife that struggles. But I hate that there is a dog that needs help and isn't going to get it. Fundamentally £40 or less is easily the price of a routine vet visit!!!

 

Anyway, if its ok with the mods I'd like to use this thread as a place where anyone can unload the challenges of working with people and dogs, keeping things anonymous obviously, and maybe others can make suggestions on how to work through these things.

 

Currently I'm talking to the local RSPCA about running free pre-adoption seminars to help people understand the costs of taking on a new dog and what it can be like as it seems the adopters aren't always taking that information in from the homecheck

Edited October 20, 2010 by purple_mog

[ranirottie]

I have been a dog trainer and behaviourist for over 40 years and I have struggled badly with some people over that time. Keeping my mouth shut and being polite to such people is not easy for me at all but unfortunately has to be done.I have always been straight talking but tried not to be rude,altho some of them can try the patience of a saint !! I too found that it was the people with money that were usually less keen to spend it on their dogs than the others.Some people will bend over backwards to help their dogs,take advice seriously and put it into action but some just want a quick fix and you to do it. I used to say that my magic wand was broken and had been replaced with common sense,patience and hard work!! I can't do any training or much behaviourist work now that I am disabled but I still offer free telephone advice to anyone with a rescue dog. I would hate to give up completely. Dogs are the easy part of a behaviourists day,the people can be the hardest part. x

[sanrossscot]

I don't deal with this stuff but thought I'd share an idea my trainers have and are doing..

 

As both trainers at my club are behaviourists a fair few of the dogs that come to classes are ones they have seen for 'issues'. Our local RSPCA are not the best I would say at matching the right dog to the right person.

 

As a result, Di and Linda recently held a session aimed at people thinking of getting a dog with the hope that it might help to reduce future problems. The difficulty there is finding people before they get a dog but as far I know they are aiming to do these talks in the hope that word will spread.

[owl]

The pre-adoption groups sound like a good idea.

 

The question of people being unwilling to pay for their dog's training applies to other things as well. When I worked as a visiting chiropodist, I found that although most were ok about paying, an annoying few agreed to the fees but once the treatment was done expected them to be waived because they were on benefits. I felt like sticking their corns back on again I did keep my fees as low as I could, but it rankled when people who although on disability or housing benefits were obviously better off than me, expected me to subsidise their treatment.

[cycas]

I think you just have to accept that some people really don't want to try. They don't want to spend money, they don't want to make an effort, they just want a magic 'fix this' button to be pressed. It's unfortunate that sometimes that attitude affects the welfare of their family or pets.

 

I don't believe that people who have money to spend are necessarily less likely to spend it, or less likely to make an effort. Some of them do, some of them don't. There are some people who make huge efforts on no cash, but others... well it's easy to say 'If I had the money I'd...' when you are never likely to be called on it.

 

I have found in business as well as rescue, that there are some people who will always jib at paying money for a good job done honestly and well, and those people will often create endless inconveniences for themselves, refuse to take advice and sometimes end up spending more or giving themselves more (expensive) hassle in the long run.

All you can do is help the people who actually want to be helped and don't let the rest of them take up more of your time and energy than you can spare.

[ranirottie]

good advice x

[Ian]

Unfortunately I think I'd largely agree with Victoria's post. I'm afraid that you can't help all of these dogs unfortunately - it requires the owner to want to make the effort and / or sacrifices necessary to do so too.

 

It sounds to me like you are already doing as much as you reasonably can do & far more than many would consider doing