Are you interested in owning a rescue and wondering if that choice is right for you? Or do you already own a rescue (thank you!) and are interested in what things to consider as you integrate them into your home and life? In this Episode of the Muttz with Mannerz™ Canine Academy Podcast, host Corey McCusker and special guest Karen Baxter, Dog Trainer and Behaviour Consultant share with you the complexities involved with choosing to own a rescue dog.
Are you interested in owning a rescue and wondering if that choice is right for you? Or do you already own a rescue (thank you!) and are interested in what things to consider as you integrate them into your home and life?
In this Episode of the Muttz with Mannerz™ Canine Academy Podcast, host Corey McCusker and special guest Karen Baxter, Dog Trainer and Behaviour Consultant share with you the complexities involved with choosing to own a rescue dog.
In this episode, Corey and Karen cover:
Resources:
To learn more about what Corey and Muttz with Mannerz™ offers visit us at www.muttzwithmannerz.com
Visit Karen’s K9 Behaviour center Unified K9 at https://www.unifiedk9.ca
Canadian Dog Rescue Organizations
Speaking of Dogs- www.speakingofdogsrescue.ca
Golden Retriever Rescue- https://www.goldenrescue.ca/
To learn more about Resource Guarding listen to our podcast Episode 15: Understanding and Overcoming Resource Guarding with Karen Baxter at https://www.muttzwithmannerz.com/podcast/episode-015
To learn more about how to overcome Separation Anxiety check out podcast Episode 3: Separation Anxiety at https://www.muttzwithmannerz.com/podcast/episode-003
Your Host
Corey McCusker, CPDT-KA Canine Coach
Corey’s passion for helping humans and dogs excel led her to take a leap of faith after 22 years working in the Financial Industry to leave her corporate job in 2006 and start two companies. Corey is a Coach at heart and works with business leaders and high-performance teams, but her true passion has always been canines. She now has created a career that supports both.
Corey founded Muttz with Mannerz in 2006. Her foundation of knowledge which includes being a Senior Manager, Dog Trainer, Vet Assistant, World Tour Lead, and Mental Performance Coach helped her to launch the Canine Academy. The purpose of the academy is to assist pet parents build the foundation for their pups to be with them for life.
Corey believes in giving back to the community. Over many years she has volunteered at the Toronto Humane Society and the OSPCA and is also proud to be an evaluator for St. John Ambulance Dog Therapy Program. She held the position of Director of Communications on the board for the Canadian Association for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives from 2017-2019. She has been active with Markham Fair and been a Team Captain and on the Executive for Stouffville Ladies Floor Hockey League for over 15 years.
Corey has made Stouffville her home for the last 18 years and shares it with Mike, her partner, two stepdaughters, Karla and Alison, and their two energetic kittens, Dino and Demi. Over the years Corey has been fortunate to be blessed to share her life with 6 wonderful canines, Tilley ( Miniature Dachshund), Tiny, Kira (Great Danes), Fred(Maltese), Charlie(Morkie), and Cleo(Miniature Poodle). Corey and Mike welcomed their new puppy, Skye, a rescue Muttz from Manitoba reserves into their home in June. 2021. They have big hopes for her and look forward to Skye filling their lives with joy and being an active member of Team Muttz.
Special Guest - Karen Baxter
Karen Baxter has loved dogs all her life and feels privileged that she has the ideal job… following her life-long passion and working with dogs. Beginning her professional career with dogs over 20 years ago, Karen brings an experience and joy to her work that can be felt by each dog and dog owner that she works with regardless of the size or the breed of dog. Karen’s training philosophy is “one size does NOT fit all!” and true to the Unified K9 difference, tailors her training protocols and/or treatment plans to the needs of the dog and the lifestyle and goals of the dog’s owner. Her positive and fair techniques are designed to bring out enthusiasm in each dog so they learn to love training which results in building stronger relationships with their humans, based on trust.
Karen has participated in various training programs over several years preparing for her career in dog training. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer having passed the Knowledge Assessment examination through the Certification Council for Professional Pet Dog Trainers. She is a graduate of Animal Behaviour College’s Certified Dog Trainer program. Karen has also studied and completed training on the practical application of Behaviour Adjustment Training for fearful, anxious and aggressive dogs and Aggressive Dog Conflict Resolution with Behaviourist and author Cheryl Smith.Her most recent accomplishments include completing the Master Aggression Course with world renowned Behaviour Consultant and expert on dog aggression, Michael Shikashio and she is currently completing her diploma in Canine Behaviourology with a specialty in working with aggressive dogs Karen has also worked with local animal shelters and Rescue organizations to assist in the care and rehabilitation of rescued dogs who are usually suffering from trauma and stress related behaviour issues. Her continuing education and experience have ensured Karen has developed expertise in dog psychological issues manifesting themselves as anxiety or aggression.
Karen’s training specialties include Rally Obedience, Agility, Working Dogs Tracking, Scent work, and puppy foundations. She is a member of the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, The Agility Association of Canada, the Canadian Association for Professional Dog Trainers and is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR.
Karen lives in York Region with her dogs most of which compete in obedience, agility and Rally Obedience. Her dogs have reached master level in all sports.
Contact:
Muttz with Mannerz – https://muttzwithmannerz.com
Corey Email – corey@muttzwithmannerz.com
Corey McCusker 00:04
Hello dog lovers, and welcome to Muttz with Mannerz™ Canine Academy Podcast, where we'll share dog training tips and educational information to help you raise your pup, young or old, so they can be a loving part of your family and your community for life. I'm your host, Corey McCusker, Canine Coach. And today I'm thrilled to have back with me, Karen Baxter, Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant. Let me tell you a bit about our guest today, Karen. Karen Baxter has loved dogs all her life and feels privileged that she has the ideal job, following her lifelong passion and working with dogs. Beginning her professional career with dogs over 20 years ago, Karen brings an experience and joy to her work that can be felt by each dog and dog owner that she works with regardless of the size or the breed of the dog. Karen's training philosophy is one size does not fit all. And true to the unified canine difference, tailors her training protocols and or treatment plans to the needs of the dogs and the lifestyle and goals of the dog's owner. Her positive, fair techniques are designed to bring out enthusiasm in each dog so they learn to love training, which results in building stronger relationships with their humans based on trust. Karen has participated in various training programs over several years, preparing for her career in dog training. She is a certified professional dog trainer having passed the Knowledge Assessment Examination through the Certification Council for Professional Pet Dog Trainers. She is a graduate of Animal Behaviors College certified Dog Trainers Program, and Karen has also studied and completed training on the practical application of behavior adjustment training for fearful, anxious and aggressive dogs, and aggressive dog conflict resolution with behaviorist and author Cheryl Smith. Her most recent accomplishments include completing the Master Aggression Course with world-renowned behavior consultant and expert on dog aggression, Michael Shikashio, and she is currently completing her dog diploma in Canine Behaviorolology with a specialty in working with aggressive dogs. Karen has also worked with local animal shelters and rescue organizations to assist in the care and rehabilitation of rescue dogs, who are usually suffering from trauma and stress related behavior issues. Her continuing education and experience has ensured Karen has developed expertise in dog psychological issues manifesting themselves as anxiety or aggression. Karen's training specialty includes Rally Obedience, agility, working dogs, tracking, scent work and puppy foundations. She is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the Agility Association of Canada, and is certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. Karen lives in York Region with her dogs, most of which compete in obedience, agility and Rally obedience. Her dogs have reached mastered levels in all sports. Welcome, Karen.
Karen Baxter 03:14
Hi, Corey, nice to be here again. Thank you.
Corey McCusker 03:17
I'm so glad to have you back to discuss an important topic which is really close and dear to my heart, and that is the complexity of rescue dogs. I've rescued dogs most of my adult life, and that is what got me into being a dog trainer. And Karen, you are going today to discuss some key points with us on what you need to think about and do if planning on rescuing a dog. So Karen, how is getting a rescue dog different than getting a dog from a reputable breeder?
Karen Baxter 03:48
Yeah, that's a great place to start. Corey. I think people need to be able to differentiate between the two scenarios for sure. So a puppy, getting a dog from a breeder, as you're getting a puppy usually, right. So I decide to pick a breed and I'm, let's say I want a Golden Retriever. And then I research reputable breeders for Golden Retrievers, and I get a puppy, usually around eight weeks of age and bring them to my home and start from scratch. When you're getting a rescue dog, this is where the complexities come in. This is a dog who is had a previous home of some sort, whether that is somebody else's house or you know it comes from bad situation or for some reason ends up stray whatever, and you are then rescuing that dog and bringing it into your home to give it a good life. That's basically the difference between the two, between a breeder and a rescue dog.
Corey McCusker 04:43
Yeah. And I mean, as I said is I think I've rescued dogs most of my life and I think we really do need to educate people of what's involved when you're getting a rescue dog. So if someone wants to get a rescue dog, what does an owner need to be aware of?
Karen Baxter 05:00
Yeah, and I think it's important that they're aware of certain things, because we definitely want it to be successful, right? I mean, everybody who gets a rescue dog they're getting it with really good intentions. And we all need to make sure that these animals are looked after. So first thing to be aware of, of course, is the history of that dog. And the reason we want to know what the history of the dog is, as much as we possibly can get a history on the dog, is so that we can have an idea of what background that dog has had. So for instance, is that a rehome situation where something happened in somebody's life, and for whatever reason, they can't keep that dog anymore. So they surrender it to a shelter or to a rescue, and it's just a displaced dog, basically. Right? So this often happens, like if people have to move or they had a baby, and the dog and the baby are not jiving or, you know, there can be many reasons why a family for some reason just can't keep their dog, right. So that would be a rehome situation. Is it a dog that was born free? So is it a free-roaming dog that maybe was born in like the woods in Manitoba? Or did they come from one of the islands where they're street dogs, right, they were around people, but they're in the street. And there is a difference, because one that's born in the woods, may not have had as much exposure to people as one that was born in the streets of another country, right? So being aware of that makes a difference, because that's going to change the way, what that dog brings into the relationship, is going to be different, right? For sure. Every scenario has got a different, the dog is going to be different, they're going to act differently, right, puppies, of course, you know, have less direct learning history. So the younger the dog is, the more impact you can have earlier. Those are the number one things that I can think of that you need to be aware of is where's that dog coming from? So if it's a dog that's coming from Greece, and it lived on the streets, right, it's going to be vastly different than the dog that was just surrendered because the family couldn't keep the dog. Right? So you need to be aware whether that dog is going to bring with it a history, a learning history into your relationship.
Corey McCusker 07:11
Yeah, that's good. And you know, as I said, I've rescued dogs my whole life. So you mentioned the puppy thing. And you mentioned the Manitoba, the woods or whatever. So my current dog Skye, who's two now but I did get her as a puppy, and I remember I did meet her mother. And I remember when I met her mother, because a foster was looking after them, and the mom had such strong prey drive like that, I mean, if there was a squirrel or anything, and that she would just go and I'm like, 'Oh, you know what, this will be different with Skye'. Skye has strong, very strong prey drive now. So it was amazing, that, you know, they came, they flew here, whatever, but the impact, I mean, I'm seeing her mom a lot with her now.
Karen Baxter 07:54
And you will, right? Like the mother dog has such an influence on a dog. Really, people don't really understand that it's not just genetics, right? And we like think it's just, 'Oh, the mom's going to contribute 50% of the genetics and the dad will contribute 50% of the genetics'. It's actually not really the case, because there are other factors that influence the genetics of a dog, including what happened to that mom while those puppies were in-utero, right. So while they're in the mom's womb, any life-changing events or anything that happened to the mother is going to have an impact on those puppies genetics, right, and their temperament when they're born. Mom is the first influence. So when those puppies are born, they're learning from their mother right away. Right? So if mom has got high prey drive, and is on alert all the time, those puppies are also going to learn that from their mother. Right? So, whereas the dads genetics do have an impact, the mother's influence is much greater, much, much greater. So yeah, if you ever have the opportunity when you're looking at a dog to find out the history of the mother, that's going to give you a much clearer picture of what you can expect from the puppy that you're getting.
Corey McCusker 09:08
And you mentioned the rehome or the street dogs and that too, is I mean, I've seen a lot of I mean, even one of our trainers, Barbara, just rescued a dog and it was a puppy male, a male, and he's lovely, but you can just see that there's work to be done. And so what should an owner do to make an adoption successful?
Karen Baxter 09:31
That's a really good question. First thing they need to do is they need to identify what they need that dog to be able to fit into. So what's their lifestyle like, are they a really active family? Do they have children? Right? Do they want a dog that's going to like love lots of walks and hikes or do they want to coach potato? Right? So, they first have to identify what's the goal? What is it that I want to get a dog for? Right? Once they have that picture in their mind, then when they're looking for the right dog, they can start using that checklist in their mind as like, Okay, you know, is this dog got high prey drive just like Skye, right? Well, you know, but we're really not that outdoorsy. And we don't really like to do that kind of stuff. For a dog, like Skye, she needs a home where somebody's going to want to keep her busy and want to do things with her. Right? But for a house where maybe they have a lot of children and so they're really busy, you know, they just need a really happy-go-lucky dog that's going to be able to handle the chaos of a house with a lot of kids, but be okay to like just sit at your feet or wait for their turn before you're going to do something with them. Right? So you really do need to identify what your lifestyle is like first, before you can go out and get a dog. That is the best way to do it so that you can make sure that the adoption is going to be successful, right. So if you pick a dog that's actually doesn't fit your lifestyle, right, then the intention of providing a good home for a dog is going to become stressful for both parties. So you got to make sure that you have an idea of what you want first.
Corey McCusker 11:08
Exactly. You know, I said I rescued many dogs, and I did just what you said, you know, I have a reputable rescue that - Speaking of Dogs - that I support and partner with, and I knew, I also knew what my expectations were. And that, and it did vary, did vary depending on my lifestyle. So when I rescued dogs before my lifestyle was very different. I was in a corporate environment, so I had to make sure the dog could be alone or that I could get a dog walker in. Now I own the Canine Academy, so my expectations are very different. And I have a very high energy dog that thank God, I own a canine academy. But can you talk about expectations? I mean, you talk about thinking about your needs, but what about the expectations so that with the owners when they are rescuing?
Karen Baxter 12:00
Yeah, that's a great question, too. Whenever anybody is getting a dog, when you think about it, we all have expectations of, Okay, we have this vision in our head, of you know, I'm going to get this dog, it's going to be great, they're going to be my buddy, we're going to you know do things together. And we just have a vision in our mind of what that's going to look like. And everybody's is going to be slightly different. It's going to be based on your own personality and your own lifestyle. And it also is based on your previous history, usually with other dogs. Right? So you're like, 'Oh, yeah, I remember I had this great dog, and we had this great relationship. And I want that again. So we're going to get this dog'. So just being cognizant of the fact that we do bring our own expectations and biases into the relationship when we first get a dog. Now the dog that you're going to get, that's an individual dog, it's going to have its own personality, its own thoughts and feelings and temperament and personality, whatever you want to call it - right? And that personality may not fit 100% into your own expectations. So just be aware that you're bringing that bias into the relationship, so that we can actually treat the dog that is in front of us, as an individual and give them the chance to get to know us and us to get to know them right, before we start shaping the way that relationship is going to go. You know, so if we think that, you know, we want a dog that's going to hike a lot and is going to play ball, this is a great one that I get, people say, Well, I got the dog and you know, I really want the dog to play fetch. Right? And it's a bulldog or something.
Corey McCusker 13:41
Okay, maybe - I know a French Bulldog that's great at playing fetch.
Karen Baxter 13:48
But, you know, just realizing that I get you know, I get it, that that's an ideal that a lot of people have, this is a great way to build a relationship with your dog. And it is if that's what that dog likes. Right? Then it is a great relationship builder. But if it's not what your dog likes, that new dog that just came into your home, take some time to get to know what that dog actually does like, and then you can use that as your relationship builder. It just might be different than what you're expecting.
Corey McCusker 14:16
Yeah. And I want to dig a little deeper in this too, because, I mean, you mentioned you know, figuring out what your needs are. And it's like, Okay, you know what, I think a Golden Retriever will be the perfect fit or a Poodle will be a perfect fit. There's where your expectations come in. And I think we all know how rewarding it is to rescue a dog. Well, for those of us that have and the joy they bring, and there are so many dogs that need homes. So when someone decides to rescue and you've done your homework, it is such a win-win for both the family and the dog. But I think, Karen, what I want you to touch on is when you do find your new pup and it's time to bring them home, there's some key points that you need to be aware of. So can you touch on some of those?
Karen Baxter 15:01
So some of the key points to be aware of are that, that dog is a stranger to you and you're a stranger to that dog. And you both have a need, you have the need for a dog and the dog needs a home. And it can be a really rich and rewarding experience but you need to take your time with it and you need to set things up so that that dog has a chance to get to know you and you have a chance to get to know them. So the first thing to think about is where is a safe place in your house for that dog to go? So they need a nice quiet spot that's going to be their spot where they are going to be able to decompress, and they can just get used to their new environment and get used to you without a lot of pressure. Right? So a nice quiet room, or if they're crate trained, that's awesome. You want the crate, though, to go in a nice quiet room where they're not going to be subjected to all of the daily stimuli of our life. Right? They need quiet space, so that they can start to feel secure and feel comfortable. That's definitely one thing, making sure that we are not putting too much pressure on them in the beginning, we just want to get to know them gently. Right? We want to take our time, you know, spend time getting to know them, see what they like what they don't like. The other thing is, we want to make sure we're not overwhelming them, by taking them out into the environment. We all want to show off our new dog. Like that's just natural. Right? As a human, you know, I got this new dog. I'm very proud of them. I want everybody to meet my new dog. But when you first get a rescue dog home, right, they need time to get to know you. So, you know, taking them out and introducing them to a ton of new people or taking them to a bunch of strange environments can be really overwhelming to a dog. So we like to keep them quiet at first, let them get to know you, and try really hard not to take them to too many new places or introduce them to too many new people right in the beginning. Right? Just give them that time that they need to acclimate to the new environment.
Corey McCusker 17:07
Yeah.
Karen Baxter 17:07
Makes sense?.
Corey McCusker 17:08
Definitely. Yeah. And I think that, you know, you mentioned that showing off it everybody's like, excited when there's a new dog in the family.
Karen Baxter 17:15
100%. Yeah.
Corey McCusker 17:16
Okay, yes, just give us time. And you know, I mentioned that Barbara got her Baxter, and she did just, she did give it time. And I just was speaking to Diane, my education manager, and her son just adopted a dog from the states and that. And she said, 'Corey, it's like he knew exactly what to do'. I said, 'Well, you're his mother, you've gone through all of this. You've worked with rescues'. But he is really taking his time. And one of the things that he's doing because he took time off work to be with a dog, so there's where the building the bond is so key, but he knows he has to go back to work. And so he's doing little short periods of time where he goes out and leaves the dog alone, so that it's avoiding that separation anxiety, which can sometimes happen when we've got the rescue. So yeah, so all really great points. And I think both of us know that support is really important when rescuing, so not just talking about family support, but we know it's not easy during the adjustment period, where the dog's getting comfortable with us, but sometimes you're going to need to get help. And if your rescue settles in nicely, and just needs some help with some manners, so getting a trainer, maybe enrolling in some classes once they're settled. We created a Foundation Skill Course for teenage and adult rescue dogs just to help build their confidence and the skills for the owners. And if it's just obedience, and yes, a dog trainer can help, but, Karen, we know sometimes, I mentioned just about separation anxiety could happen, but there are some behavioral issues that could occur. And that's where you know what, there's someone like you that you can call upon and help as needed. So can you just talk about some of the issues that may occur with a rescue?
Karen Baxter 19:05
Well, you touched on the first one, most rescues that I've worked with, do go through a period right in the beginning, in particular, when they start bonding with their people, well, they'll exhibit some separation anxiety. Right? So that's really normal. If you work through it, it usually goes away. So that's the good news about that one. Resource guarding . . . So resource guarding for anybody who doesn't know what that is that's a dog gets grumpy, shall we say, if you go near their food or you go near their stuff. Right? They start showing some aggressive tendencies around food or toys or space, right, that's resource guarding. Guarding the home . . . This is in particular you'll see this often with street dogs that have been brought into our urban lifestyle. Right? So it's a, it is reminiscent of den behavior because if they're street dogs, you know, they will protect their space where they sleep. So the house becomes their den. And so you can see that with a street dog, what can happen is anytime you have visitors come over, they start guarding the house. And now you all of a sudden you can't have people come in your home. Right? So that's a really common one with the street dogs. Another super common one, but do you see this a lot too, Corey, leash reactivity?
Corey McCusker 20:22
Yeah.
Karen Baxter 20:22
Right? Yeah, leash reactivity is a biggie, especially for those free roaming dogs that can be really frustrating for them. So that's a really big one. And stranger-danger, right, is another one where we've seen dogs that have anxiety or, you know, they maybe didn't have enough exposure to people initially. Right? So now every new person they see is considered dangerous to the dog and so they might exhibit some fear-based behaviors or a fear-based aggression. Right? Those are really common with a lot of the rescue dogs. Now, I don't want that to put people off because you can work, you can definitely work on those issues and help a dog, it's just part of their transition phase. Right? It's going from their previous life to their new life. Right? So there's a lot that people can do to help dogs move past, move through that and move past it so that they no longer exhibit those behaviors anymore. So . . .
Corey McCusker 21:19
That's great. And I know you have some good programs that are coming up. So, Karen, thank you so much for joining us, and sharing some of the complexity of rescuing a dog. For those listening that have rescued a dog, thank you. And for those thinking of it, we hope we've provided you with some valuable information to help you on this journey. Karen, it's always a pleasure, can you just talk about maybe some of the clinics or some of the programs that may, you may be coming up with, or offering?
Karen Baxter 21:51
Sure, we'd be happy to do so. You know, I'm co-owner of Unified Canine Behavior Center in Newmarket. So we definitely have some things coming up. We have for people who are thinking about rescuing, we do have a webinar coming up, the date is still to be determined. But it's a webinar on the complexities of rescue dogs. And in that webinar, it will have a plan. So like a sample plan for anybody who's thinking of rescuing a dog on how to introduce that dog into your home and how to help build the bond with the new dog. Right? That'll be included in the rescue dog online program. So that's coming up. Hopefully, that's going to be done in the next few weeks. So you can just watch our website for that, for sure. We also offer behavior consultations at a discounted rate for newly rescued dogs. So if you've just rescued a dog, and you notice that there's a little bit of a transition issue, and you need some assistance with it, we discount the rates for any dog that comes from a rescue. So that's definitely to help you, to help support you through that transition phase. And of course, we do have clinics on like leash skills. We're going to be having a clinic on reactive dogs in June. And so we do have some other clinics that could help, right, recall, recall, recall. Recall is a biggie.
Corey McCusker 23:17
It's a biggie.
Karen Baxter 23:17
It's a biggie. Right, so if there's anything that can help your relationship, it's recall. Right?
Corey McCusker 23:24
You want them to come back because you don't want them to be a rescue again.
Karen Baxter 23:29
That's right. Exactly. Exactly. So always lots going on. We have a Facebook page, we have an Instagram page. Yeah, and we have our website. So you know, feel free to "like" us. You can join our newsletter, our mailing list by going on our website.
Corey McCusker 23:45
Awesome.
Karen Baxter 23:46
Yeah.
Corey McCusker 23:47
That's awesome. And so for more information about Karen and Unified Canine Behavior Center, you can visit her website, which is. www.unified - u n i f i e d - k 9 .ca. I will provide it in the show notes, too. And you know, you mentioned resource guarding, separation anxiety, we've done some previous podcasts together. So I'm going to also put those in the show notes. So we'll also provide Speaking of Dogs, which is one of the rescues and any other ones that we would recommend. So there will be links in the show notes and we want to just thank you for listening to us today. And if you are looking for more information about Muttz with Mannerz™, you can visit our website, which is at, www.muttz -spelled with a Z - withmannerz - spelled with a Z -.com. And if you're looking for our podcasts and blogs we've done before, you can look under the link of education. And if there is a topic that you would like to hear about in the future, please email us at info@muttzwithmannerz.com. But thank you, Karen, so much. Always a pleasure. And thank you for listening today, those listeners. And for those of you that have rescued thank you again, but if you want a rewarding experience, definitely rescue a dog because there's many of them out there. So thank you everyone and have a great day.