Training Shelter Dogs for a Second Chance

22 Dogs received a second chance at family life with extra training from Private School Pups in Ohio. So many dogs in shelters develop bad habits due to the shelter environment and stress. Some end up in homes only to be  returned very shortly thereafter. Thanks to trainers at Private School Pups and a grant from Cold Noses Foundation, this doesn't always mean the end of the line for these misunderstood pups. With their Shelter Promise Program, they gave a second chance (sometimes even more!) to dogs who were returned to the shelter or could not be adopted for behavioral reasons. These dogs had a vast list of issues that were addressed by trainers. Most dogs were returned to a home or are awaiting a home currently. Some were deemed unsafe and sadly, had to be euthanized. We can take heart in knowing that these dogs at least got some time out of the shelter and received positive interaction while in training.

While not fool-proof, this program offers a second chance to most dogs. It also opens the doors for more fosters as it is easier for fosters to take "behavior" cases, knowing they had support of trainers at their disposal. While not every single dog can be saved, we can increase the number of dogs getting a second chance thanks to programs such as this that work at the underlying issues to keep pets in homes and out of shelters.