 Spring is in the air! New CGHS Adoption Counselor Stephanie Nedwick poses with Max, a 2 year old male American Staffordshire Terrier mix. Max was kept outside on a chain his entire life before being surrendered to the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA. Max is extremely sweet and loves everyone! He craves attention and affection and would love nothing more than to be by your side, giving you kisses and snuggling. Max has a great temperament and is wonderful with people and other dogs, but would prefer a home without cats. He has been here for 2 months now, so come in and take him home! | For the faithful viewers of the television show “The Nanny,” time-outs on the infamous naughty chair have become a familiar and large part of her child-rearing approach toward misbehavior and acting out. As if viewing our canine kids in a reflecting pool, doggie time-outs can be used as a momentary reflection and calming aid for a particularly precocious pup. First and most importantly, the solitary location of a time-out, i.e. outside kennel, crate, quiet room, porch, etc., is NEVER appropriate for a dog struggling with separation anxiety. Get a professional evaluation before incorrectly and psychologically burying your dog. The time-out immediately follows an undesirable behavior, with the word-association first, a walk to the “naughty chair,” and a five to twenty minute chill-out or cool down period. When competing dogs in a family start playing too rough, a “time-out” is called, and the canine combatants are escorted to their respective corners for a meditative breather. Your four-legged kids will learn quite quickly that when they cross the competitive line, their game comes to an abrupt end. No hollering, temperatures rising, or negative attention from the pack leader is necessary here to get the point across. The crate time is accompanied by a bone, stuffed Kong, chewie, etc. No punishment intended here! |
During the time-out, the barking, spinning, screeching, whining dog is ignored. As soon as there is a second of silence, the all-knowing pack leader appears with a “Quiet Good,” a “Quiet Yes,” or other appropriate positive signal, and the good life returns to normal, a.k.a. Sounds of Silence. I find that time-outs are being overly and inappropriately used for long duration control by owners who have not put the time in to positively train their four-legged “kids,” or who have not met their dog’s energy requirements for that day, i.e. more exercise, exercise, exercise!
Though lack of appropriate, positive reinforcement and timely consequence behavior training is at the core of just about every behavior problem, our 2013 dogs universally suffer from a consistent lack of sufficient exercise. Our predatory companions are hardwired to keep moving to seek sustenance for those long months ahead. You all need to get moving WITH them! Speak with someone knowledgeable about aerobic dog conditioning. Housebound? Train your dog to take it to the treadmill. Don’t forget that some dogs survive on negative attention. It’s just about all they get in some households. Remember that negative attention to your dog is better than no attention, and some undesirable behaviors will persist as a result of this mishandling and incorrect attempt at dog control.
Feel free to call us with any questions at (518) 828-6044, or visit our website at www.cghs.org. Stop down and see us at 125 Humane Society Road, off Route 66 (about a mile south of the intersection with Route 9H) in Hudson. Our hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Wednesday and Sunday. The Food Bank is open to any from the public in need of pet food or for those wishing to donate food anytime during business hours. All of our cats and kittens are “Furrever Free” with all expenses paid. Spay/neuter clinics for cats are $65 male or female, including a rabies vaccination and a 5-in-1 feline distemper combination vaccination. Nail clipping services are available every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Shelter, no appointment necessary, for a donation of $5 for cats and $10 for dogs.
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Charlene Marchand is the Chairperson of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA Board of Directors. She may be contacted by e-mail at cghsaaron@gmail.com.
Though lack of appropriate, positive reinforcement and timely consequence behavior training is at the core of just about every behavior problem, our 2013 dogs universally suffer from a consistent lack of sufficient exercise. Our predatory companions are hardwired to keep moving to seek sustenance for those long months ahead. You all need to get moving WITH them! Speak with someone knowledgeable about aerobic dog conditioning. Housebound? Train your dog to take it to the treadmill. Don’t forget that some dogs survive on negative attention. It’s just about all they get in some households. Remember that negative attention to your dog is better than no attention, and some undesirable behaviors will persist as a result of this mishandling and incorrect attempt at dog control.
Feel free to call us with any questions at (518) 828-6044, or visit our website at www.cghs.org. Stop down and see us at 125 Humane Society Road, off Route 66 (about a mile south of the intersection with Route 9H) in Hudson. Our hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Wednesday and Sunday. The Food Bank is open to any from the public in need of pet food or for those wishing to donate food anytime during business hours. All of our cats and kittens are “Furrever Free” with all expenses paid. Spay/neuter clinics for cats are $65 male or female, including a rabies vaccination and a 5-in-1 feline distemper combination vaccination. Nail clipping services are available every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Shelter, no appointment necessary, for a donation of $5 for cats and $10 for dogs.
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Charlene Marchand is the Chairperson of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA Board of Directors. She may be contacted by e-mail at cghsaaron@gmail.com.
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