A home for the holidays

A great reputation can be both a blessing and a curse.  

Ours is a tough job to do, but at Woodford Humane Society we work hard to do it right.  Our placement rate is between 90 and 95% annually, and we place no age or breed restrictions on the pets that come through our doors.  Nobody has a time limit on their stay, either; as long as we can keep a pet happy and healthy, it can wait with us for as long as it takes for the right family to walk through the door.  With the help of the VCA Woodford Animal Hospital, we provide exceptional veterinary care; with the help of staff, supporters, and volunteers, we provide exceptional daily care and love.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.  

But there’s a catch.  The knowledge that a pet will be safe with us makes us the destination of choice for people wanting to give up a pet, but that very same knowledge makes many potential adopters turn elsewhere to choose a pet that may not be so safe.  When those two things collide, we find ourselves in a perfect storm of high intake numbers and sluggish adoptions.  

In a perfect world, we could soldier on regardless of all obstacles, but in reality, there are very real limits on the space and resources we have to work with.  We are currently housing twice as many animals as our facility was built to hold, and many of them have waited a long time for their new homes.  25 of our pets have been homeless for more than a year; another 30 have been waiting for more than six months.  We have puppies and kittens, and seniors up to 14 years old.  We have every size, shape, and color, and every personality type from shy to spunky.  They all need homes as soon as possible, even though we don’t give them any deadlines to meet.  

For most of us, the holidays are a time for family; maybe that’s what brings this issue into sharper focus this time of year.  The hundreds of pets in our care don’t have families to spend the holidays with, but they could – they just need someone to adopt.  If you’ve been thinking of adding a furry friend to your family this holiday season, please make adoption your only option and find your new family member with us.  When you choose to adopt, you change the world for that pet, and you open up a temporary home for the next pet waiting in line.  When we, as a community, choose to adopt, we make it possible for organizations like Woodford Humane to continue providing top notch care – to continue placing 95% of our pets in great homes, and never setting time limits.  We wouldn’t have it any other way, but we can’t do it alone.  

So here’s our holiday wish, on behalf of our staff, volunteers, supporters, and pets present and future: a busy adoption center through December and beyond, and the gift of a home for the holidays – and forever – for our patient pets.  You can meet them at our adoption center 7 days a week at noon, or get in touch with us at 859.873.5491 or manager@woodfordhumane.org. Or, browse our online pet listing here before you visit.

From the Sun: Training a Pet? Think positive

From the August 1st edition of the Woodford Sun:

Training a pet?   Think positive
By Beth Oleson, Education Coordinator

When I was a kid, my parents gave me a few bucks a week as long as I did my chores.  I am not a natural chore-doer, so that little incentive made a big difference; in fact, I wish someone would offer me the same deal now.  My house would probably be neater.  In this respect, training a dog is a lot like training a child: a little bribery goes a long way.  That’s why positive reinforcement training is the most effective method around.  

Positive reinforcement is, in a nutshell, a method focused on rewarding good behavior instead of simply punishing bad.  Don’t get us wrong, it’s important to correct and discourage bad behavior as soon as you see it.  But think about when you were a kid; sometimes, getting in trouble didn’t mean you learned your lesson…you just learned how not to get caught the next time.  The other half of the battle is making good behavior rewarding, and when you’re trying to train a dog, the best rewards you can offer are praise and food (again, dogs are not entirely unlike children).  

That brings us to the first step of positive reinforcement training: find out what your dog loves to eat and keep the treat bag ready.  You don’t want to overload your pet with junk food, so the ideal training treat will be something that’s very appealing (AKA stinky), but very small.  The small size will also leave your dog wanting more, which works in your favor.  Be sure to always couple your food reward with praise, too; a “Good boy!” will go a long way, especially down the road when you’re not giving treats every single time.

Use short, simple commands when training – sit, down, come, off, leave it, etc. – and give your dog a reward immediately when he does the right thing.  If you wait more than a few seconds, he may not make the connection between what you’re saying, what he’s doing, and the treat in his tummy.  The same goes for correcting bad behavior, by the way; if you don’t do it immediately, he won’t know what he’s being punished for, just that he’s in trouble.  

When you’re first teaching a new command, reward your dog every time he does it right.  It’s not necessary to keep that up forever, but you want to make sure that your dog really knows the command and will respond reliably before you start tapering off the treats; otherwise you’ll end up with a frustrated pooch and a command that won’t stick.  Positive reinforcement can and should be used anywhere, anytime – not just when you’re having a training session.  Make your dog sit before you go out for a walk, or before a meal, or during playtime, for example, to send the message that commands matter no matter what else is going on.  

Got training questions?  We’re here to help!  Drop us a line at 859.873.5491 or manager@woodfordhumane.org.  If you're really stuck, we're happy to recommend some great local trainers!