October 2006 by Brian S.
"Open Paw - Good Habits Are Hard to Break." This review is based on attendance at several lectures by Open Paw speakers as well as direct experience with the Open Paw program and the programs founders. (BTW, while I love cats, I own 3 dogs and work with dogs on a daily basis. My bias therefore, leads me to write about dogs.) Open Paw is a multi-faceted approach to making companion pets (more) adoptable, educating pet owners (preferably before an adoption), and keeping pets in the home once they are adopted. When the Open Paw program is employed at the animal shelter level, staff, volunteers and visitors to the shelter are encouraged to feed the dogs part of their daily food ration for displaying appropriate behavior (sitting quietly instead of barking and lunging) at the front of the kennel. The dogs get lots of repetition for this appropriate behavior throughout the day and dogs that are shy or aggressive around people learn that the approach of strangers is a good thing - this is how they get their dinner! Special care is also given in the Open Paw program to teach and maintain housebreaking by ensuring that the shelter dogs get adequate time out of the kennel - housebroken dogs shouldn't be forced to soil their kennel. (In most shelter situations, the mental and physical health of the dogs is constantly deteriorating. Constant barking, lack of physical exercise and mental stimulation as well as inadequate levels of staff and volunteers to get the dogs out frequently enough - these are the ingredients for doggie stress and deterioration found in most shelters.) In and out of the shelters, Open Paw strives to educate prospective pet owners BEFORE they adopt. Far too many dogs are returned to shelters because the new owners don't have realistic expectations of their new companion and they don't know how to resolve insanely simple problems. Post-adoption, Open Paw continues its efforts to educate pet owners and handlers with the goal of keeping the new pet in the home for a lifetime. In addition to a vast amount of resources available on the website, Open Paw also offers - for free - a electronic (pdf) file of "Before You Get Your Puppy", by Dr. Ian Dunbar. (Dunbar - a very well known and respected veterinarian, animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and writer - revolutionized the dog training world when he opened "Sirius Puppy Training". He is also the founder of Open Paw.) The Open Paw program and what it strives for is nothing short of brilliant. The priceless information is appropriate for anyone who might come into contact with domesticated animals. Pet lovers, owners, the general public as well as people that don't like pets - all would benefit from OU (Open Paw University). Check it out, get educated & gain some knowledge about our fuzzy friends! This is pure win-win-win!
