Category Archives: group dog play

Adoption, bonded pets, group dog play, kennel stress

Parker & Skye: arrived as strangers, left together as family

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Parker (left) and Skye met at the shelter, became friends and were adopted together.
15
Nov

When Skye arrived at the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a stray, she instantly became a staff and volunteer favorite. With her winning smile and huge personality, nothing seemed to bother this stout, six-year-old mixed breed. She loved everyone, and everyone loved her.

During her first playgroup session, Skye was a standout. She was friendly with the other dogs and firmly corrected the overly pushy pups. She quickly established herself as a greeter dog in group play and mentored newbies and her more timid peers. Skye was just as comfortable with the playgroup staff, often rolling on her back in the middle of play to beg for a tummy rub.

Parker, a two-year-old mixed breed who arrived at the shelter about a week before Skye, was progressing slowly in playgroup but still painfully shy, especially with people. He was wary when potential adopters visited his kennel and sometimes cowered when dogs barked loudly in his direction.

As vastly different as these two dogs were – Skye the fearless social butterfly and Parker the nervous wallflower – they began to pair up in playgroup. Parker felt safe around Skye, and she enjoyed his attention. In a short time, they became close friends.

The Perfect Pair
FOTAS Dog Walking Volunteer Sue Payne got to know Skye and Parker pretty well, and suggested her daughter, Haley, visit each of them. Haley and her boyfriend, Jonathan, were looking to add a dog to their new home and wanted to adopt from the shelter.

The two dogs love to ride in the car and go on long walks downtown and in local parks.
The two dogs love to ride in the car and go on long walks downtown and in local parks.

When Haley and Jonathan met Skye, they fell in love with her. But Parker pulled on their heartstrings as well. During their discussion with the adoption counselor, it came up that the two dogs got along well with each other during playgroup. Both dogs had been at the shelter for weeks and desperately needed a chance for a better life. That’s all Haley needed to hear. She said it “just felt right” to adopt both dogs, and the couple took Skye and Parker home.

“They’ve made the perfect addition to our family,” Haley said. “They sleep in the same bed and Parker is learning a great deal from Skye. He follows her lead. I don’t think he would have progressed as quickly if he didn’t have her, and Skye would not have done as well without him because she needs constant attention to be happy.”

The pair of dogs enjoy going on long walks, car rides, going to downtown restaurants, and taking trips to Chick-fil-A on Fridays to split an ice cream.

“I cannot put into words how thankful I am that we got both of them together,” Haley said.

The shelter is full and there are many more wonderful pets who need loving homes. Please go to fotasaiken.org to see them or stop by and visit the dogs and cats at 333 Wire Road. Dogs and puppies are $35; cats and kittens are $10. All of our adoptable pets are vaccinated, microchipped & fixed.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, dogs playing for life, group dog play, Volunteer

Afternoons are much quieter at the County Shelter

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Morning playgroups are helping to make County Shelter dogs more adoptable.
08
Jul

FOTAS works to ensure that adopting a dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter is the right thing for both the dog and the adopter. I am a volunteer, and I can attest to this as I have observed using the nationally recognized “Dogs Playing for Life Program” has helped to make our dogs more adoptable.

The program has taught us that the sooner we can get dogs into the play yard to socialize with other dogs the better their chances are of getting adopted quickly. We can identify their play styles, whether that be “rough and rowdy”, “gentle and dainty”, etc. We can also identify behavior issues, both good and bad. All the while, we have a note taker writing all of this information down. In other words, we are keeping a journal of each dog that comes into the play yard. With this knowledge and information about each dog that comes through the shelter, we are not only better able to get these dogs adopted quicker, but also into the right homes.

Playgroups take place 6 days a week, and last for 4 hours each day. We have volunteers and shelter staff helping to run this program. We have dog runners who bring the dogs from their kennels into the play yard. We have two dog handlers in the play yard at all times, who are observing and correcting the dogs. The dog handlers are the ones directing the note taker what to write about each individual dog. Not only are new intake dogs given a chance to play, but we try to get into playgroup as many of our resident dogs as possible each day. Every day we see dogs that are terrified, withdrawn, or abused, slowly come out of their shells in playgroup. Sometimes we come across dogs like Petunia and Suzie, who are playgroup rockstars and adapt to any play style, and are able to initiate play, with shy and withdrawn dogs. Soon, many of the dogs are engaging, playing, and having fun, all the while becoming more adoptable.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Nathan. He’s what I call the “Leader of the Pack”. He is a trained dog handler who was hired by the shelter to lead and oversee the program. Besides his leadership, he shows the dogs genuine love and compassion. He tries to find the good in every dog. The dogs feel the love and care that comes from Nathan and all of the shelter staff and volunteers. Everyone works together as a team to improve the quality of life the dogs receive at the shelter before they go to their forever home.

Afternoons are much quieter around the shelter when there has been a long morning of play amongst the dogs! It’s music to one’s ears to visit an animal shelter and realize the dogs are safe, well fed, and content from playing hard with other dogs. I’m very passionate about this program because I see the positive impact this program has in the lives of the shelter dogs.

Please consider becoming a volunteer, donating, and/or adopting an animal at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. I promise you will receive more joy than you could ever pass along to these precious animals.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Sandy Sublett, FOTAS Volunteer

2021, Dogs, dogs playing for life, group dog play, Training

Group Play Can Work Wonders for Shelter Dogs

Posted on by Bob Gordon
25
May

Paddy, a handsome white and black Border Collie mix, slinks into the play yard, his head down, tail between his legs. He backs away from the humans in the yard, wary of their intentions. Then Graham, a black retriever mix, is let in and everything changes. Paddy’s ears perk up and he slowly approaches the bigger dog. They come to face to face and sniff. Paddy’s tail pops up and begins wagging furiously and Graham nudges him with his nose. Soon they begin wrestling and chasing each other in the yard like best friends!

Group exercise helps dogs become better pets.

Welcome to the world of Dogs Playing for Life (DPFL), a group play program designed to give shelter dogs better quality of life and social interaction that helps them to become more adoptable.

The DPFL team recently visited the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) to train personnel on how to hold dog play groups safely and effectively. DPFL Founder and CEO Aimee Sadler led the training, which included assessing 36 shelter dogs’ compatibility with other canines as well as their personality traits and playing style. By observing the dogs’ social interaction through shared playtime, the DPFL program helps make shelter dogs better behaved and more adoptable.

The program is helping FOTAS and staff identify key personality traits in individual dogs and aid in successfully matching homeless pets with adopters. Group play can help especially shy dogs, like Paddy, find their confidence and overly aggressive dogs learn how to play well with others.

Dogs Playing for Life first visited the shelter five years ago and introduced their guidelines and training to FOTAS and the County. This recent training was a refresher course, including two days of intense hands-on training.

The staff has incorporated these lessons and have held play group sessions twice a day over the last two weeks. Staff usually manages five or six dogs at a time, but group play can include a dozen or more dogs if they get along and enjoy similar playing styles.

Some of the shelter’s most timid dogs, like pit bull mix Trinity and spaniel/hound mix Tenor, are blooming into superstars. They cannot wait to get out of their kennels and play with other dogs.

Group fun is overseen & led by shelter personnel.

A kennel environment can be incredibly stressful for dogs. But group play helps ensure dogs receive enrichment as well as physical and emotional care that can help them to engage more positively with potential adopters, transition more easily to a new home, and interact appropriately with people and other dogs in the community.

Last week, Donovan, a black lab mix who arrived at the shelter with a lot of nervous energy heightened by kennel stress, served as an example of how beneficial DPFL can be. During his appointment with a family, he was relaxed, confident and even plopped down on his future “mom’s” lap. Within minutes, he was in their car, heading to his forever home.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

Shelter personnel receive lessons from DPFL experts.