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!
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.
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
