More Than Just Puppy Love: Training, Competing, Serving

 By: Morgan Harvey, EC Scholar and Honors College Junior

As a dog lover, trainer, and agility competitor, I have dedicated years to learning everything I can about training dogs in a variety of skill sets.  When I was 15, I started training my first dog, Bear, in obedience and agility and quickly got into competing in agility at the local level.  After a couple of years, I made it to a national agility competition with Bear and started teaching obedience and agility classes in the area.  It was then I realized that not only did I enjoy training my own dogs, but I liked to help others learn how to work with their dogs as well.

When I first learned about the service internship I would be completing as part of my HNRS 4100 seminar, I immediately knew that I wanted to somehow incorporate my passion for helping dogs and their owners into my project.  I quickly got in touch with Michele Whaley, the director of the Pitt County Animal Shelter, and arranged a meeting to discuss what needs the shelter had and how my knowledge and experience with dog training could be of service to them.  She explained to me that many of the dogs that come in are owner surrenders, a lot of which are abandoned at the shelter due to simple training problems such as having accidents in the house or pulling too hard on the leash.  Some dogs come back only a few days after adoption because their new owners do not know how to train them and get frustrated by simple behavior problems.  During our first meeting together, I figured out many different ways in which I could help reduce the number of owner surrenders at the shelter.  Next, I narrowed down my ideas to the three projects that I thought would be most beneficial now and long-term.  It was then that the Pitt County Animal Shelter Dog Training Program was developed and set in motion.

The first line of defense in reducing the number of owner surrenders was to develop a phone service that recent adopters could use to get training questions answered.  Every week, volunteers and I call the new owners of recently adopted dogs. We answer any training questions they may have in an effort to combat training problems before they become more than the owner can handle and the dog is returned.  My second project is writing an extensive training guide that can be sent home with adopters and put online, giving new dog owners a set of instructions on how to train different behaviors and manners using only positive reinforcement methods.  This guide will be a great asset to the shelter because it can be distributed for years to come and does not require any more resources or time from shelter employees and volunteers.

With the training phone help and guides being focused on recent Pitt County Animal Shelter adopters, I also wanted to find a way to make a greater community impact and get help to those who needed training help for dogs from other shelters, rescues, or breeders.  Many owners want to help their dogs but simply do not have the funds to take expensive training classes…they end up surrendering their dogs as a result.  In response to this problem, I have started teaching a series of dog training classes at the Pitt County Animal Shelter that cover a variety of different training problems and only cost $5 per class.  From house breaking and crate training to leash walking and basic obedience, owners can sign up online for the sessions they need most.  They are given the personalized help they need in order to keep their dog in their home and out of the shelter.  When I teach the classes, I focus not only on training the dogs, but teaching the owners how to continue training at home and how these methods can used to train other behaviors as well.  The participants also get a handout to take home that reviews everything covered in class.

The feedback we have received about the new classes, training guides, and phone help has been incredible.  It is still too early to know how much of a difference the dog training program has made in reducing the number of owner surrenders, but we at least know that we have helped make a difference in the lives of the dogs and owners who have participated in the new program.  I have really enjoyed getting to work with others who are just as passionate about dogs as I am–it has been really rewarding to help owners train their dogs and see the difference an hour-long training class can make in the bond that they have.  I will continue to keep teaching the dog training classes through the rest of the semester and am discussing plans to keep the classes going long-term.  This internship has been an incredible experience, and I am thankful to everyone who has helped to support me along the way.