Education is a process in which learning or the acquisition of knowledge, as well as skills, values, beliefs and habits for good behavior is facilitated. Animals, like people, need to have to receive orders to respond adequately to any person or situation.
On many occasions, it is not easy to educate dogs, either because they have never had guidelines to follow or because their experience from a young age has caused them some fear, but with love and dedication animals, like people, take up again trust.
Today we focus on dogs, those who, for different reasons, have lived or live in a shelter. Feeling abandoned or mistreated is a problem that makes everyone suffer and in search of a solution we present Stephanie Cooper, a Xàbia neighbor who has been doing this canine work for years.
Cooper works primarily to help dogs that are in shelters. Her love and strong connection with animals and with dogs in particular since childhood has led her to study Canine Psychology and Behavior, "When I was 9 years old, we adopted our first dog from Apasa and I fell in love with her. As I grew up here, my eyes were open to the neglect and mistreatment of cats and dogs, and I wanted to help them and raise awareness about the problem.".
Stephanie has been working with dogs for more than 7 years, and for more than a year she has been certified in Dog Training in Canine Shelter and Kennel Enrichment, which leads her to work and help local dog shelters in Xàbia , Benissa, Pego, among others.
"I aspire to help them find new homes. I train them to have good behavior in their new homes and in the event that the owners need it, I also pay attention at a particular level"explains Cooper and adds that "This is the part I like the most, seeing a dog in their new home and helping them with the problems they may experience as they go from life in the shelter to life in a house."
Mental stimulation
The trainer says that her main mission in the shelters is to kong cam, "Every week I fill a Kong (which is a puzzle toy for dogs) with food and biscuits, and I distribute to all the dogs that are alone in Apasa. This is very good to minimize the stress of the dogs and also for mental stimulation" .
Cooper notes that "people often experience problems with their new dogs because they chew on furniture, bark, do not walk well on a leash, sit, lie down; But at the shelter, it's important to me that dogs learn manners because humans like a dog not to jump, so before I give them a Kong I ask them to sit down and try to teach them basic behaviors to make them more attractive to people visiting the shelter. "
Solidarity advice
Stephanie tells us that although her passion is animals and she wants to dedicate herself fully to it, for the moment, she makes this dedication in her free time, "My job is in an office. All the things I do with dogs are in my spare time. If anyone needs advice to train their dog, I will visit their home and help them in exchange for a donation to the shelter the dog originally came from. dog".
"When I finish my studies and get my diploma, I plan to do more for the dogs. One day I hope to have a space for agility where I can train shelter dogs and get videos of them in action to help them find new homes, a space to help owners discover new ways to enrich the lives of their dogs "Cooper emphasizes.
"So many people have problems with their dogs that it can be due to something very simple and easy to change, that can be easily seen by a dog trainer. It is very important that you find a dog trainer who is knowledgeable and uses only positive methods that are dog-friendly and trust-based. Always make sure the trainer uses positive reinforcement training and the most up-to-date training methods. This is a very important thing. ", says the trainer.
"Adopting a dog can be the best experience of your life"
Our protagonist today explains that "There is no difference between training and educating, and in some cases it is about educating the dog owner, not just the dog itself. When a dog is in the shelter, it is about training him to trust humans again, to to learn to live a full and happy life, because often a dog in the shelter has been let down by humans and suffers incredible sadness due to abandonment. That is why it is so important to adopt rather than buy from a breeder, because there are so many dogs They need a second chance, they've been let down before, and now they need a loving home for life. "
When you adopt a dog for the first time, "It can take up to 3 months for the dog to adjust to his new life. It is important to be patient and help the dog to adapt as much as possible. Adopting a dog can be the best experience of your life, and it can give you the best reward and offer you satisfaction in your life. There are also many breeds and types of dogs that have different personalities, with a variety of different ages. Adopting an older dog that has been in the shelter for a long time is a wonderful thing. "says Stephanie.
Personal education
The main problems are excessive barking and owner separation problems, they are often the same things. You must ensure that your dog has a place in the house of his own and that your communication with them is always clear so that he feels safe and comfortable. I have been very successful teaching one of my methods of eliminating separation anxiety problems, because this is something that is very misunderstood and there is a lot of misinformation on the internet.
Training articles on the internet are not designed for your particular dog, so it is best to contact a dog trainer and not depend on the information you read online. Every dog learns differently and communicates differently. You can't use the same tools for all dogs. Google and Youtube cannot replace experienced dog trainers with different types of dogs and the most positive and friendly training methods.
Stephanie's Rescue Mission Channel
Stephanie Cooper has several social channels showing her work with refugee dogs. Each week it brings in new videos, sometimes with useful information for dog owners, and other times videos of dogs in shelters in need of a home.
You can follow him on his profiles and if you prefer to collaborate, "I always need help to distribute goodies and get good pictures of the dogs or donations so that I can have enough food to fill the Kongs every week. If someone needs help with their dog, wants to help me in my mission or would like to know more information, they can contact me at my facebook page and remember, adopt, don't buy ".
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieRescueMission
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZw6p5WEod1WDcTPRNcdpMg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srm_rescue_dogs/
Website: http://www.stephaniesrescuemission.com/
