dogwalking: first outing
The animal handler shirt allows volunteers to take the beasties out for walks, etc. I picked up a 6’ slip lead (the red one on the right) like the staff and more experienced volunteers use. Nicely made and easy to get on/off the dogs. It’ll work with large and medium dogs. It’s light enough for small dogs but still stiff and too bulky for the wee ones I think.
95% of the snaps I take on walks look like this:
Accurate but perhaps not entirely satisfying for onlookers. Here is the rest of the dog (Tekila):
I had mentioned earlier I didn’t think dogwalking would be my thing, but some factors conspired to change my mind:
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we got an email from the volunteer coordinator saying how well we were doing to get the dogs walked every 3 days on average. [clarifiation: it made me sad that every three days was considered an improvment]
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some of the dogs are housetrained, and loathe to eliminate in their pens. I start with these.
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I am reading a book about dog rescue operations and the author believes walking is excellent for the dogs’ state of mind, indirectly leading to quicker adoption
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my experience walking the dogs in this post confirmed they are much calmer after being walked.
Cinnamon, who we saw earlier in her pen:
Katen, a weimeraner who was painfully shy in the kennel but fine on the walk. She even forgot herself for a moment and hopped playfully for a couple of steps. A lovely, gentle animal. If I could have a dog now she’d be on my list of potentials:
Goldie:
I don’t remember this dog’s name; I was quite tired by this point. I’d been on-call over the weekend and got woke up several times in the previous night. And that morning.
I was tired enough (and my trick ankle hurting enough) that I sat down for a bit with this (Huskie/Shepherd?) mix whose name I also do not remember.
There were a couple more I walked but have no pics of for whatever reason. Sometimes there are stressors for the dogs (other dogs, noises, whatever) that require my full attention, precluding bonus stuff like pics. Only one dog (not pictured) was difficult to walk; the rest could go to homes right now and fit in with no issue.
I was pleased to note Domino the Pit and Twix the doberman had already been adopted since my last visit.