Today I received the twelfth response to my questionnaire. Please see below:
Q1: What is your occupation?
Dog rehomer for a charity
Q2: How do you believe current dog shelter designs affect dog behaviour - Positively / Negatively / No affect? Please state your reason for your choice.
Yes very much so, we have tried to design our kennels to help combat as much stress by reducing noise, through solid plastic kennel fronts and visablity to each other by off setting each kennel slightly but it will always be hard for certain individuals and i don't think you will ever be able to suit every dogs needs in the kennel environment.
Q3: Do you believe that if given the right environment to rehabilitate, more dogs would be less 'aggressive' in shelters, and have the chance of becoming more adoptable?
Yes, we do have volenteers which foster our dogs if they need some training/help before being adopted but we do the majority of training here, which i agree is not ideal, dogs are not always in the right state of mind to learn if not relaxed. If a dog is truelly aggressive then we would not rehome in, handing the problem onto someone else if we cannot deal with the issue ourselves is not responsible in any way.
Q4: How would you describe an 'ideal' environment for dog rehabilitation? What key elements would it have?
The very ideal place would be in a secure home where they feel comfortable, where their state of mind is open to training and learning. A kennel environment is not ideal by any means, we have set up room to simulate a home environment and they can not only have training but also sleep in there for time away from the kennel but ultimately they have to go back to kennel at night.
Q5: What do you believe are the best methods for dog rehabilitation?
Time is the most important but also a must is the dogs mental state. Positive reward based training. Numerous times in shelters we see dogs with fairly mild behavioural issues but its the kennel environment that eventually turns them crazy and vitally people, though attached to the dogs need to be compationate enough to know when they have had enough and the only option (if all other route have been exhausted) it to euthanise.
Q6: Alongside rehabilitation methods, to what extent do you believe architecture has a role in rehabilitation?
Extremely Important
Q7: There are numerous examples of calming architecture, designed to calm people dealing with emotional trauma. Elements of this include panoramic views with lots of natural light, sound absorption and the integration of nature / outdoors.Based on your experiences, could this concept of calming architecture have a similar outcome for troubled dogs?
Respondent skipped this question
Q8: Are you aware of any Rehabilitation Centres that allow traumatised shelter dogs to recover?
No
Q9: If selected 'Yes' on previous question, please state the name of the Rehabilitation Centre and any additional information regarding their methods. Otherwise, please state 'N/A'.
Respondent skipped this question
Q10: Do you believe there needs to be more Rehabilitation Centres of this nature?
Yes but depending on the nature/issue of the dogs, i would not like them to be in a kennel environment any longer than necessary if there is no hope of them being rehomed, i do not agree with no kill shelters !
(SurveyMonkey, 1999-2014. SurveyMonkey [online]. Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ [Accessed on 9th November 2014]. Published questionnaire available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7PYBVBF [Created on 9th November 2014].)