Behind the scenes: Animal keepers report
Everyday life with our dogs from Romania
As many of you know, we also place our rescued dogs in lifetime special care placements. Some of them come to us directly from our shelter in Romania. They are rescued from the streets, rehomed, neutered and receive lots of love and care from our local staff before they are brought to us in Henndorf.
As soon as the dogs have arrived with us, the first thing is to get to know them well. Especially in the first days, we have to take it very slowly and be careful. It is very important that we immediately build up trust with the dogs, so that they approach us without being afraid and also let us touch and stroke them. Many dogs react very fearful to loud noises or voices in the first days, so a lot of sensitivity is needed. Most dogs also do not know a chest harness or walking on a leash. So-called safety harnesses are extremely important, especially in the first days, so that the dogs cannot run away. We always practice putting on the harness with treats so that the dogs associate something positive with it. Unfortunately, there are also dogs for whom the situation of putting on the chest harness is so stressful that even treats do not help. In this case, we have to win the dog's trust with a lot of calmness and after a few days the putting on goes very well.
In the beginning, doorsteps or different floors (such as tiles) are also a big hurdle for the dogs. They don't know all that and are often overwhelmed by it. Here, too, we try to get the dogs used to it with a lot of calm. Especially when we go for a walk, we have to be very careful and hold the leash well in our hands, as many dogs are very jumpy and then show great flight behaviour. Some new arrivals are so afraid of going outside that we often have to carry them out in the first few days. But after a few days they learn that nothing bad will happen to them outside and they go with us independently. On the dog run, it is very important that the dogs wear always a lead, so that we don't have to "catch" them in fearful situations, but can easily solve the problem with the lead. We always observe that the dogs really enjoy running and playing. All their fear is forgotten and they become curious and start sniffing and exploring everything. You could almost say that they enjoy a feeling of freedom for the first time without having to be afraid.
The first encounters with all our other animals are always interesting, because donkeys, goats, geese, ponies & Co are completely foreign to the dogs. At first, they are therefore a bit anxious, but after a few days the dogs accept the other animals and walk past them completely relaxed. A lot of empathy is also needed when meeting other people at the farm, because many of the dogs have had bad experiences with people in the past and are therefore particularly sceptical. Therefore, it is necessary to keep a greater distance at first and to gradually reduce it.
It is particularly exciting for us to see how the dogs become more confident day by day and gain more trust. If they are scared and anxious at first when we enter the dog room, they gradually thaw out and are always very happy to see us after a short time. As soon as the appropriate trust has been built up, we also do desensitisation exercises with them to make everyday life easier for them in their future family. Of course, we cannot train the dogs "completely" for their new family, but we do our best and practice individually for each dog. Some need longer to gain trust, others less time, and our training with them proceeds at exactly the same pace. Important training exercises include, for example, climbing stairs, driving a car or general, unfamiliar noises (such as a car starting or knocking on a door).
The most beautiful thing for us groomers is always to see how the initial insecurity and fear gives way to a lot of trust. The dogs give us so much in return and are so grateful - we are happy about that every day. We are even happier when the dogs find a place with a loving family and can look forward to a long and happy life without fear. If you would like to give a dog from Romania a loving home, we would be very pleased if you would contact us directly at hunde@gut-aiderbichl.com.
