Quick recap

Laurie shared her experiences from recent shelter visits and conferences in the Asheville area, including observations of natural disaster recovery efforts and shelter behavior integrations. She highlighted improvements at Greenville Humane Society's playgroup program and discussed the effectiveness of helper dogs in shelter environments to reduce stress and improve socialization. Laurie emphasized the importance of building resilience in shelter dogs through structured playgroups and positive reinforcement techniques, while also discussing new safety equipment and the need for collaboration between different animal welfare professionals.

Next steps

• Laurie to schedule upcoming live sessions with topics suggested by attendees.

• Attendees to email Laurie at lori@lawlessdogs.com with suggestions for future live topics or case studies from their shelters.

• Laurie to continue partnering with Humane Innovations to bring shelter tools like muzzles and handling equipment to the shelter world.

• Attendees interested in playgroup setup to check out Laurie's video from Greenville Humane Society.

• Laurie to attend the Canis Conference next year to continue building connections across different animal welfare disciplines.

Summary

Asheville Shelter Innovation Visit

Laurie shared her experiences from a recent conference and pre-conference visits to shelters and locations in the Asheville, North Carolina area. She discussed her work in shelter behavior integrations and mentioned partnering with Humane Innovations to bring tools and products to the shelter world. Laurie also highlighted the devastation caused by a natural disaster in the Asheville area and the ongoing recovery efforts she witnessed during her visit.

Enhancing Dog Play Environments

Laurie shared her visit to Greenville Humane Society in South Carolina, where she observed their improved playgroup program and environment. She highlighted the well-designed play area, which included climbing structures, water bowls, and a large airlock system for introducing new dogs. Laurie emphasized the importance of creating a stress-free environment for dogs during playgroups and suggested that shelters could implement similar setups using simple and affordable materials. She also mentioned her previous experience in managing a doggy daycare and how she incorporated similar ideas to improve the play areas.

Helper Dogs in Shelter Environments

Laurie shared insights from the Aggression Dogs Conference, highlighting the effectiveness of helper dogs in shelters. She discussed how helper dogs can help integrate new dogs into the shelter environment, reduce stress, and improve socialization. Laurie emphasized the importance of identifying helper dogs, particularly among loud or reactive dogs, and using structured introductions to help them overcome fear or frustration. She also noted that climbing the leash and biting are often stress-induced behaviors in shelter environments, and helper dogs can be instrumental in alleviating this stress.

Shelter Dog Behavior and Welfare

Laurie shared insights from a recent conference focused on shelter behavior and animal welfare. She emphasized the importance of building resilience in shelter dogs through structured playgroups, pattern games, and positive reinforcement techniques. Laurie highlighted the need for collaboration between different animal welfare professionals, including trainers, veterinarians, and shelter staff, to improve animal care and outcomes. She also discussed new safety equipment, such as Baskerville muzzles, that can help facilitate better interactions between staff and fractious animals.