Iowa County 4-H Shelter Dog Training Partnership Program
A new and innovative program has been in place at ICHS this summer in the
hopes that it will bring new life to adoptable dogs waiting for their forever
homes at the shelter. A collaboration between the Iowa County 4-H Dog Training
Program and the Humane Society, select shelter dogs are paired with suitable
4-H Dog Training Project members to participate in the training programs used
by 4-H and based on AKC obedience standards.
Teresa Duerst, ICHS Operations Director, makes the initial dog selections from those available at ICHS for adoption. 4-H Dog Training Project leaders Matt and Karolyn Levin do follow-up evaluations to ensure that the dogs are suitable for both the program’s goals and the children who are participating. Then each dog is matched to a suitable program participant between the ages of 8 and 18 years. The 4-H members work with their project dogs to help them learn obedience and other skills. The training sessions also provide a welcome break for the dogs from the daily shelter routine. The participating member gains the opportunity to work with a dog as well as learning valuable skills that can only be gained by working with animals from a variety of backgrounds. With ICHS approval, program participants may also elect to foster their partner dog during the training season.
The culmination of the program is the opportunity for the program member to show their dog at the County Fair in September. They may also participate in other 4-H events throughout the training season if they desire, such as the Bloomington 4-H Dog Show on July 26th & 27th where 3 program dogs were shown with wonderful results in the agility competition. Three dogs have already benefited from this program as they were adopted within several weeks of the start of their participation and one dog has an adoption pending, with the new family electing to let the dog stay with it’s training partner through the completion of the training season.
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It is the goal of this program to provide a learning experience for both the participants and the dogs, show other 4-H project groups how they can help homeless, unwanted animals in their own area, help educate the public on the quality of dogs which end up at animal shelters and dispel the myth that all dogs which end up at shelters are problem dogs. ICHS congratulates and thanks the 4-H members and their leaders for a job well done!!
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