Thurs 28th Sept: What we want for our dogs and puppies

Guess where these new puppies are staying?

 You probably know we have many hundreds of dogs of all sizes waiting for homes, so we frequently hear complaints when we reject someone for adoption.  The thing is that we believe there is a minimum standard of care required for every animal, including and especially dogs because that's what specifically concerns us.  In many cases the dogs are better off at the Homing Centres than they would be in homes where there is a distinct lack of understanding of dogs and their needs, so we prefer to wait until a suitable adoption situation is offered.   We don't discriminate against anyone based on their nationality or gender, we're only interested in the kind of life that the dog or puppy would be given, and that there is at least the intention of a home for ever.

Unfortunately there is still a lot of misunderstanding about dog and puppy care and training, even though there has been a huge amount of scientific research into dog behaviour over the past few decades.  That's why trainers who say they have been doing this work for fifty years need to be looked at carefully, because methods and beliefs that were popular back then are now seen to be both cruel and counter-productive.

For example, bullying and threatening a dog into good behaviour will not work in the long term, because the basis of every successful dog-human relationship is trust.  The training kennels located out in the New Territories almost all use the old-fashioned methods, and we see many cases of dogs that have been sent off to such establishments and subsequently turned into fear biters.  When a scared dog has no other way of protecting itself, then using its teeth is the only remaining option. 

At HKDR we are lucky enough to have our own highly experienced and qualified dog trainer in Cactus Mok, as well as other qualified trainers that we particularly recommend for at-home one-on-one training for specific issues.  This could be basic puppy training, or for couples who are expecting a baby and want to prepare their dog for the new arrival, or any other particular needs.

"At HKDR, we believe in only force-and-fear-free, reward-based, positive reinforcement training methods that are based on a thorough and science-proved understanding of a dog's physical and behavioural characteristics, body language and learning mechanism, regardless of a dog’s age, breed, behavioural problems or past history.

The emotional and physical welfare of the dog should be of primary importance, and the training methods should aim at promoting a positive and caring relationship between caregivers and their companion dogs.

We reject the use of harsh, physical, psychological, coercive and aversive methods, including the use of choke chains, pinch or prong collars, electric shock collars, and any equipment that restricts normal movement and choice, causes pain, shock, fear, or restricts breathing.

Thanks to our education partner 毛夥伴教育學院 Companion Animal College for sharing this. We invite all dog caregivers and professionals to advocate the same principle in training and behavioural modification, making this world a better place for our lovely 4-legged companions."

Skye had her adoption confirmed!

All HKDR adopters have free access to Cactus for all training needs and questions, so you are never alone with an HKDR dog.

If you would like to adopt, please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ with as much information as you can.