Free Training for Shelter Fosters & Volunteers

“The better behaved the dog, the more likely they are to be successfully adopted.”

Let’s face it: a dog who pulls on leash, lunges and barks at other dogs, or tears up the house when left alone is a hard sell to adopters, and many dogs get returned to shelters for reasons just like these.

That’s why, since March 2018, we have been running FREE TRAINING SESSIONS for shelter staff and volunteers, rescue groups, and other fosters or volunteers.

We have many, many years of experience transitioning dogs from shelters to homes. We’ve worked through the most common problems 100s of times.

By sharing our knowledge and training methods with others in the rescue community, we ensure that the dogs in their care have the best possible chance of getting adopted -- and of staying in their adoptive homes!

If you volunteer at a shelter or are fostering a dog from a shelter or rescue organization in the Los Angeles area, these sessions are for you!

The Sessions

Sessions are 90min and we keep them small (max. 5 dogs and at least 2 or 3 trainers present), so that we can work with each person and dog individually and address the specific issues they are facing. We take this program very seriously. The group-format also creates a sense of community and teamwork among fosters and volunteers, and allows people to learn from each other by being exposed to a wider range of potential issues and solutions - might just come in handy for the next foster dog they have!

Here are just some of the things we’ve helped our trainees with:

  • What to do/expect when first bringing a dog home from the shelter

  • How to help shy/anxious dogs

  • How to properly walk a dog on leash (we practice this in every session);

    • preventing / addressing reactivity

    • paying attention to the handler

    • loose-leash walking

  • How to address dog-on-dog reactivity or aggression

  • How to safely introduce dogs to one another

  • Why socializing is vital, and different ways to properly socialize dogs

  • How to prevent or address separation anxiety

  • How and why to crate-train foster dogs

  • Why toys cause more problems than most people think

  • How to advertise dogs for adoption and conduct meetings with potential adopters.

“As well as getting a particular dog trained and adopted, we want to empower people in the rescue community to pass what they have learned on to adopters. This will make for a more harmonious relationship between human and dog, and reduce the number of dogs being returned to shelters.”

Contact info@bluemandog.org to join the mailing list for the next free session.
Sessions are held every 3-4 weeks in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.