In some ways the shelter I volunteer at has some luxuries many others don't. Currently we're running at 2/3rds capacity -- which is good as We don't have a fixed term hold for dogs and keep adoptable animals as long as necessary. We don't represent ourselves as a no-kill shelter. We take in about 700 dogs a month: of that about a quarter of the dogs are put down, mostly for temperament issues (having a bite history doesn't automatically condemn a dog, but such dogs are assessed extra carefully). There is a full-time staff that works on training and rehabilitation of some of the more troubled dogs, but the policy is that where there's doubt, it's better to err on the side of caution. It's not easy to look at a young, healthy, happy dog with the words PTS written on its card, but it's understandable.

I've only been doing this for four months now and there's still so much to learn. I too am most interested in critiques of the Sternburg tests and also what others do.

Personally, I'm not inclined to argue with testing schemes so long as it's applied fairly, consistently and that dogs are passed or failed on the basis of what the shelter *can* save (save being defined as finding a suitable permanent home for the dog within the time period and funds available to the shelter). I accept that different shelters are going to vary greatly in what they can do.


And hey Laura, ain't nothing wrong with being a Liberal! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I think what you meant was 'people who don't like to face reality' and trust me, they come in all colours of the political spectrum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />


Dei.

Originally posted by Laura Waddell:
But people who work at shelters need to be better trained and educated about dog behavior, not just mindlessly performing a TT without ever questioning the outcome of a given test. And it's time for the funding to be spent on programs like training and spay/neuter to stop the cycle of unwanted dogs in the first place. Great points - maybe one day those things will also happen! Some trainers do donate time to help train the staff and volunteers, and I know the US has a much better record for discounted or free spays and neuters than most of Canada does. Hope both become even more common.