It is painful to read all the negatives about a dog that humans like to spill out—especially when they are looking to divest themselves of said animal, or simply to preen about how naughty the dog is. And then to lay the blame at the feet of breed type (nature), or its lacking early origins (nurture).

This means completely ignoring—and refusing to take—responsibility for their part in the process.

Would we do that with a child? Would we consider a child—any child under the age of, say, 25—a total lost cause about whom nothing can be done? Hopefully not. Like humans, dogs can easily become part of a developmental process, especially when using the principles of BOCARA mentioned in the article “Will You Catch Me If I Fall.”

All of our short-term fosterers know that they are involved in a developmental process with their charges, because they are building toward adoptability. It is a work in progress, their job being to form a team with their protégé and move from where they are to where they want to be—not only to improve their chances of adoption, but also to improve their quality of life.

And for the most part, if we have successfully matched the dog with the fosterer to give them what they need, it works really, really well. Little by little, the dog changes for the better. There may be occasions of regression, but these are countered, and we move forward again.

And so there is an expectation that, through the fostering process, there is development in the dog to make them more adoptable. And yet, there are some areas that are “sticking” points and make it difficult for the human, as a prospective adopter, to believe that progress has been made.

This is especially true in areas such as lead-work and behaviours like fear aggression and separation anxiety. It is very true that without consistency, these previously embedded behaviours can resurface, and so we are increasingly aware that the handover precisions in these areas need to be carefully crafted so that, as the saying goes, the dog barely notices the join.

The biggest danger zone is undoubtedly when people take on a puppy. Its development is appropriate for its age at the point of release from us… but it is most definitely not a finished article. Puppies chew, bite, fight against the lead, throw up in cars, howl, and cry… they are hard work. We try to ensure that everyone taking on a puppy knows this, and we aim to crack the chocolate-box image of cuteness. This holds up—until sleep deprivation, poo-shovel overwhelm, and a lack of skill sets in.

What is the conclusion? Best-case scenario—it’s just “who they are”; worst-case—“can’t be doing with it.” If this doesn’t happen in puppyhood, then it often reappears in the “teenage” period, when the dog seems to have forgotten everything it ever knew, on purpose!

All of this is a natural part of development. Understanding it is one thing; working with it is another—and getting into the Realm of the Dog is essential. Those who do are guaranteed success… though not necessarily via a smooth road.

Achieving continuity of development is one of the reasons we are developing the Learning Hub: An accessible resource of tips, advice, guidance, and how-to’s, available at the point of need—or better still, at the point of prevention.