PET PROJECTS
More on the Thailand Rescue Dog Association
STORY BY CHOMPOO TRAKULLERTSATHIEN, PHOTOS BY SUCHADA HONGSA
When Tanongsak Niemprem, Kritsada Pienpermpat and Dr Chatchawan Silpakit joined a two-day search and rescue rally recently, they did it for their dogs, not for themselves.
They took their dogs to the first K9 Search and Rescue Rally 2008, held recently by the Thailand Rescue Dog Association (Thai RDA), because they wanted to tap their potential as rescue dogs.
"I think my dogs have potential to serve others and contribute to society. Through this charitable project, they can make merit, too. I will be so happy if they can help others and I will fully support them by all means," said Tanongsak, who has two golden retrievers and three Alsatians.
"When I first learned about this project, I thought of my dog immediately. The training courses and exercises are suitable for my dog since he is energetic and curious. Besides, he's stubborn, so I want him to learn more about canine etiquette. And he did a very good job, participating in all the activities," beamed Kritsada, the owner of Lalte, a 10-month-old Labrador.
"I love adventures, and so does my dog. I want him to see the world and get to know other dogs. He's so aggressive when he meets other dogs. This project has helped change his unpleasant behaviour. I was so happy when I saw him being happy in what he did. If he has the potential to be a good rescue dog, I'll back him up," said Chatchawan, the owner of Poonlarp, a five-year-old Ridgeback.
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| Sarah and her little bosses have a happy time together. |
Lalte, once a stubborn dog, has turned over a new leaf. |
Though their pets still need more training, the owners have found to their surprise that the two-day rally has changed their dogs' habits positively.
Chatchawan is happy to see the changes in Poonlarp, who now can socialise with other dogs and is less aggressive. The handler advised Chatchawan to take Poonlarp out more frequently so he can react properly when meeting other dogs. In fact, Poonlarp is not a fierce dog. His life has revolved around people and people are his friends, so other dogs become his enemy.
"My house is in the hospital complex where I work. I let Poonlarp run freely around the hospital and he can do what he wants to do. It seems that he is the owner of the place. He meets a lot of people, but not a single dog. One day when I took him outside I found that he turns fierce when he meets other dogs. He is a wonderful dog if there is no other dog near him," said Chatchawan.
Through the training course and the activities, his aggressive behaviour has been gradually reduced, and Chatchawan has also learned how to control Poonlarp when he starts to get aggressive.
"He still snarls sometimes if a dog approaches him too closely. When I see such a warning sign I will take him away. Normally, some friendly dogs will go and play with Poonlarp since they don't know that he's a bit dangerous. So I have to keep a watchful eye on my dog. When he calms down and listens to me I give him a treat. And the trick works," he said.
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| Poonlarp is friendly with people but aggressive with other dogs. |
Though it is difficult to change Poonlarp since he is now five, Chatchawan is happy to sacrifice his time. "I would like to see him having his own canine friends, but I don't expect much since he might be too old to be trained. I have never thought of him as a bad or problematic dog. He's always been my lovely child. I'm happy simply to see him being less aggressive. That's it," he said.
"He stays with me all the time. I can't be separated from him. The Thai RDA scheme allows me to spend more time with my dog. That is better," he said.
As all dogs learned from their canine lessons, the owners also learned tricks that would help them handle their dogs more effectively. Normally, when they want to order their dog to follow their commands they will use a loud voice, or scold them, which is not the right technique.
"A handler taught me how to use a clicker as a means to control my dog. It worked. My dog was more willing to follow my commands and happier to play with me or attend the training course. It's better than the traditional technique I used before," said Tanongsak.
While trekking into the forest, which is part of the training course for all rescue dogs, Chatchawan learned another important lesson useful to Poonlarp. This time he found that a feeding technique could help improve Poonlarp's behaviour.
"I give him food and then order him to walk and do the trick over and over again. It worked. He listened to me. If I keep him full before trekking, he won't pay attention to me and follow my commands," he said.
The rally also helped cement the strong bond between human and dog since it was the best time for them to get to know and support each other in various situations.
"I see many talents in my dog. He is a good runner and he likes exercise so much, especially swimming. He has a lot of energy and he wants to join in all the activities. It's a good chance for me to exercise with him. And the new thing I know about Lalte is that he really loves ice-cream. When he saw it, he gobbled it in the blink of an eye. He looks so funny with his face covered with ice-cream," said Kritsada, laughing.
At the end of the rally, all faces were smiling and shining with hope, promising not to miss the fun of the next rally for a good cause.
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