Sadly, hundreds of dogs in Australia live in shelters, many of them abandoned by their families and some have even been abused. Those dogs living in shelters often get scared and are nervous in the presence of humans. They tend to stay in the corner of their kennels, looking timid and scared which is a reason for people to decide against re-homing that dog.
One organisation in the USA, the Humane Society of Missouri, built the program called “Shelter Buddies Reading Program”, with the purpose of socialising the dogs in order to increase their chances of being adopted.
There are a hundreds of children who are part of the program to help the dogs. They are between 6 and 15 years old and before the kids are allowed to read to the dogs, they have to participate in a workshop in which they learn about shelter dogs and their behaviour. They also get tips on how to behave around the shy dogs. The kids then choose a book they want to read and sit down in front of the kennels. The ultimate goal is that the dog eventually loses his anxiety and comes to the front after some time. In that way the pooches slowly get used to humans and learn that they don’t have to be scared, without forcing them into anything. If the dog comes to the front, he receives a treat to reward his behaviour.
The program not only helps the dogs, but also the children. Besides learning how to prudently deal with a dog, they can practice their reading without being judged. This can help shy children who are scared of talking or reading in public.
There are currently no such programs in Australia though this could be something worth consideration as abandoned dogs is a significant issue in Australia and an area which needs attention.