Sonsini Shelter Hosts 'Pack Walks' to Socialize Dogs
 The Eleanor Sonsoni Animal Shelter hosted a pack walk for dogs and owners to get comfortable interacting with others. |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter in Pittsfield held its first public pack walk Friday night on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
Krista Wroldson Miller, a member of the Sonsini board of directors, said the pack walks focus on calming dogs that are typically anxious or aggressive.
"We are seeing such an improvement in these dogs who have aggression and anxiety and all these other issues," Wroldson Miller said. "They are going on these walks and within the first few minutes, all of these dogs start to calm down."
Owners and their dogs start their walk at the Berkshire Mall end of the Rail Trail and go out for about a mile.
"They start really amped up and as the walk goes on you see the dogs mellow out and start working together, and it is fantastic," she said. "There are dogs that have attacked other dogs that have been on these walks and you wouldn't know they have ever had an incident. It is just amazing to watch."
Originally, Sonsini only took shelter dogs out on the pack walks, Wroldson Miller said, but after seeing the results decided to open it up to the public.
"The dogs get together and they get into this kind of pack mode where they all start working together and traveling together, which is something that dogs have always done in the wild," she said. "They mellow out, and we are seeing reduced anxiety and reduced fear."
During the walks, trainer Gloria McClay lines the dogs and their owners in rows of two and marches them down the bike trail. If dogs get out of hand, she asks the owners to halt with their animals and make their dogs heel.
She said calm energy is important to the process.
"Every person here stays calm and cool and collected and that energy should go from there body to their dogs body," she said. "Not only that, but they are at the side, and if they were out in front they would be all over the place."
McClay said it is important for her to keep an eye on dogs new to the walk until they are ready to be integrated into the pack. Usually, in minutes, the most anxious dog will calm down and enjoy the walk, she said.
Wroldson Miller said the pack walks also give dog owners who worry about taking their dogs out in public more confidence.
"The hope is to give people enough confidence so they will be able to deal with whatever is thrown at them when they are with their dogs," Wroldson Miller. "The people walking them are getting more confidence, and they will be able to handle their dog in different situations."
Another hope Wroldson Miller has is that the pack walks cut down on dog aggression incidents.
"We are hoping it will go out into the whole community so we will have less aggression, less incidents, less dog bites, and less craziness, and that people will be able to actually take their dogs out and do things with them," she said. "I want to see reduced hearings in front of the Animal Control Commission because by the time the dogs get to that point ... you might end up having your dog put down, and I want to avoid that."
Wroldson Miller said there will be more pack walks in the future and they plan to walk in different locations so the dogs get less anxious when they are in new situations and locations.
She said even those with well-behaved dogs can benefit from the walks.
"It's good for all dogs. I have a German shepherd who is perfectly well behaved, but it is good for her and she likes it," she said. "I think it not only helps people with their dog issues, but is also a lot of fun."
Tags: animal shelter, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, dogs, domestic animals, pets,
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