The Rewards of Adopting from a Shelter   

By Debbie Rose, Helping Paws Volunteer   

Quick Links

Upcoming Events

1st Wednesday of each Month   

Fundraising Meeting - 7p.m. Helping Paws Shelter

Location may change, for current information, please call Sherry Gelasi at 847-658-6634 

2nd Thursday of each Month Board Meeting - 7p.m.   

at Helping Paws Shelter

Apr 7th - Adoption Event  

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Nature's Feed  

2440 Westward Dr.    

Spring Grove, IL  

(815) 675-2008  

May 5th - Adoption Event  

9 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Crystal Lake Post Office  

301 East Congress Parkway Crystal Lake, IL  

Amy and Elaine:

Thanks for Everything  

By Steve Arnold, Helping Paws Volunteer

It is with no small measure of sadness that we recently said goodbye to two longtime volunteers of Helping Paws, Amy Edwards and Elaine Norkett. Their contributions over many years have helped the shelter become the strong organization that it is today.

Amy Edwards volunteered at the shelter for over seven years. Her many duties included serving on the board of directors, coordinating for four years the many adoption events that the shelter does throughout the county and serving as race director for the annual Panting 4 Paws 5K race held each November. Amy recently moved to Florida, but is continuing to assist in planning the 5K race.

Elaine Norkett worked at the shelter for over 30 years. Her work there began when she brought in a starving stray mother dog and her four pups. After seeing the care they received, she began volunteering. Her work included serving on the board, assisting with the 5K race, working on the Tag Days (soliciting contributions of supplies from shoppers at local stores such as Jewel/Osco and Walmart), working at the annual garage sale and manning the front desk to greet visitors to the shelter. Elaine recently adopted a kitten from Helping Paws and they have moved to Texas to be near Elaine's sons and grandchildren.

It is through the efforts of our volunteers that Helping Paws continues to serve abandoned and forgotten animals. Amy and Elaine are two examples of the level of committed service that has helped us do what we do every day. From all of us and from the animals to them: Thanks for everything.

Living with the Shy Dog   

By Kirk Halma, CPT and Helping Paws Volunteer

One of the canine personality types many owners struggle with is the overly shy dog.  Not to be confused with dogs that are fearful, these dogs may not be very troublesome but can be frustrating none the less as they refuse to engage with others outside the immediate family.

A shy dog displays discomfort or a lack of confidence around other living things.  These dogs may be comfortable around some individuals and not others i.e. humans versus other pets, family members versus outsiders etc.  This personality, although usually harmless to others, needs intervention to address this type of anxiety.  

The causes of shyness can be genetic but are typically environmental.  Most commonly there is a lack of early, positive socialization around people and/or other animals.  Shyness may also be encouraged by someone comforting the dog and reinforcing the behavior when they are demonstrating an insecure reaction.  Human insecurities themselves may also reinforce or increase the dog's timidity as they feed off the energy and emotions of their owners.

Behavior issues associated with the shy dog range from mild to severe, but some of the most common are, nervousness and anxiety including separation anxiety, excessive licking and submissive urination.  Severe shyness may lead to more serious nervous disorders and result in physical damage to themselves and other medical conditions.

Working with a shy dog requires patience and calm assertiveness at first.   Participating in formal obedience training builds trust and respect between the dog and their owner.  Then confidence building and people/socialization activities should be incorporated.  The dog must be encouraged to work through symptoms instead of being coddled.  Engage the dog mentally and interact physically by playing games or romping on obstacles with good positive rewards for compliance.  Praise should be genuine and cautiously upbeat, in these cases we are trying to ramp up their energy gradually and teach them to express themselves.

Progress can be slow with shy dogs, but over time they can learn that engaging with others can become its own reward.  An important thing to remember is that consistent socialization and positive interaction with others can be effective therapy for dogs at any age and with any severity of shyness.