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Adopters - get to know your pet
Written by Virginia Beach Society

More and more people are looking for opportunities to give back to their communities. There are numerous volunteer opportunities in the Hampton Roads area and the Virginia Beach SPCA (VBSPCA) is fortunate to have a wonderful volunteer corps. We are dependent on the generous contributions of time, creativity, and energy from hundreds of volunteers on a regular basis. Volunteers are very important to the VBSPCA and help in many ways – not only in using their skills to help staff members accomplish more, but also in taking their positive experiences and knowledge of the organization into the community as ambassadors.

Before a dog is adopted from VBSPCA, it undergoes a behavioral assessment. Often, VBSPCA staff members and qualified volunteers become extremely familiar with the animal and its behaviors while it is in our care. We often know what characteristics will make that animal particularly lovable to someone and also what behaviors could use some modification to make the owner-animal experience most mutually enjoyable.

We encourage you to take advantage of our “Getting to Know Your Dog” class soon after you have adopted. “Getting to Know Your Dog” is a one hour class offered once a month and is designed to help you learn how to most effectively read your dog, understand his/her actions and identify behaviors that might need special attention. It’s also a brief introduction to basic obedience. You don’t have to be a first-time dog owner to get a lot out of this PRE-class. Class is held the first Tuesday of every month at 6 pm at VBSPCA and is included as part of the adoption package.

During this class, Marianne Sutherland, experienced dog trainer, will be available to talk about all kinds of problem with new dogs, housebreaking, crate training, chewing, digging, biting, barking, jumping and how to make corrections by accurately reading your dog. There is no age limit to attend and you are encouraged to bring your newly adopted companion!

Marianne Sutherland also offers regular, basic, intermediate, and advanced six-week obedience courses at the Virginia Beach SPCA for $60 per course. New obedience classes begin every six weeks. Most recently, Marianne has started five-week agility programs for canine enrichment and confidence-building. Cost is $75 for a five-week program. Please contact Marianne at 427-2391 or via e-mail at aire-m@cox.net.

Canine Good Citizenship (GCC) testing is also available for a $15 fee (per animal). CGC testing is by appointment only and must be scheduled through Kathy Shambo at 427-0070, ext. 18.

New obedience classes begin every six week. Please contact Marianne at 427-2391 or via e-mail at aire-m@cox.net.