VERO BEACH — The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County is seeking volunteers to help with its new “read and relax” program for dogs.
The program is designed to reduce a dog’s stress through increased human companionship. Read and relax volunteers are needed to sit with dogs and read to them as a way to instill calmness.
“The old advice given to reduce canine stress was to exercise to exhaustion; that a tired dog is a happy dog,” says Pet Behavior Assistant Joy Szaz.
“Exercise is still important, but we know that most dogs enjoy being ‘couch potatoes.’ Since dogs, especially anxious dogs, usually feel most at ease spending quiet time with people, we need volunteers who are willing to just sit with them in a quiet area and simply read,” Szaz explained.
Read and relax programs have shown success in shelters across the country and can reduce barking and stress behaviors that result in dogs being adopted more quickly and greater adopter satisfaction.
Read and relax training benefits a dog by teaching him to remain calm in a noisy environment, enjoy humans without feeling a need to get attention or compete with other dogs for someone’s attention, and be accustomed to relaxing, a critical component for success when a dog is adopted into a new home.
In addition to helping shelter dogs, read and relax programs present a nice option for volunteers who love dogs but who may not have the strength to handle highly active or strong dogs.
Read and relax programs open up a world of possibilities to both dogs and volunteers.
For more information about becoming a read and relax volunteer, please call volunteer coordinator Sara Wright at (772) 388-3331, ext. 12.
