Doreen Horchner has been running the DOGS dog school in Potsdam/Zossen. Your heart beats especially also for dogs from abroad. It regularly travels to different countries to document the lives of strays there.
Is the situation of street dogs abroad really as bad as is often assumed in this country?
How it is about the life of a stray, you have to look at each case individually. Through social media, we are successfully led to believe that "all" street dogs, whether in Romania, Spain, Greece or other countries, suffer endlessly, are tortured, wantonly disposed of or deliberately run over. Such a portrayal is misleading and certainly not in the interest of animal welfare.
In any country, in areas with larger dog populations and no local animal welfare initiatives, you will encounter animals with parasites or highly contagious diseases that require medical attention. In other areas, however, you’ll find dogs frolicking carefree on the beach with their family members, taking naps at religious sites, digging for mice in city parks, or charmingly charming tourists in crowded shopping malls. I know many free-living dogs who would certainly not trade their freedom for a "cozy home" in Germany.
Should have experience with dogs, if you are interested in a dog from abroad?
The acquisition of a dog should basically be well prepared. There is a significant difference between adopting a "real" street dog and a free-roaming owner dog, an abandoned dog, a feral dog, a former chain dog, or a dog that grew up lonely in a shed.
A dog that has lived on the streets for a long time will inevitably have a certain desire for freedom, a high degree of independence and experience in hunting. Surprisingly, it is these characteristics that we find disturbing here in Germany. The foreign dog passionately rearranges the garden, cannot stay alone in closed rooms, defends food, develops leash, territorial or socially motivated aggression.
A herding dog that is not trained for humans will certainly not be "grateful" to a day mom for his "rescue", just as little will a dog beginner be able to offer a severely traumatized dog the necessary stability and security that he needs for a life in a foreign environment. Adoption should therefore never be done spontaneously out of compassion!
How can you recognize a serious animal welfare organization that mediates dogs from abroad and what should you look out for when adopting a dog??
A serious animal welfare organization gives honest information about the characteristics and behaviors of the dogs available for placement. It adheres to the legal regulations for animal transportation (Attention! Illegal dog trade is flourishing in Germany!). The mediation is not led exclusively over agony photos or emotionally touching stories. In the best case a selected foster home in Germany takes care of the imported animal in a first step. There you have the possibility to get to know the dog without obligation. You will be asked what previous knowledge you have, what you expect from your future roommate, how you imagine the care and education. A responsible acting animal welfare organization is also there for you after the takeover and supports you in case of possible difficulties.
How do you work with foreign dogs?, who have been inadequately shaped or who have had negative experiences with people?
In the many years of my work I have only rarely met dogs that actually had bad experiences with humans. Mostly there are other reasons for fearful or aggressive behavior. Here it is important to work out the causes of the behavior shown attentively and in relation to the situation, in order to be able to determine and convey the right training path. Special empathy is needed when dog owners have to learn to completely put aside their own needs for a long time and to focus their everyday life completely on the dog, because the four-legged friend, for example, takes to his heels at the very sight of his human, walks are not even remotely conceivable, visitors can no longer be received, etc.
An overview of all DOGS dog schools with the topic of animal welfare dogs and street dogs in their offer you can find here!