Posted: March 9, 2009, 5 a.m. EDT
Internationally-renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, star of the reality TV show “It’s Me or the Dog” on Animal Planet, has taken on a new project to help one behavior-challenged shelter dog find a permanent home.
Stilwell and the online pet adoption site Petfinder.com partnered to offer a free dog training advice session to one animal shelter or rescue group and a troublemaking dog. Petfinder.com picked the top five dogs from a pool of nearly 200 who were sent in for consideration by the site’s adoption group members.
The dogs have not been able to be adopted for a variety of reasons, including excitement nipping, chewing wood, excessive barking, excessive shyness, inappropriate mushing, and history of abuse. Stilwell will lend her expertise to the dog who gets the most votes on Petfinder.com from now through March 22.
The nominees are:
- Ollie the nippy Jack Russell Terrier.
- George the yappy Xoloitzcuintli.
- Trojan the mushing Greyhound.
- Liza Bean the shy pit bull.
- Charlize the hyper shepherd.
On March 25, the winning dog will be posted on the site. Soon after that, the adoption organization with the selected dog will get a phone consultation with Stilwell – and so will the individual or family who takes the dog home. The other four contenders will get copies of the Petfinder.com “Adopted Dog Bible.”
Kim Saunders, vice president of shelter outreach for Petfinder.com, said the goal of the initiative is to help pets get adopted. She added that Stilwell’s positive, reward-based training represents what Petfinder.com stands for.
The dog’s progress will be detailed on the site’s blog.