THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050270
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Long : 112 lines
Take 10 children. Add five animal-shelter dogs. Mix well.
With any luck, you'll wind up with kids who are more empathetic to others and who eschew violence now and will later when they're adults and parents.
That's the idea behind a new children's program co-sponsored by the city's chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Police Athletic League. It's a dog-obedience class called Pets & Pals, which winds up its first eight-session run this week.
In the class, children ages 8 to 11 from the Chimney Hill area have learned lifelong lessons: to be firm without hitting, to praise the good more than punish the bad, to care about other living things - even when the other living things seem to always want to run into the bushes.
``No pull! No pull!'' yelled 9-year-old Joshua Williams Thursday evening outside the SPCA's shelter on Holland Road.
Joshua, bangs in his eyes and T-shirt hanging to his knees beneath an unbuttoned baseball jacket, tried vainly to plant his feet. Both hands held tight to a leash attached to Buster. The chocolate Labrador retriever mix was excited to be outside in the cold air, and threatened to drag the slight boy down the street.
It was the ``break'' at the beginning of the class, when the young handlers - two children take turns with each dog - allow the animals to wander around on their leashes and get used to being out of their cages.
Nine-year-old Amber O'Rork giggled as she tried to restrain an exuberant black-Lab mix. ``Let your doggie do what he wants to, Amber,'' George E. Ball called to her.
Ball, a retired city policeman who trained police dogs and handlers, sported a tight gray crewcut beneath his ball cap. He volunteered with others to help teach the class. Surrounded by children and dogs pulling in different directions, he was part Marine drill sergeant and part kindly uncle.
``Let him go - he wants to smell,'' he called to one child, then turned around and yelled: ``Don't let him go in the street, Josh! Say: `No! Come!' ''
``No! Come!'' Josh repeated earnestly, giving short yanks on his leash - ``pops,'' as Ball called them - and struggling to keep Buster on the grass.
The chaotic scene slowly turned orderly. One by one, the children commanded, cajoled and corralled their dogs into a line, all sitting at the left side of their masters.
Developing that control was the fun part for Fredrick Culp, also 9. He noted the joy of having the dogs ``stay,'' or ``come to us.''
Organizers hoped the class would be a win-win situation.
The SPCA will come away with five better-trained dogs, which should make them more attractive for adoption. In fact, three of the five dogs in the class already have new homes waiting when they finish their training Thursday.
The other benefit will be harder to measure, at least right away.
Research has shown that caring for animals usually improves people's self-esteem, and causes them to better treat themselves and other living things, according to the SPCA. Research also has shown that abusing animals often is a precursor to other anti-social behavior. Many serial killers abused animals as youths, animal and child advocates note.
The number of troubled children in America has increased along with the rates of divorce, unwed births and drug abuse, and as more families find themselves struggling economically. Humane societies were among the first children's advocates a century ago. That history has been in SPCA officials' minds this year as they've been looking for ways to intervene in the lives of at-risk children and reduce violence, said Sharon Q. Adams, SPCA executive director.
``As part of the community . . . we want to do something,'' Adams said. ``A year ago, we sat down and said: `What should we be doing? It's crappy out there.' ''
SPCA workers read reports and attended workshops. That's how they learned about children's dog-training programs in Toledo, Ohio, and on New York's Long Island. They decided to try something similar here, rounded up some volunteers and gave it a shot.
``I think we bought five collars and a little paper, and that's about what our investment has been,'' Adams said, laughing.
The children were chosen through the PAL program. None are problems themselves, Adams emphasized, but they live in a tough neighborhood. Some have just one parent at home. Several also have dogs at home.
``All these kids are good kids,'' said Officer C. Steve Moog, the PAL leader who pulled them together. ``This is working great. I've seen a big change in the kids. A lot of self-confidence. A lot of positive things are happening here, that they take back. Their behavior's better.''
Tone of voice. Short ``pops'' on the leashes, their ``telephone lines'' to communicate with the dogs. Praise. Ball reminded the children of the things they had learned.
At least one learned something else.
``We should treat people nice, because you should treat people the way you want to be treated,'' Amber said. ``Because, if you want friends, you should treat people nice.''
Studies after the Toledo program revealed changes in its children, Adams said.
``Their first instinct was not to use physical stuff to make things happen,'' Adams said. ``I think that's where we're going with this.''
She plans more classes. ``If you do enough stuff,'' she said, ``something will work.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
GARY C. KNAPP
Learing lifelong lessons
Joshua Williams, 9, works with Buster, a chocolate Lab, outside the
Virginia Beach SPCA shelter on Holland Road. George E. Ball, left, a
retired police officer and police dog trainer, helps teach the
class.
Joshua Williams retrieves Buster from the shelter. The program aims
to teah children to be empathetic to others and to learn to eschew
violence.
by CNB