The Unadoptable: Behaviour Work With High-Risk Dogs
A five-day intensive programme delivered inside real rescue environments
This programme is built for professionals working with dogs whose behaviour places them at real risk — dogs where safety, predictability, emotional wellbeing, and ethical responsibility must be addressed with clarity rather than optimism.
The Unadoptable focuses on realistic behavioural intervention, not idealised outcomes. Participants work inside operational rescue settings, alongside dogs currently in the system, learning how to assess behaviour accurately, manage risk responsibly, and make defensible decisions about modification, rehoming, or welfare outcomes.
The programme is designed to integrate with normal kennel and adoption routines and is delivered in public-facing adoption environments where dogs are routinely handled by staff and volunteers. All work is grounded in real-world constraints, not controlled classroom scenarios.
What the programme covers
Across five days, participants will learn how to:
Conduct structured behavioural assessments using observable data rather than interpretation alone
Identify triggers, emotional drivers, stress accumulation, and behavioural patterns
Distinguish symptoms from underlying causes
Design practical management and behaviour modification plans appropriate to the dog’s risk level
Use metrics and repeatable criteria to track change over time
Reduce reliance on high-skill handling by embedding learning into daily care routines
Make informed, ethical decisions around rehoming suitability, long-term management, or euthanasia
Programme structure
Day 1 – Behavioural Assessment & Pairing
Dogs are assessed in front of the group and allocated to practitioner pairs. History, risk factors, behavioural presentation, and possible assessment metrics are identified and discussed.
Day 2 – Trigger Control & Risk Management
Participants explore management strategies, safeguarding considerations, environmental set-ups, and failure points. Green-level and low-risk set-ups are practised.
Day 3 – Behaviour Modification
Clean set-ups, synthetic repetitions, reinforcement windows, and criteria-setting are used to create measurable emotional and cognitive change.
Day 4 – Learning in Life
Participants design ways to generalise learning into everyday kennel routines, reduce management dependency, and support dogs being handled by lower-skill staff or volunteers.
Day 5 – Future Proofing & Ethics
Progress is reviewed. Rehoming criteria, adopter education, troubleshooting, and ethical decision-making — including open discussion of euthanasia criteria — are addressed directly and professionally.
Practical details
Audience: Mixed rescue staff and professional trainers
Location: Manchester Dog Home
Typical hours: 10:00–16:00 (flexible around operational needs)
Cost: £990 (non-members) | £800 (Academy members)
This programme is for professionals who want to do the work properly, with dogs whose outcomes depend on informed, accountable decisions.