For a shelter dog, even a few hours out of the kennel can make a huge difference. It’s a chance to go for an adventure, take a car ride, and snuggle up on a couch to release some of the stress of being in the kennel environment.

Since 2020, Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) has been running an internal short-term foster program called Outings & Overnights (O&O). Created by Erin Kruckenberg, a member of DCHS’s Canine Behavior Team (CBT), this program’s benefits are twofold. It gives dogs a break from the shelter setting, which lowers their stress levels and allows their unique personalities to shine through. It also gives staff and current volunteers who already serve in another role the opportunity to take dogs out of the shelter from an hour to a few nights without the commitment of long-term fostering.

For some dogs, this means a hike in the woods; for others, a day at the park; for many, it’s just a sleepover in a cozy home with lots of love and comfort.

Since its launch, 300 dogs have enjoyed much-needed breaks from shelter life thanks to the program.

One of the dogs lucky enough to benefit from the O&O program was a large hound mix named Oliver.

Oliver was originally transferred to DCHS from Alabama on a lifesaving dog transport and was quickly adopted. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right fit since Oliver and the resident cat didn’t get along. Oliver, then about 8 months old, returned to the shelter where he quickly became a fan favorite, with his big ears, wiggly butt, and goofy personality. Oliver was made available for adoption again, but he wasn’t getting much interest from potential adopters. This, sadly, is all too common a challenge for big, adolescent dogs.

Luckily, Oliver was able to make the most of his shelter stay. Due to his dog-social nature, he became a cornerstone for CBT’s dog enrichment and evaluation activities, assisting with dog intros and attending play sessions with other pups. Oliver made many dog friends who came to DCHS and were soon adopted.

But he was still waiting to find a new home.

Despite all the enrichment and training, Oliver remained overlooked in the shelter, spending long nights alone in his kennel and anxiously looking for his new family during the day. This extended wait began to wear on him, and he started to exhibit behaviors many adopters consider undesirable, especially from large dogs like Oliver: he would jump on his human friends and mouth at their hands. Aptly named “jumpy/mouthy,” this kind of behavior is rarely related to dominance or aggression; it’s simply a normal dog response to excitement, energy, or stress — things Oliver was surely feeling.

Oliver needed some additional support from CBT and canine volunteers to manage this less-than-desirable behavior and improve his impulse control. He also would greatly benefit from some time out of the shelter setting.

His luck began to turn when a volunteer signed up to take Oliver on an O&O hike.

“Oliver (or OlivEARS if you will?) had a great time on his hike!” the volunteer shares. “Oliver was like a completely different dog once we left the shelter. Out on the trail, he walked VERY politely and gently; he only pulled when he saw a squirrel. A very good boy!”

That wasn’t the only great comment the volunteer had to share about Oliver.

“He looooves treats!” she adds. “He gave lots of kisses and enjoyed pets on the drive over to the trail. Such an affectionate buddy.

“On the trail, Oliver enjoyed sniffing, rolling, and getting lots of treats,” she continues. “He was very treat-motivated and responsive to my voice! He is also very good at sitting for treats.

“On the drive back to the shelter, he laid down and seemed relaxed in the car,” she writes. “He’s such a good, beautiful boy! Thank you for letting me take him out!”

We used her endearing summary of how enjoyable her hike with Oliver was and the many adorable pictures she took to make a poster illustrating Oliver’s best qualities and help promote him for adoption. While this led to Oliver meeting with more potential adopters, he still remained in the shelter.

Over the next few weeks, Oliver went on four more outings with other volunteers, including two more hikes and two overnight stays in homes. The overnights gave Oliver an extended break and a chance to snuggle up in bed with someone instead of lying alone in his kennel at night. The long hikes allowed Oliver to stretch his legs and burn some of his energy. The volunteers shared similar stories of Oliver and his fun-loving personality.

“Oliver loved romping through the snow and sniffing around in the snowy fields,” writes one volunteer. “My favorite part is when he’d burrow his nose into the snow, then do a happy little shake-off.”

“Oliver had a great time playing in the snow,” shares another. “He went absolutely bananas for snowballs, and he REALLY loved snuffling in the high grass/marshy areas right next to the water.”

“Oliver was very sweet and affectionate,” shares one of his overnight volunteers. “He loved to cuddle up on any soft surface he could find!”

On each of these outings, Oliver enjoyed meeting new people, visiting places with scenic views and lots of new scents, and snuggling in soft places with loving humans. He even once went viral on Reddit! With the information volunteers submitted after each O&O, we could add more photos and helpful information about Oliver’s true personality to his profile, showing prospective adopters who this special dog really was and how he would likely behave in their home.

Thanks to the O&O program and dedicated volunteers, we could promote Oliver’s true, out-of-shelter self.

Finally, it all paid off. After Oliver had been at DCHS for almost two months, someone came along to adopt the crooked-ear boy who our staff and volunteers dearly loved.

“I know he meant a lot to everyone there, given his lengthy stay,” his adopter says. “I wanted to let you know we had an A+ first night and I think he’s going to get along just fine.”
To highlight just how helpful they found all the additional information we received from his O&Os, his family shares, “It was so wonderful to meet everyone yesterday and to hear so many good things about Oliver!

“He slept right by me, all through the night,” Oliver’s adopter says. “He even woke me up with kisses and grumbles, before my alarm went off, letting me know it was time to go potty. He did his business after a long walk and now he’s resting while I go to work for a couple of hours.”

Oliver is now named Hemingway, and his family absolutely adores him. They sent us another update after a month to say, “It’s unfortunate that he had such a long stay in shelters and such a short stay in a home. However, selfishly, I am over the moon that he was waiting for me there.”

The O&O program gave Hemingway much-needed time outside of the shelter setting, taught us more about him, and ultimately granted him the happy new beginning he deserved. As O&Os continue to prove the huge positive impact they have on DCHS’s shelter dogs, we look to the future. We hope to grow this amazing program and continue to support more dogs just like Hemingway, for many, many years to come.

Taking dogs on O&Os is one of several unique perks of working for and volunteering at DCHS. If you want to be a part of making hope a reality, you can apply to become a volunteer today! Learn more at giveshelter.org/volunteer

Or you can join our incredible team of dedicated staff! Check out our openings at giveshelter.org/jobs 

Gwen Callahan is a Canine Behavior Assistant

Beyond O&Os, DCHS’s Canine Behavior Team can help the most dogs by helping staff and volunteer handlers improve their skills. This benefits each dog a handler works with in the future. Skill Building Classes teach canine behavior and new training techniques, which handlers can practice and share with others. Additionally, shelter dogs enjoy a break from their kennels, social time with people, and practice being around other dogs in a class setting. This benefits future adopters hoping to take training classes with their new pup! And our staff learn more about each dog as an individual.

• "Building up my dog behavior knowledge and how best to meet them where they’re at"
• "Learning different games that help the dog to pay attention to the handler and ways to help the dogs to calm down"
• "Leash handling and giving dogs a good time for an hour"
• "Having dedicated time with Canine Behavior and the dogs; asking questions and getting real-time guidance"