Gulahund™ Yellowdog Cares About Sensitive Dogs

The Story Behind The Program

With a yellow ribbon or bandana on the dogs’ leash or on the dog, you can now signal from a distance, that your dog need more space or time to get out of your way. It’s cheap and easy for anyone to use, because you can even make your own if you want too. Spread the knowledge in your own community.

My name is Eva Oliversson and is the originator and founder of the Swedish International Gulahund™ Yellowdog program, which was launched in June 27 2012. I’m also a certified International Dog behaviorist and Dog trainer.

In Spring 2012, a friend of mine and a Dog behaviorist in Norway, Mimmi Engh, wrote that she had read about the use of a yellow ribbon on dogs, and we found out that some Dog clubs in Australia had been using it at their dog courses for some years, with the meaning to make their courses easier for sensitive dogs.

I just loved this idea and couldn’t let it out of my mind. For so many years had I been longing to find a smart solution for sensitive dogs around/among people and animals in the society.  I kept imagining the potential. Because, if you can create the feeling of safe distance for a sensitive dog, that dog will get the ability to learn how to cope in different surroundings much faster. If it’s able to succeed with your help giving extra space and feels good and secure at least 8 times of 10, the training will progress. But if for example, the reason is about sickness, injures or an old dog, it may need this help for a lifetime and one has to respect that too. A bitch may also be in season. Note that, all dogs should socialize with other dogs sometimes to create a sense of safety and familiarity, but it’s the dog owners’ responsibility to choose which playmates are best for their dogs.

I invested in a couple of yellow bandanas and invited a group of dog people to run the program’s campaign together with me, and a few weeks later it was launched on the internet, with the goal to reach all dogs ”World Wide”. One of the Dog clubs in Australia who uses yellow ribbons in their courses was also contacted and told about the program, and their immediate response was that they would spread the program in their own town, Tamworth, too.

The purpose of the program, by using a yellow ribbon or bandana on the leash or on the dog

• Give dog owners the possibility to take extra care of their dogs that are sensitive in any way.
• Prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.
• Give both dogs and their owners more space or time to move away from people and animals.
• Create the possibility to slowly train a dog and by that make better training progress.
• Make life easier for those dogs that for a shorter or a longer period in their lives, need more space from people and animals. Some dogs maybe for the rest of their lives, depending on the issue.
• There are LOTS of reasons why some dogs need some more space! They may be ill, hurt or may be just old. They may have a new family or bad life experiences and need a greater distance to slowly train to cope with their new surroundings. A bitch may be in season. Another dog may be having “everyday training”.

The program is called Gulahund™ Yellowdog program since it is international, and I’m running it with my wonderful team of International Ambassadors. Make sure to visit their pages and give them your support.

Thank you all for supporting all sensitive dogs and special thanks to all of YOU, whom respects the yellow ribbon and yellow bandana. In these dogs’ eyes you will always be a Hero when you offer them this extra Space or give them time to move out of your way!

All the best!

Eva,
Originator and founder of the Gulahund™ Yellowdog Program