Cortez Rescue & Outreach

Playgroup was introduced at Cortez Rescue and Outreach several years ago... and our we can definitely say that our dogs have benefited greatly from it ever since. Cortez Playgroup is modeled after the Dogs Playing For Life Program. A proven program that takes into account the consideration of the whole dog – physically, emotionally and behaviorally.

In addition to exercise and social interactions... Cortez Playgroup provides opportunities for enrichment, assessment, training, and behavior modification. The benefits of daily playgroup include:

More Accurate Assessments... Cortez Playgroup helps our rescue determine social skills more accurately for each dog.

Not Every Dog Is A Candidate... for Cortez Playgroup. Evaluating dogs for inclusion in Cortez Playgroup and observing them interacting with one another provides us a better, faster understanding of the dogs in our care.

We Learn... that a dog’s behavior on-leash or in their kennel is not an accurate indicator of a dog’s social skills. A dog that may be labeled aggressive because of kennel behavior but may exhibit healthy social skills in playgroup.

Increased Freedom And Reduced Stress. Cortez Playgroup supports our dogs physical and mental health... During Cortez Playgroup, dogs burn off physical energy and due to intensive social interactions, they burn mental energy as well. This type of interaction feeds their senses and supports their overall health. 

Spending Time Off-leash and out of their kennels reduces stress and allows Cortez Playgroup dogs to relax both inside and outside of the runs.

Playgroup Makes The Most Of Every Moment To Help Maximize Everyone's Time At Our Rescue Facility... By gathering our eligible dogs together in supervised play groups, our Cortez Playgroup team is able to make the most of their time, which directly benefits our rescue dogs. This also allows for empty kennels to be cleaned more efficiently making our staff's jobs easier and more efficient. Once our dogs are returned to their kennels, they have had ample time to exercise and relieve themselves, which translates into fewer cleanups for our staff. Again, maximizing everyone's time.

Playgroup Works At Cortez Rescue and Outreach, And We Appreciate Every One Of Our Playgroup Volunteers.

At Cortez Rescue and Outreach, We Work Hard Implementing, Training, And Utilizing Professional, Proven Dog Handling, Skill Development And Behavior Modification Techniques...  Cortez Rescue and Outreach has been very fortunate to have had two Professional Dog Behaviorists work directly with our dogs and train our volunteers and staff. 

Prior to this training, most of our volunteers were simply dog lovers and enthusiasts with big hearts, doing the best they could to improve the well being and lives of the dogs in our care.  Of course, all of this is still true but our Cortez Rescue and Outreach volunteers and staff have also learned skills and techniques that elevate our dogs to an even greater level of wellness and success through Cortez Playgroup, Behavior Modification and Leash Skill Development.   

Dog training starts with people training... Our Cortez Rescue and Outreach volunteers and staff go through hours of Dog Handling, Canine Behavior Awareness, and Leash Skill Development training. 

Consistency Is Of Utmost Importance... When teaching new behaviors to our dogs, our volunteers consistently utilize the same proven training techniques.  This program of training really pays off with outstanding results. We are often able to reverse undesirable dog behavior and develop Leash and Command Discipline in a short time. 

Cortez Rescue and Outreach works with local area organizations to offer free spay and neutering services at your local Los Barriles veterinarian. Contact us if you’d like to participate in this service.