Post by annclaire on Jan 7, 2012 11:30:19 GMT -5
We have an elderly 'pound puppy' that was going to be put down, but when I showed up, the ACO showed him to me and asked if I would take him as he knew I could handle the damage the abuse had done to him ... otherwise, he had to be put down as he didn't know anyone else that could rehabilitate the poor thing.
That was 10 years ago ... poor baby, he was so terrified of everyone that he would roll on his back and pee everywhere ... especially around men. I worked with him for a good 2 months to get him past that and by the time he was a year old, strangers could reach out and pet him on his head without him flinching.
The only problem was that this dog was not as smart as the one we lost the year before. He tried, but just couldn't get some things ;D He is very loyal, however ... got loyalty oooozing out of every pore, so he was a keeper!
We never got him neutered as I didn't want to take away his confidence which is what he regained with us.
He also would not chase or retrieve even though he is a lab-mix ... we think pit, and he is deathly afraid of water ... webbed feet and all! So, since I couldn't play with him, we trained him as a guard dog. He got that one really fast and he takes his job seriously and does it well! One night several years ago, he barked all night ... and we get up to check when he barks and would find folks walking up the alley to the drug house on the other side of the block. Us neighbors couldn't get the cops to do anything about the drug house, even though we all had called and complained. Anyway, the next day, I tried to apologize to my neighbors, but they told me they like when he barks as they know there is someone out there and they get up to check their own property! Even though they had dogs of their own, theirs would bark at "anything" so they listened when mine barked ;D
He also saved me from a viscious attack by an Austrailian Cow Dog several years ago. The neighbors dog had got loose and was pestering my dog who had to live on a chain at the time as he wouldn't stay in the kennel. I went out, like I had the year before and got the lasso and was going to lasso the dog and take him home, but the teenage son of the owner, who was autistic, came looking for the dog. Well, the dog wouldn't obey the son. I was standing by the mandoor in the garage, facing the back of the house about 20' from the kid when I saw the dog change from looking at the kid to looking at me. I thought "Oh, crap, the back door is locked, the garage door is locked, and I am too fat to make a run to the front of the house!" So, I turned and ran inside the chain of my dog who tackled Rowdy and tried to drown him, but couldn't hold him down without his nose in the water, so he let go and as Rowdy tried to take off, Stone reached out and litterally latched on to his belly and ripped him open pretty good.
After that, the dog was willing to follow the son home!
And that is why on the freezing nights and during rainy times, my pound puppy gets to come in the house now ;D He has a dog house and I figured out how to keep him in the kennel, but he has EARNED the treat!
He is also very good at protecting me from that dastardly, viscious, ferocious squirrel that stalks me when I am gardening, too! ;D
That was 10 years ago ... poor baby, he was so terrified of everyone that he would roll on his back and pee everywhere ... especially around men. I worked with him for a good 2 months to get him past that and by the time he was a year old, strangers could reach out and pet him on his head without him flinching.
The only problem was that this dog was not as smart as the one we lost the year before. He tried, but just couldn't get some things ;D He is very loyal, however ... got loyalty oooozing out of every pore, so he was a keeper!
We never got him neutered as I didn't want to take away his confidence which is what he regained with us.
He also would not chase or retrieve even though he is a lab-mix ... we think pit, and he is deathly afraid of water ... webbed feet and all! So, since I couldn't play with him, we trained him as a guard dog. He got that one really fast and he takes his job seriously and does it well! One night several years ago, he barked all night ... and we get up to check when he barks and would find folks walking up the alley to the drug house on the other side of the block. Us neighbors couldn't get the cops to do anything about the drug house, even though we all had called and complained. Anyway, the next day, I tried to apologize to my neighbors, but they told me they like when he barks as they know there is someone out there and they get up to check their own property! Even though they had dogs of their own, theirs would bark at "anything" so they listened when mine barked ;D
He also saved me from a viscious attack by an Austrailian Cow Dog several years ago. The neighbors dog had got loose and was pestering my dog who had to live on a chain at the time as he wouldn't stay in the kennel. I went out, like I had the year before and got the lasso and was going to lasso the dog and take him home, but the teenage son of the owner, who was autistic, came looking for the dog. Well, the dog wouldn't obey the son. I was standing by the mandoor in the garage, facing the back of the house about 20' from the kid when I saw the dog change from looking at the kid to looking at me. I thought "Oh, crap, the back door is locked, the garage door is locked, and I am too fat to make a run to the front of the house!" So, I turned and ran inside the chain of my dog who tackled Rowdy and tried to drown him, but couldn't hold him down without his nose in the water, so he let go and as Rowdy tried to take off, Stone reached out and litterally latched on to his belly and ripped him open pretty good.
After that, the dog was willing to follow the son home!
And that is why on the freezing nights and during rainy times, my pound puppy gets to come in the house now ;D He has a dog house and I figured out how to keep him in the kennel, but he has EARNED the treat!
He is also very good at protecting me from that dastardly, viscious, ferocious squirrel that stalks me when I am gardening, too! ;D