It can be heart-breaking for someone who, rather than getting a puppy, rescues a dog in need of a home, only to find out that there are hidden agendas that start to come to the surface after a week or two. They have their dreams of a dog companion and end up with a situation they hadn’t signed up for.
Not what they signed up for.
By this time it’s often too late because they have fallen in love with the dog. And anyway the dog probably may well not be possible to rehome if biting is involved. (Biting was probably the reason the previous owners didn’t come clean to the rescue centre).
So it is with Simon, an enchanting terrier mix who is cat obsessed and hates other dogs with a vengeance.
He has bitten his new lady owner when fired up over another dog on a walk.
A dog companion
What the lady, a first time dog owner, naively thought she was getting in Simon was a dog companion she could take camping with the family. A dog who would sit quietly with them in a pub garden and walk off lead.
Instead, she has a dog that is pulling, lunging and wanting to attack any dog and who can’t be taken out with them for fear of going ballistic if he spots another dog. She is even unable to go on holiday this year because she can’t leave Simon in kennels.
He was so distressed around other dogs during his short stay in rescue kennels that they had him in the office, so kennelling isn’t an option. Leaving him with a dog sitter is clearly out of the question.
He’s getting worse
The lady has already been with another trainer but in some respects Simon is getting worse. The methods don’t rest easy with her.
It seems that nobody has really looked at things from the dog’s point of view, behaving as the dog would expect a leader to behave rather than by using domination techniques. A good mum or dad can set boundaries and earn respect whilst still being kind, without being ‘dominant’ or over-controlling. So it is with a good dog.
There are so many good points about this dear little dog that far outweighing the bad. The lady is committed. With time and patience I hope they will bring him around.
This is one which didn’t end well. the lady couldn’t cope and Simon was returned to the rescue a couple of months later. Hopefully he was better matched next time.
