Buddy Gets A Second Chance –by Laura Miller
the freezing cold and drifting snow. Fortunately, NYC Animal Control Center was able to take custody of the Rottweiler, named Buddy, and transport him to the city shelter. Not wanting the dog to be confined to a cage, the shelter contacted MCM Rottweiler Rescue, Inc. to see if they could find a foster for him. That’s when I became involved. Although I had never fostered a Rottweiler before, I agreed to welcome him into my home. What I didn’t know was
O
that Buddy would be so aggres- sive, that he attacked the volun- teers who brought him to my home as they coaxed him out of the car. As soon as they gave him to me, I decided to take him and my other dog, a Beagle named Bear, for a walk. I reasoned being part of a pack might calm the Rottweiler’s spirits. After a 30-minute walk through the park, Buddy had calmed down enough for me to lead him home. On the way home, how- ever, he stepped on a wooden plank that had been discarded on the sidewalk, and for some reason, it startled him. He backed out of his collar and took off down the sidewalk. A mother and daughter who were in the area offered to watch Bear as I tried to wrangle Buddy, but, I was not successful. I retrieved Bear and continued following Buddy, distraught and worried, wondering if I should call Animal Control to help me. Just as we were approaching a busy intersection, it occurred
to me that even though Buddy had only been part of my pack for 30 minutes, it may have been enough time for him to fol- low me in a different direction. I scanned the street and set my sights on an apartment that was below street level. Bear and I started walking down the stairs. Luckily, Buddy glanced back, saw where we were going, and started following us. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I recognized that this may be my only chance to put the collar and leash back on Buddy. The dog, however, did not cooperate. That’s when I found out that Buddy
62 THE NEW BARKER
NE DAY IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, a con- cerned citizen called NYC Animal Control Center to report that a neighbor’s Rottweiler was chained to a tree. The caller had seen him there frequently, despite
did not like to have people leaning over his head. He lunged and bit my arm. Luckily, I was wearing a heavy coat and gloves. When we finally got him home, I called the Rottweiler res-
cue group to tell them what had happened. They wanted to have the veterinarian put him down the next day. As a certified dog trainer, my thinking was let's try to rehabilitate him, so I requested a little more time to work with Buddy. Our first week of rehab
was challenging to say the least. Buddy tried asserting his domi- nance in many ways. When I asked him to get off the couch, (which he had climbed up on without permission), he wouldn’t budge. Normally, I would loop a leash around the dog’s neck and tug him down gently. Since Buddy didn’t like anyone near his head, I instead grabbed a corner of the couch cushion and pulled it down to the floor, causing him to lose his balance and land on the ground. Although confused at first, he learned that I wouldn’t back down. Thus began the teaching of leadership fundamentals to help establish ranking in the house.
It took about a month for
Buddy to realize that I was a benevolent leader and he started to relax in his new role. Once he became comfortable in his new environment and routine, it was
time to concentrate on training. He quickly picked up on basic dog obedience exercises like “sit,” “stay,” “down,” “come,” and loose-leash walking. Once that was accomplished, techniques were integrated to reduce aggression, distrust, and separation anxiety into our behavioral training. I always use positive rein- forcement such as praise and rewards, or teaching an alternate behavior, keeping the sessions short and fun. In addition, I worked on creating a bond with Buddy by regularly taking him for long walks in the park, allowing him to sleep next to my bed in his own dog bed, and occasionally going to a remote trail for an off-leash hike. After about six months of consistent training and exposure
to trust, rules, and love, Buddy evolved into a completely differ- ent dog. However, I noticed he would start barking, snarling, and lunging whenever he saw certain men.
www.TheNewBarker.com
A Bronx Tail.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
