A difficult "foster" returns ! !
Submitted by Elaine on 24 May 2008 - 9:17pm.
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Out of the blue I got a request to "baby sit" a Shih tsu I fostered last year. He is very cute as you can see from the picture but was a difficult foster because he came from a home where he was the responsibility of a 13 year old girl. He was taken to a shelter when he became very matted and out of control. He was very "snappy" and unsocialized when I got him. I just opened his kennel and left him alone for a few hours. When he quit grawling he came out of his kennel and began following me around. I had put the other animals in my home in another room due to his antisocial behavior. Long story made short - after many months of working with this dog he became a very sweet dog with only one really bad trait. He is very food aggressive. He found a home where he is loved very much and he has acted like a gentleman. I did have a very long discussion with the new family about his aggression with food or treats. Well, on the third day I had him back in my home I made the mistake of putting him in a very bad situation (I tried to move his food bowl before he was through with his dinner) and he bit me. He really meant to hurt me. While I should not have put him in the situation, he should NOT have reacted as he did. Now, when the family returns I will have to have an another serious talk with them and strongly recommend that they have an animal trainer work with him. He could really hurt someone. I would hate to have him returned to rescue because if he is a serious biter then he would have to be euthanized because you can't adopt out a known biter. So, he really is a sweet dog and I am very hopeful that a trainer can help them all work out this problem. And, yes, my hand is getting better.
Winston
Elaine: Sad to say that Winston had to be euthenized. After talking with the family when they returned from vacation I found that he had bit several people and that they were just keeping him in his crate most of the time. They did not tell me the truth when I would call and follow up on how he was doing so that took away any chance he had to be successful in his new home. Since the behavior was not corrected with the first biting incident he felt it was OK to bite when anything was happening that he did not like. Very sad because he was really a very sweet little guy. He loved me and I had to hold him while he was put to sleep. Sometimes rescue has a very sad outcome but could not keep him an could not adopt him out again.
My Peke has the peke
My Peke has the peke attitude..a growler, a biter at times....ever since he was a baby, its in his genes, but you can live with that..of course I disipline him with my words, never hands...I know how to handle him, I can even pick him up when he is trying to bite me..yes people you can do this..... he got me a few times..but its all a learning process, there are ways you handle a dog......he also doesnt like me to put the leash on him and will bite, but I am a master at putting it on him even when he tries to bite..ITS VERY EASY TO LEARN TRICKS AND HOW TO WHAT PLACES TO GRAB SO HE CANT REACH TO BITE YOU. I have never hit him ever..YOU NEVER teach a dog by hitting.
NEVER ever give up and put down a small dog that bites..learn to go around it..mine is 6 yrs old and as much as he is a growler and nipper and biter, he still is a lover too..there are precious moments that we share, not for very long but still I savor every second. And he loves all people and dogs..and even my bird.....he is just like this with me in the house, he wants to be the master, its in their genes, I have always had pekes..some sweet and some with attitudes. I know them inside out....When I take him outside he is great..he is a big baby if you ask me! and I love him so much attitude and all.
DONT GIVE UP, THEY ARE WORTH IT. If you need help, I can show you how to do all this! after 6 yrs I am a master at it :)
Problem biters
Elaine: Took a long time to answer you, sorry. When you do rescue work you can't have a dog that bites. They cannot be trusted to be adopted out and be safe. They either end up being abused or dumped in a shelter and killed when the staff recognises them as biters. You are exactly right that you can't ever teach a dog anything by hitting them except to fear you. Unfortunatuly the returned biting foster had to be euthenized as by the time I got him back he was completely out of control and could not be readopted. If there was only one dog to consider and work with it would be different but he was a danger to my other dogs and to me, even though he loved me he still was not to be trusted. Sad times sometimes in rescue.