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Saving Ollie - Part 4 in a series about a shelter dog with severe behavior problems

Jeff Silverman  |  Tue, 04/24/2007 - 09:01

Click to read Part 1
We know what sort of person Ollie will need to create a good home for him. He needs an experienced dog-owner committed both to safely managing his environment and to working on his behavior. We’re not, however, so sure what environment would be best for him.

 

Help, My Puppy Is Attacking Me!

Valerie Pollard  |  Mon, 04/23/2007 - 16:11

The woman on the other end of the telephone line was nearly in tears as she explained the terrible time she was having with her dog.  He was “attacking” her, she said, and wouldn’t let her put him outside.  She couldn’t get him out of the back seat of the car if she took him for a ride, her clothes were ripped and she had bite marks and bruises on her hands and arms.  He was also “attacking” her three –year- old daughter, and she was worried for her child’s safety.   Imagine my surprise when she then told me we were di

 

Those Who Play Together, Stay Together

Sue Pearson  |  Sun, 04/22/2007 - 19:38

My dog did not come with an owner’s manual and I suspect that yours didn’t either. It’s lamentable, since most of us would probably find it helpful to have instructions on how to operate a canine in four-paw drive. How do you make it go? Does it have more than one speed? Most important, how on earth do you make it stop?!

 

What Do YOU Want From Your Dog?

Cindy Bruckart  |  Sun, 04/22/2007 - 10:09

What Do YOU Want From Your Dog?

I have five dogs in my home. Not one of them knows what “heel” means. Not one of them does agility, fly-ball or competition obedience. They all sit on the couch, occasionally chase one of my four cats and dig huge holes in the yard.

So, are my dogs trained? Well, yes. They are trained to live with me in my house under my rules and to pay attention to me when in public.

 

Release the Hounds!

Cindy Bruckart  |  Wed, 04/18/2007 - 09:08

When I was growing up, I was very afraid of dogs. I wasn’t allowed to have pets, but I had lots of friends who had dogs and there were lots of dogs in my neighborhood. The dogs were never in the house. I remember being told that we couldn’t pet the dog because he would bite, and that was as common as being told we couldn’t have ice cream before dinner.

 

Dogs: The Pawsitive Force that Connects Us All

Nicole Wilde  |  Tue, 04/17/2007 - 14:20

I’m headed back to L.A. on a cross-country flight after presenting a seminar in New Jersey. It was great fun, and featured two other speakers as well, one of whom was Dog Star Daily’s own “International Roving Reporter,” Roger Abrantes. The audience was mostly made up of trainers, but also included shelter and rescue workers, petsitters, a few owners, and a veterinarian. We all had one thing in common—a love of dogs and a desire to help them.

 

Mommy is Sick

Cindy Bruckart  |  Mon, 04/16/2007 - 19:21

My dogs have been watching me closely for two days now. I think they’re waiting. They’re being patient and sweet and waiting. In the past forty eight hours, all five of my dogs have chosen to lie at my feet, or by the fire or on the loveseat where humans never sit. None of them have so much as hinted at a request to sit next to me on the couch.

 

Beach Dogdom I

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Mon, 04/16/2007 - 12:10

As I write this I am listening to the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean crash onto a rocky beach. Palm leaves are rustling in the Plumeria-scented air and occasionally monkeys swing by high in the thorny trees.

I am in lush and lovely Costa Rica, and while I am thoroughly enjoying the tropical climate, gorgeous flora and fauna, laidback atmosphere, and as much plantains, beans, rice, and guacamole as I can eat (heaven!) – I am still slightly unsettled.

I feel off-kilter and unmoored. Something is missing. I am dog-less.

 

Kids and Dogs: Parental Guidance Required

Sue Pearson  |  Sat, 04/14/2007 - 21:27

My first puppy was a memorable and life-shaping experience. Although my parents never admitted it, I suspect they finally caved in to my pleas for a puppy, when the neighbors down the street called to let them know I was spending an inordinate amount of time sitting next to their beagle, on top of his dog house. I thought he looked lonely and sad, too young to realize that beagles look this way most of the time. His name was Blaze, and I thought he was the most handsome dog I had ever seen.

 

Saving Ollie - Part 3 in a series about a shelter dog with severe beahvior problems

Jeff Silverman  |  Fri, 04/13/2007 - 09:30

Click to read Part 1
Ollie’s aggression posed a threat to the volunteers and staff at the Animal Adoption Foundation’s shelter facility. They accepted that risk in hopes of improving Ollie’s aggressive behavior, however, and the gamble paid off. Next they had to consider the risks of having a dog like Ollie in their adoption program.

Placing an aggressive dog involves risks to the adopting family, the general public, the dog, and the shelter. The dog might bite someone in his new family. He might bite a stranger. If his behavior declines and the adopters return him to the shelter, it may be harder to improve his behavior the second time. It can also hurt the shelter’s reputation, and (although I’ve never heard of a case) possibly even expose the organization to legal liability.

 

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