Back in 1995 was when I decided to start a dog training business.
I had worked as a K9 handler for seven years and then did a short stint as the lead trainer for a large facility in Connecticut.
When I started I had a problem. In fact it was a big problem.
This problem kept me up nights and turned my stomach into a fire breathing dragon that required wheelbarrow amounts of Tums and Rolaids to bring it under control.
The problem was…..
…..I had no customers.
Luckily I had extremely helpful parents. I also was lucky enough to land a job working as an animal control officer.
The job was a lot of laughs and the very first call I got was one I never forgot. A lady in the south end of the city got drunk and when she got home she decided to let her dog out. She lived in an apartment building and opened the door and started walking down the hallway to go outside with her dog.
She passed out before she made it outside.
Her large, not friendly Rotti was now patrolling the hallway not letting anyone in or out of the building. She was lying in the hallway and it was quite the scene by the time I got there.
Using my all my talents, skills and cat like reflexes I was able to get the dog on a control pole and brought him to the shelter.
Before I got him on the pole he had bitten a guy that lived in the building. I’ll never forget when she came to pick her dog up. She was mad and blamed everyone and everything for her dog’s behavior.
She said that it was not her dog’s fault that he bit the guy and went on and on.
I was thinking of this as I see more and more stories of dogs biting and the owners blaming the situation or the person instead of their dog.
Here’s the deal – having a dog is a HUGE responsibility and your number one job and goal is to make sure your dog is safe and friendly.
I was reading an article about some Beverly Hills wife TV show that had a pit bull that attacked her niece.
She blamed the niece. Um, no. If your dog has a history of biting, it is your responsibility to know where that dog is and what he is doing 100% of the time.
Anyway, I could go on and on but it is a little depressing to see so many bites and dogs killed every year. The main reason dogs die in this country is not parvo, rabies, distemper or any other horrible disease.
The main reason dogs die in this country is for being a dog. A dog without training will bite, jump, chew, bark, herd, hunt, guard and exhibit a whole boatload of other “problems” that will land them in a shelter and eventually euthanized.
END OF RANT.
If you need some help teaching your dog to stop doing certain behaviors you can check out The Good K9 Manners Program.
Peace,
Eric