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I had a Muttley
Sat, 14 Oct 2006 07:08:04 -0700 rec.pets.dogs.behavior
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january98...
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It was around 45 years ago. I am now 90 years old and have had dogs
almost all of my llfe. Most of them were GSDs. A few mixes, some purebreds purchased from breeders, many, many, many rescues. I was not looking for a dog when I found Bouncer. I was a journalist and each week I visited the local pound to photograph an adoptable pet and to write hopefully helpful words for the others. There were numerous pens crowded with canines, but Bouncer was in solitary confinement. In my eyes he was magnificent. An old fashioned GSD, obviously from German working dog lines. Oversized. Straight back. " What a great dog!" I exclaimed as I started towards him with my camera ready. " No", said the attendant. " He's not a great dog. He's very aggressive. He fights any and all dogs. He is oblivious to humans. Untrainable. He'll be put down. Who would want him?" " I do!" I replied. They agreed to hold him for a few days. Each afternoon I visited and talked to Bouncer through the cage door. On the third day he approached and acknowledged me. I went to my car to obtain a leash and returned to the shelter, leaving the car door open. " I think we're ready," I told the attendant. I led Bouncer out into the yard and when we approached my car I asked him:" Do you want to go home with me?" He tugged on the leash. I dropped the leash. He leaped into the car. I already had two dogs and several cats. Bouncer went into his own private pen temporarily but in a few days was sharing the entire large fenced yard with a spayed female adult GSD and a younger male with no problem. I was into Schutzhund at that time, so asked one of the instructors to evaluate Bouncer, advising him of the unknown past and aggressive behavior in the pound. Bouncer was pronounced okay for basic obedience class, so we proceeded to enroll. His dog aggressiveness flourished, but I could control him. The instructor advised a prong collar and I followed that advice. Soon after that Bouncer was showing aggression in class and although I had him under control the instructor said: " Let me take him." She took the leash and proceeded to jerk him from side to side while yelling at him. After three or four hard jerks, Bouncer lunged at her and bit her, tearing a gash in the arm that held the leash. I immediately retrieved my dog while others attended to the wound. With Bouncer in the back seat of my car and the wounded instructor just ahead of him in the front seat I drove her to a doctor. There were no repercussiions, no lawsuits, no hard feelings. She took the blame. Euthenasia was never mentioned. Bouncer lived the remainder of his lengthy life in my back yard behind seven foot chain link fencing. He came in the house with me when I was home. During his life with me he killed a hapless cat who somehow foolishly scaled that fence and entered his yard. Bouncer loved me and I loved him. I remember him so well after all these years . And yes, I now have a dog. An oversize, straight backed Rescue GSD whose life expectancy is similar to mine. pfoley...
diddy...
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