Things that bug me

While on my laptop checking my email this morning it reminded me how much I hate it when people do not return emails. I'm not talking about the occassional "forget to reply," emails; I do that myself. I'm taking about the ones where people simply ignore you. They don't like what you have said or don't want to discuss something so they simply don't reply, honestly that irks me to no end.

Antoher thing that bothers me is dog related and it is a biggy in my eyes. Placing the wrong dog with the wrong human. I'm talking about rescues or shelters; it can happen with breeders but that's a different subject. Recently I heard about a dog that was obtained from a rescue group; it is in my opinion a very "special" dog needing to be placed with just the right person. This dog is part Border Collie, there lies a problem right off.

I am not dissing Border Collies but you need to know what you are infor if you are getting one. And sadly there are way too many pure and mix borders in the shelters. This particular dog is now in the hands of a very inexperienced young person; who is relying solely on a choke'm trainer for help. This dog has bitten at least 3 people in a very short time span. This dog should be returned and the people at the rescue reprimanded seriously for placing it with this particular guardian.

I used to volunteer at a shelter, one of the worst experiences of my life. Don't get me wrong; I think shelters are great but this one is not and was not. This particular shelter did no temperament testing at all; placing dangerous dogs with unsuspecting families. One such brainless situation could have been avoided but the shelter employees didn't listen to the lowly volunteers, me! I was doing my rounds, checking out who was to be walked on this particular day. I came across a very nice looking dalmation; looking being the key word here.

As I knelt down to greet the dog it stood at the back of the cage with a clear direct stare; then ever so slightly she showed me her pearly whites. As I turned my head to leave she then proceeded to display a mock charge. This was no nice dalmation, infact she was very dangerous. I went to the front to inform them of the impending doom and they said "really?" Needless to say they didn't listen and when I returned the following week I learned that the dog had bitten a pregnant volunteer on the top of her head as she sat beside this nice dalmation.

Another case that comes to mind is one that I was called out on, I was to assess the dog. Immediately upon meeting this dog I knew that it was a very dangerous one and that I needed to be very careful. After discussing the dog in length I told the new guardian to return the dog. And yet another dog I was called out to see was a huge mixed breed and I told this lady the samething, return the dog. This after seeing it growl at her very young toddler, wrong dog, wrong family. I'm sure this dog would be wonderful in the hands of an experienced hard dog person.

If people are going to take in and rehabilitate dogs they need to be very careful and very knowledgable. I understand how people want to help and save all the dogs but it can be a very dangerous situation in the hands of the inexperienced. As an experienced trainer specializing in behavior I know that 2nd hand dogs can hide their true self for months so you really need to know what you are looking for.

It is always best to wait for the perfect home to place a dog; each time a dog is rehomed due to placing it with the wrong person the dog becomes more unsettled. It is not fair for the dog or the people. I have had the great opportunity to meet some wonderful rescue people and shelter workers who are doing it all correct. They tell me the lengths that they take to ensure a placement is right; even if it takes a year or more.

The fact that there are so many unwanted dogs is sad indeed; and it is wonderful that there are so many people who want to help. But to ensure that dogs are placed in forever homes and not passed on and on it needs to be a very controlled process.