FINDING BREEZE
She was a stray who was saved from a kill shelter by Lone Star Boxer in Houston. Lone Star Boxer rescued her because she was people friendly, she was gentle when taking a treat from someone’s hand, she loved children, she was not food aggressive, oh, and did I mention she was breathtakingly beautiful? But she was hiding secrets. The baggage she was bringing with her was a red zone or level 10 in dog-aggression. That's as bad as it gets.
This sweet little baby doll could go from 1 to 10 at the flip of a switch. She would just be standing there angelically, until a dog came around the corner, then she would turn into a Tasmanian devil. If her handler wasn't prepared, she had the strength to drag them behind her like a kite, or break free altogether. If free, she fought to kill the other dog.There was no give up in her.
Lone Star Boxer named the stray Trudy. Once the dog-aggression became obvious, letting Trudy run with the other dogs in the play area was out of the question. She had to be walked around the neighborhood on a leash. The women working there weren't strong enough to control a young, energetic Boxer, especially outside a fenced area. The chore of walking Trudy was dumped on the shoulders of a man named Dallas. He also had the task of trying to force her back into her crate once it was time to 'put her up'. Trudy stubbornly set-back with all four legs as stiff as a board. Dallas was the only person who had the strength and stamina to handle her. She fought like the bully she was, and she got her way on everything.
Her prospect of being quickly adopted was dashed. This dog was not going to fit into an average household. Even seasoned Boxer owners would shy away from a beauty who behaved so ugly. Red level dog-aggression made her chances of finding a home next to impossible. Then she tested positive for heartworms. Now her chances of going into a home were below zero. The last thing any rescue wants is an unadoptable dog. Because of their no kill policy, it was looking like Trudy would be an unruly permanent resident of Lone Star Boxer for the rest of her life.
Lone Star Boxer's facility was tucked behind a house at what seemed to be in or at the edge of a subdivision. It looked like a back yard had been turned into a very small kennel. They had two play areas, but this dog was not able to go into a group setting with other dogs. She had to stay crated until Dallas could find the time to be drug along by her on neighborhood sidewalks. I'm sure he dreaded those walks and feared meeting another person walking their dog along the same path. I'm positive the neighbors hated to see Trudy and Dallas!
This sweet little baby doll could go from 1 to 10 at the flip of a switch. She would just be standing there angelically, until a dog came around the corner, then she would turn into a Tasmanian devil. If her handler wasn't prepared, she had the strength to drag them behind her like a kite, or break free altogether. If free, she fought to kill the other dog.There was no give up in her.
Lone Star Boxer named the stray Trudy. Once the dog-aggression became obvious, letting Trudy run with the other dogs in the play area was out of the question. She had to be walked around the neighborhood on a leash. The women working there weren't strong enough to control a young, energetic Boxer, especially outside a fenced area. The chore of walking Trudy was dumped on the shoulders of a man named Dallas. He also had the task of trying to force her back into her crate once it was time to 'put her up'. Trudy stubbornly set-back with all four legs as stiff as a board. Dallas was the only person who had the strength and stamina to handle her. She fought like the bully she was, and she got her way on everything.
Her prospect of being quickly adopted was dashed. This dog was not going to fit into an average household. Even seasoned Boxer owners would shy away from a beauty who behaved so ugly. Red level dog-aggression made her chances of finding a home next to impossible. Then she tested positive for heartworms. Now her chances of going into a home were below zero. The last thing any rescue wants is an unadoptable dog. Because of their no kill policy, it was looking like Trudy would be an unruly permanent resident of Lone Star Boxer for the rest of her life.
Lone Star Boxer's facility was tucked behind a house at what seemed to be in or at the edge of a subdivision. It looked like a back yard had been turned into a very small kennel. They had two play areas, but this dog was not able to go into a group setting with other dogs. She had to stay crated until Dallas could find the time to be drug along by her on neighborhood sidewalks. I'm sure he dreaded those walks and feared meeting another person walking their dog along the same path. I'm positive the neighbors hated to see Trudy and Dallas!
I wanted Lone Star Boxer to hurry, hurry, hurry before someone else got the beautiful flashy fawn female I had my heart set on. I was afraid someone else would get her before I could complete all the steps.
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Seeing her picture on Lone Star Boxer’s website, I was drawn to her stunning beauty. I wanted to hurry and adopt her before someone else! When asking for directions so I could go adopt Trudy that day, I was informed it wasn't that simple. There was a 'process':
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When I was finally approved, I made the long drive to the shelter. A woman I'll call Susan had me wait in a chain linked exercise yard. She brought out the wrong dog. I told her I was there to see Trudy, the beautiful flashy fawn girl I had seen online. She said she thought I might like this dog and proceeded to turn it loose in the yard with me.
That bizarre behavior kept repeating. After such a lengthy wait for the application process, I didn't want to offend Susan and be sent away without the dog I came to adopt. Susan would put one dog away only to disappoint me by bringing out yet another unfamiliar dog.
She said she thought her choices might be 'more appropriate' for me. I remember thinking, "What's going on here? Why won't she let me see the dog I came to see? And how does Susan know what is 'more appropriate' for me?"
All of the dogs she brought out had been crated, so they had lots of pent up energy to burn. Dog after dog behaved the same. They ran laps around and around the play area, oblivious to me and the treat I was extending to them as they raced past me. I was squatted on the ground to make myself less threatening. I was on their level. That made me more approachable to sniff.
Not a single dog in Susan's parade paid any attention to me or to the treat I extended in my outstretched hand. They were thankful to be out of their crates for a chance to run, and run they did! I was as insignificant as the trees inside the yard. The dog's could care less about me, which kept me from connecting with any of them.
That bizarre behavior kept repeating. After such a lengthy wait for the application process, I didn't want to offend Susan and be sent away without the dog I came to adopt. Susan would put one dog away only to disappoint me by bringing out yet another unfamiliar dog.
She said she thought her choices might be 'more appropriate' for me. I remember thinking, "What's going on here? Why won't she let me see the dog I came to see? And how does Susan know what is 'more appropriate' for me?"
All of the dogs she brought out had been crated, so they had lots of pent up energy to burn. Dog after dog behaved the same. They ran laps around and around the play area, oblivious to me and the treat I was extending to them as they raced past me. I was squatted on the ground to make myself less threatening. I was on their level. That made me more approachable to sniff.
Not a single dog in Susan's parade paid any attention to me or to the treat I extended in my outstretched hand. They were thankful to be out of their crates for a chance to run, and run they did! I was as insignificant as the trees inside the yard. The dog's could care less about me, which kept me from connecting with any of them.
I kept asking about the dog I came to see. Eventually Susan ran out of prospects. She finally brought out the one I wanted. My heart pounded. I couldn't believe how lovely she was and how elegantly she gaited across the grassy area.
They called her Trudy. She, too, ran the perimeter of the play area. When I extended my hand to offer the treat, for the first time since arriving I got a reaction. She slowed to a walk then politely picked it up from my hand. She walked a few steps and dropped it, thinking I couldn't see her throwing my gift away. Then she ran joyfully all the way around the yard, stopping by me each time to take a second, third, and fourth treat from my hand, only to drop them one by one as before.
I wanted her. I was going to change her name to Breeze. I liked the way she acknowledged me in the play area by taking the treats, even if she dropped each one a distance away. Her interaction communicated she wanted to please me. I put a leash on her neck and started walking her back and forth to see if she knew anything. Nope. She acted as if she had never been on a leash.
Suddenly the hair on Trudy’s back bristled. She charged full force toward the fence where Susan had quietly approached with another dog. I had been set up. Susan knew Trudy was going to attack the other dog. I didn't. I was caught off guard and quickly realized I couldn't get Trudy's focus off the other dog. The fence prevented Trudy from hurting him. It was painfully obvious to me I was being jerked around by a level 10 dog-aggressive animal.
I'd never seen such a violent reaction from any dog before. I was afraid if I corrected Trudy as severely as she needed to be corrected, Susan would think I was being 'mean' and refuse to let me adopt her. It was my mistake.
Susan had seen enough. Convinced I was an inept leader, she handed her dog's leash to a volunteer with instructions to put him away. She had accomplished what she intended. I had flunked her test.
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Susan thought she had just shown me grounds for an annulment of my love affair with Trudy. But I was not daunted. Where Susan saw a negative trait in the dog, I saw a positive one. I saw courage. I just needed to flip Trudy's dog- aggression from dogs to 'bad people'. I knew Trudy was going to make an outstanding protection dog. I wanted that.
Susan coolly informed me I wasn't able to control Trudy. I did not qualify to adopt her. She gave instructions to Dallas to put the unruly dog back in her crate. Susan was finished making her point. I followed Susan back into the office, but not before telling her if I couldn't have Trudy, I didn't want any other dog she had. My mind was made up and so was Susan's. We were at a standoff. |
Susan talked about Trudy being dog aggressive and stated I wasn't able to control her. She said she didn't want me to take her and end up bringing her back. I was outnumbered by four people opposing me. I told them I felt very capable of rehabilitating the dog. I knew if I had her alone at home with me, I would first obedience train her. Once the obedience was handled, the rest would be easy, I predicted. No, I didn't have any experience with aggression, but I was confident I could become the dog's pack leader and it would respect me and follow my lead. Susan scoffed.
I talked until I was blue in the face. From Susan's body language, I might as well be talking to a wall.
Then an unexpected ally came to my defense, and when he spoke, Susan listened. Dallas began, "This lady says she can train Trudy, and she wants her. What have we got to lose? So what if she brings her back? No one else is going to be willing to take her. Pat and Jane always ask me to walk Trudy, and I have a hard time dealing with her myself. I say give this lady a chance."
Susan had listened and was thinking. She knew Trudy had heart worms and needed to be kept calm during the six weeks period following the dangerous treatment. Susan said she would agree to me fostering rather than adopting. I didn't understand the difference but felt I was at least making some progress. Susan started explaining what fostering meant. I'd have to agree to the following:
- Make multiple trips back and forth to their vet in Houston for first a spay then h/w treatments. I agreed.
- Keep her on leash or confined for six weeks while she went through dangerous heart worm treatment. I agreed.
- Sign a contract I'd take her to a trainer they trusted, who charged $700 for dog aggression training if I still wanted to adopt her.
I figured I had 12 weeks to see if I could change this dog since the spay and heartworm treatments took priority. She would have to be healed before the $700 trainer could work her. Yes, I would agree to those terms!
Susan saw dog-aggression as a fault, but I saw it as a flip-able attribute. It meant Breeze had the kind of courage it takes for a dog to stand up alone against an aggressive attacker coming after me. She was a perfect dog for protection training. This dog had courage and courage isn't something I or anyone else could teach. I hoped I could flip the dog-aggression from dogs to ‘bad people’. First she had to finish obedience training, both on and off leash. Then we would progress to attack work.
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