This is an email that I wrote to a client of mine- she was reading and editing my puppy article I needed to explain why puppy handling was so important in early puppyhood. I don’t want to forget this dog or lesson so I am posting it here. This dog could have had pain issues, it could have been something physical but more then likely it was not- he just never learned to tolerate body handling. Couple that with the stress of living in the shelter for a year made an unsafe dog. I have been severley criticized for not working with this dog. The question I have for those that wonder if BJ could have been rehabilitaed is- would you take this dog into your home?

From September of 2001

Last year the foundation rescued a Border Collie/Lab mix named, Black Jack.
We called the dog BJ. BJ had been in the shelter for 10 months of his 18
month life. He had extraordinary toy drive. On a scale of 1-10, he was a
10. Driven, focused on the toy 100% of the time regardless of the
environment he was placed in, I knew we had a likely search dog candidate.

The shelter had given me one warning, he had tried to bite when they gave
him his vaccines and a bath before he left. I asked a few questions but not
enough. Miki, who had tested BJ at the shelter brought the dog directly to
my house. We walked him around the front yard, offered him water and as I
reached for his collar-his mouth quickly grabbed my hand. It was a warning-
“don’t touch me”, there was no growl, just a quick slashing grab. He did
not bite- he could have. He did have some bite inhibition- I now had two red
flags and I was concerned with my decision to place BJ in a new volunteer’s
home.

I decided the dog was stressed (which he was) and questioned MIki a bit
more on the testing she had done with the dog. Had he shown ANY sign of
aggression? Was he protective of the toy she used? Did She ever try to
examine the dog? Her answer was “No” to all of my questions. We took the
dog to his new foster family, a young couple with an older Lab, a fenced
backyard and fairly good dog skills.

Our newest volunteers had trouble from the start, when they tried to crate
the dog he grabbed at them and slunk into a corner, now growling
menacingly. They called in a panic, I talked with them and got them through
the first night. They had to put the crate right outside the doggy door to
get BJ to bed without touching him.

What a nightmare this one rescued dog turned into- I was angry with myself,
with the inadequate testing I had done, with the placement and most of all
with the lack of handling this dog had been exposed to in puppyhood. It was
too late for BJ, the next night I went over and tried to help BJ learn to
go into a crate, using treats and praise we worked for a short while and
made good progress. I had leashed the dog, passed the lead through the
crate and out the holes on the side of the crate and gently got him walking
in and out. Confinement did not seem to be a problem. Next, I made a huge
mistake. As BJ was walking into the crate I pushed on his rear end, he
wheeled around and came at me- up the leash, with teeth gnashing at my
face. I slung the dog up and away from my body and avoided the bite. I was
lucky- the dog not so, as we killed him the next day.
We killed him- that is what happens to dogs that learn to bite
people.

It was all such a huge waste. BJ’s life ended because he could not be
touched. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. raises about 1,000 puppies in their
puppy raising program each year. None of their puppies end up euthanized for biting
at 18 months of age. The gap in knowledge between those that know how to
raise a safe, wonderful dog and those that don’t is startling. There is so
much knowledge available and yet it is not getting out to the people that
need it most- families. The sad fact is that your average dog owner is not
much wiser in the year 2001 than in 1970. That year my parents put our daschund,
Gretchen to sleep for biting our four year old neighbor.

If you are a trainer it is your job to teach people about handling baby puppies. If you are a puppy owner spend every day with your puppy touching and pulling and prodding that pup. Use postive techniques, treats and find out how to raise a safe, sane dog. Raise Lassie, not BJ- that is the goal.