K9 Advisors

 Hi. My name is Toosa.  Darla, the Director of a shelter that Palena has worked with in the past, contacted her and told her that she had a boy that she needed help with, that would be me! She said I was beautiful, and yes I am, but that I had issues.  alena said yes. Well the transport was long and I was irritable when I got there. I growled and asserted myself from the first second, but it did not faze either Palena or Holley, the transporter. Instead the next thing I knew I had a leash on my neck and was walking through a yard with lots of dogs and was in my own kennel. All before I could let them know how tough I as. Well at that moment I did not feel so tough just kind of confused. All the dogs in the yard were all running around Palena and she was kissing them and loving on them and they were talking to her. I surely did not understand that at all. Well the  next day Palena came into my yard and as you can see above I let her love on me and did everything she asked me to. But  then she left my yard and went to the other dogs. When she came back I decided to show her that I was the boss and lunged at her – I could have hurt her but I only gave her a few bruises, I just wanted to make a point. But like the day before I did not make it. She told me that was unacceptable there and that she would not have it and then of all things she turned her back on me and began to walk to the gate. I felt silly. She had shown me nothing but kindness and I only wanted to show her I was the boss, that is what I had been taught, and I had hurt her, not her body but her heart. Those were the last words she spoke to me for two days. I tried my best to get her attention, I would whine and give her my biggest smile and jump around and act silly. Each day she said not today Toosa here is your food but today I will not play with you, you think about things and then we will talk. Well I have been thinking and I asked her if I could help her with her newsletter and write a bit about dogs like me. I am now out of the holding pen and now in my own yard. Palena works with me daily and I am learning to trust her but still my old habits come back and she will tell me that my behavior is unacceptable.  She is patient with me and I know she loves me. I am learning to love and trust. So how does one work with dogs like me so we are not killed at the shelters? I am going to try and tell you from my point of view.  Palena is not intimidated by me or any other dog  here that is so called “aggressive”. That is the most important thing. If you are planning to work with a dog that has issues and you get to the gate of their kennel or yard and have doubts, please turn away from the gate and do not go in where the dog is. Trust me; we know how you are feeling. If we know we can get the upper hand we will. That is why Palena was so confusing to me; I was used to people being afraid of me as I am very large and she simply turned her back on me after I had jumped on her and grabbed her arm and chest. She did not scream or act afraid she simply pushed me off told me my behavior was unacceptable and turned her back to walk away. It threw me off guard and I did not know what to do. It was the first step to a new life for me. The very first lesson in shedding my old ways I had learned from abuse and the wrong people owning me.  The second was ignoring me, yes she took care of all my needs, she fed me and watered me even brought me treats but at the end of two days I was the one begging her to please come and touch me and love me like she was the other dogs. And when she did I was so happy. YES, please understand I have growled again, even thought about trying to get my own way, as that was how I was taught as I grew up. Slowly I am learning that it is not necessary to take control of everything. But these first two steps are so important in working with dogs like me. You have to be confident, not mean, not trying to control through fear – but simple understanding and love and being the pack leader.  Dogs like me do not need to be yelled at, screamed at, harshly handled on a lease etc. We just need to refocus the control we have always felt we had to have to the one handling us. Remember to your dog there is a good reason for the aggressive or controlling behavior. He/she will not know their behavior is unacceptable until you show them.  For the next three months I am allowed to do a series on dogs like me. This one we will identify the types of control behaviors.