Rescue Dogs

Trying To Rescue

Taking in an abused dog isn’t an easy task. First, be prepared for the dog to have issues. The dog we took in our home (Ernie) is 12. Such a long time to be abused. So, for us to take him in and expect him to have no issues would be an abnormality. He bonded with me; we have another older dog who has a dislike for other dogs. A Jack Russell whose name is Sally. She will soon be 17. She is my husband Gary’s dog. He has had her since she was a pup before I knew Gary, she was by his side. 

When we took in Ernie Gary did not bond with him because of Sally. She didn’t like other dogs so it was quite intense the first week Ernie was here. We kept them separated because Ernie was unhealthy at the time and needed surgery. We didn’t want Sally attacking him or hurting him in any way. So Ernie bonding with me was a forgone conclusion. I was the one who took care of his needs. Fed him, walked him, and kept him away from Sally.

We have had Ernie for three months now. He and Sally have become friends. As close as Sally will allow it. She still has her moments where she will attack him. One thing we did purchase for him is the bed he is laying on in the above photo. He loves it and we believe he thinks this is his safe place. He also loves the blanket he is on top of in this photo. this was a great buy for him because now he is not constantly lying beside me, which is a good thing. Separation sometimes is a good thing. Whatever works we use.

Trial and Error

But Ernie and my husband Gary are a whole other story. If Gary approaches and sits down by us on the loveseat Ernie will growl (not every time but most.) In the morning after I take Ernie out for his potty break, he will run back in the house and jump on the bed with Gary. He wants him to pet him. An entirely different dog. So, I figure I am the trigger with Ernie, he is super protective of me. But for him to growl at Gary is unacceptable in my world. I do not like it and it needs to change. It makes Gary feel bad and causes tension in our house. 

Right now, it’s almost eleven at night and I cannot sleep because we tried again with Gary sitting by us. Epic fail for Ernie. Gary held him while he growled and thrashed around until he calmed down. We are thinking if we repeat this enough times Ernie will eventually stop and accept Gary sitting by us. It’s all trial and error since this is the first time we took in an abused dog. In retrospect we are sure this is the correct step to take with Ernie, especially after reading more of the training. My husband needs to sit by us and bring treats with him so Ernie associates my husband sitting by us as a positive thing. Repetition is key.

SpiritDog Training

I follow a program called SpiritDog Training They have a sniffing training I really like. Will this work for Ernie? Who knows, he is a calmer dog on walks. When I first started walking him, he would lunge at most vehicles and people. He loves other dogs but people and vehicles he has trouble with. Now when I walk him after three months of walking him, he rarely lunges at vehicles. People are one of his triggers, so I try to keep our encounters to a minimum during training. Some people he does not react to, while others he does. He is a complicated dog. I will keep on with the training. Weather permitting, I have to do some of his training outside. The weather is working against me, so this has not happened.

A Calm Dog

What I would like is a dog who is calm and does not have reactivity. This is Ernie’s issue. I’m sure being abused for 12 years didn’t help him at all. I’m the first one who showed him kindness so naturally he responded to me. What I really cannot understand is why he is the way he is with my husband. If I am gone, he and Gary get along famously. I must be the problem. What I am unsure of is how to fix it. His behavior with Gary is like I said before unacceptable to me. It needs to be corrected. I wish we knew more about what happened to Ernie in his prior years. I know he has a distrust of men. His former owner was a man. Because he is 12, are we too late to save him? Is he too old to learn? I’m hoping the answer to that is no. Ernie is not good with strangers, especially men. He crosses a threshold and becomes unrecognizable; I’ve seen it on one of our walks. A guy I know in town approached us and Ernie went ballistic. As I learned in the training, he crossed his threshold, and no amount of discipline would have worked at that moment. I needed to remove him from the situation. Now until he becomes calmer people are one of his triggers, so I avoid them while walking whenever possible.

Manners Matter

He is horrible at our house also when someone he doesn’t know comes over. Bull rushing them and biting around their legs. (He has no teeth so he cannot hurt them) but he can sound ferocious when he wants to. For now, when company comes, he will be placed in another room. For his safety and everyone else’s. Until the weather improves and I can start training him outside.

We will Keep Trying

Will this training work? I’m not sure but I know I’ll try and try again. He has shown improvement in some areas, but he still has so many issues to be worked out. We have a long journey ahead of us with Ernie. It isn’t easy and at times it is stressful. His home is with us now, so we need to figure it out. It would help out if Gary was on the same page as I am. He has said,” he is an old dog, just let him live out his life.” That doesn’t work for me. He isn’t balanced when he reacts like he does. It isn’t good for me, Gary, or Ernie. Furthermore, it causes arguments between Gary and me. Who knew a little 13-pound dog could cause such an upheaval in our lives. We will get through it and arrive on the other side. How do I know this? Because there is no other option. I, after all, am a Taurus, very bullheaded.

Dogs you've got to love them.

‍