Wasi

I'm really sorry that you're going through this and have to make such a big decision. I (unknowlingly) adopted a very aggressive (fearful/anxious) dog a couple of years ago. The rescue told me she was perfect - good with cats, kids, you name it. Not even the slightest bit of truth to it. By day 3, she had already torn open my hand, my arm, and my leg. We're talking major blood, stitches, the whole nine yards. Everyone I know told me to give her back. She was my first dog, and I had no idea what to do about it. But I knew what would happen - she'd end up being beaten or put down. And despite the pain she put me through, she didn't deserve that. Being single, with no kids, I knew I was her only hope. I've hired behaviourists, tried different foods, different techniques, had blood work done, read everything I could get my hands on. And truth is, all she needed was for me to change my approach to her, and to respect her boundaries. I made a lot of mistakes, but I've done a lot of good too. Some things are too hard for her to deal with - so it's my job to protect her from those things (big crowds, kids). And I can tell you that sure, she still has moments and I still get nailed every now and then. But I've learned just as much from working with her then she has from me. It's been the most rewarding and educational experience I've had. If you're not equipped to learn how to deal with Ghost, I wish you luck in finding him a suitable home and owner that will work with him. I know it's not easy to give him up - just be very careful if you do. Preferrably you'll know who it is that takes him so that you know he won't be abused or put in a situation where he can hurt someone. Good luck.

I have to agree with you. For the most part, a scared/timid/shy dog is not necessarily a victim of abuse. Wasi, our rescued BC, is terribly reactive to a raised voice - but I guarantee you that dog has no "reason" for it other than it's just her. Though I will say that we rescued her - living in the bush in the middle of northern Ontario winter, yep, she wouldn't have lasted too long without a warm place to sleep. The first dog I adopted on my own has tons of issues. She's bitten me so many times that I lost count. I've had her assessed by many behaviorists and they all come back with the "she was abused" theme. And I do think she was smacked around by her original owners, because she's perfectly fine with people until a hand comes at her. Then she strikes. But I also think she wasn't properly socialized, and that she's the product of bad breeding (eskies are a favorite for pet store/puppy mills). Her time living as a stray in a big city probably didn't help. But I don't really care - I love her no matter what the reason of her insanity is. I can manage her just fine (I can read her body language and pre-empt most situations, plus she's only 23lbs, so pretty easy to handle), so it doesn't bother me anymore. I used to be dreadfully embarrassed and scared when she would "react". But not anymore - she's an amazing dog 99% of the time, so I can forgive her for her 1% failure rate. I don't know if there's a better feeling than that first moment you realize that a dog like this trusts you completely. It's worth all the scars in the world for me! My second adopted dog is Buddy, and he's amazing. He was around 5 yo when I got him and there isn't one thing wrong with him. I have no idea why he was in "rescue", but I'm glad he was so that I could enjoy him. He didn't know anything - didn't sit, no recall - but once I got working with him, he was perfect. So of my 3 rescues, only one has issues. But she's also a breed that is super-sensitive to any kind of harsh treatment, so even just a smack on the nose or a little squeeze combined with poor breeding could lead to aggression. So I wouldn't be surprised if she was, or wasn't abused - she just is who she is!

I would say that generally speaking, female dogs (of any breed) are bitchier than males. In my house, the female BC is totally chilled. The female American Eskimo though - she'd kill even her best friend if it entered her house. My male mutt doesn't react to much of anything, unless another dog actually gets ON him. But I think that's because it hurts (he's quite arthritic). Most people I've spoken to say that their females are far more possessive (of their humans, homes, rooms, toys, dogs, etc) which leads to the teeth show-down. Which is true in my home, for the one female.

Good luck with the switch - hopefully it goes smoothly! I know quite a few people who feed Merrick dry to their dogs, and they love it! Mine never showed a big enthusiasm for it, so I never went beyond the sample pack. Mine really love the Wellness Core, Orijen, and we'll soon be trying the Merrick Before Grain varieties (have all three flavors in sample size). I like them to be on grain free - my arthritic/hip dispaysic boy has gained tons of muscle in his back end since I've gone grain free and he's so much happier/faster/energetic since that's happend. He's like a little pup again! I'm also lucky that I don't need to do the "transition" thing with foods. I can hop back and forth, bag to bag, and never a bad reaction for the pups.

Oh wow, that must have nearly killed you! I'm so glad that Sport's ok! I know exactly how you felt - mine have tried to give me a stroke/heart attack so many times now that I can't believe I've survived them all! Let's see...Wasi has been hit by a 3/4 ton truck...and didn't even have a scratch to show for it. Cassie on the other hand is definitely part cat and is quickly working through her nine lives: - twice she has managed to find homemade fudge (at my mom's at Christmas time) and eat it while we're at mass. She handled it fine the first year. Large amounts of vomit the second. - while under my (ex)bf's supervision, she ate a very large quantity of rat poison at his family's farm. No side effects. Big vet bills. - after a jerk of a wheaton terrier attacked her at a dog park, she ran away. Gone. This dog is lightening fast. I went screaming, running after her, in snowpants and full winter gear. Somehow she managed to cross a 6-lane major road at rush hour. Witnesses told me they'd never seen anything like that before. I later found her hiding under my car. My Buddy was attacked by a pit bull in a park. He had puncture wounds in his neck. It was pretty bad - definitely the intent there was to kill, not just dominate.

My first dog, Cassie (the AED), was a street stray from Hamilton ON. She's still pretty nasty at times, but her good side has truly won me over! Buddy, the Samoyed/collie (best guess, anyways) mix is the happiest dog. So easy! Well, only since someone asked! Here are a couple of pics of my dogs too... Buddy: Cassie: Wasi: I have plenty of pics of her with her head hiding behind something, or of her running away, but it's so hard to get her to look at a camera!

Hi there! I know there are a lot of pet supplements on the market, but I just give my guy glucosamine and glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, the same stuff I would take. He gets a 300/200mg gluc/chon in the am, and 500mg of gluc in the pm with his meals. I've seen a HUGE improvement in his strength and mobility since he's been taking them. He's a Samoyed mix and has hip dysplasia and arthritis in his back end, and you'd swear he was a 2 year old pup again!

My first instinct when I look at him is sheltie/jrt... super cute though!

I live just outside of North Bay, on 47 acres of bush! My parents are about 1/4 mile down the road.

Good morning everyone! My name is Terri, and I'm the part-time mom to Wasi, an approximately 12 year old female BC. Technically Wasi is my parents' dog, but since I live next door and have two dogs of my own, I definitely see more of Wasi then they do! Wasi is the perfect dog, as long as the weather is nice! She has done some considerable damage to my folks' home trying to get out during T-storms (if she's home alone). Once out, she runs. I guess she's trying to escape? We're trying some anti-anxiety meds to try to at least prevent her from hurting herself (you should see what she did to the wire crate we tried). But other than that, she really is perfect. She was found on the side of the road (Wasi Road, hence the name) by my dad, half frozen in a snow bank, a little over 7 years ago. Since no one replied to the posters he put up, she stayed! We live out in the country in northern Ontario and Wasi spends most of her days starring at the ball, willing it to move! She's quite large for a BC (a pudgy 58lbs now, but normal normal is 53lbs), but she's all BC! I have two pups of my own - a 3 year old American Eskimo and a 6 year old Samoyed/collie mix. All three love each other and play very well together. Wasi comes on our walks with us every day (we go at least 3 times each day) and on our hikes through the snowmobile trails. Wasi has a great life - when she's bored of my mom, she just cuts through the bush and ends up at my place! Well, that's it! I just wanted to say "hi"! I've been snooping around for a few days and have really enjoyed reading about everyone's pups and all the crazy adventures! If I can figure out the picture posting, I'll try to post one! Though it's near impossible to get a photo of Wasi - she's terribly camera shy.