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When Good Dogs Go Bad
by Joan B. Guertin

The frantic call came through on a Monday morning a few weeks ago. The story related by the man with the quavering voice was enough to break the heart of any dog lover. It seems that Shakespeare, a 10-11 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi was currently residing in “doggy jail” because he had “nipped” a child over the Fourth of July weekend. Since Shakespeare's home was at a resort in the Ozarks, the liability was going to be too high for them to keep the dog. He was calling to see if I could help them find a new home for Shakespeare. They felt their other option was to put the dog to sleep.

As a behavior consultant and trainer, calls like this come all to frequently. Most are of a simpler nature, however, and primarily necessitate giving some practical advice on house training; or separating the kids and the puppy to avoid jumping all over them; putting up a fence to keep the puppy or dog home so that he stops wandering. And, of course, the importance ofenrolling in an obedience class. Shakespeare's problem was not that readily addressed.

As with most of these types of calls, the initial conversation reveals only a fraction of the story. In Shakespeare's case, not only did he “nip” the child, but he had been consistently terrorizing the entire family since he was a pup. The man who called just sort of shrugged off the fact that the dog had broken skin on his arm on more than one occasion. Everyone just tippy-toed around him. After all, that was “just the way he was”.

My experience (after 41 years in the training game) is that no dog gets this way on his own. Of course, anyone who knows Pems, recognizes that herding breeds come by nipping naturally. We also know that it is a correctable behavior. And, knowledgeable Corgi people and trainers deal with the problem immediately when the pup is very young. But, Shakespeare, hadn't had much attention during those early, impressionable months and little, if any, training during his lifetime. I knew that I wanted to know more about the dog, but first I had to come up with a plan for when he was “sprung”.

Calls to Corgi rescue resulted in the information that no one wanted to take a dog his age without an evaluation of his temperament. The obvious need for an interim plan was developing. I agreed toboard the dog and evaluate his temperament once he was out of quarantine. That way we could determine if Shakespeare actually could go into the rescue network. In the meantime I began delving into Shakespeare's past. Since we live in Missouri, I suspected that he might come out of a puppy mill. The present owner came up with a card from a kennel where he had been purchased. A call determined that they were either out of business or had moved.

On the day that Shakespeare was to begin his stay with us, we were informed that his released had been delayed as he had bitten a vet tech at the hospital where he was being boarded and they were keeping him an extra week. Shakespeare's future was looking less and less hopeful. Rescuedidn't even look like an option now. However, waiting for his arrival gave me lots of time to think about his plight and to recall some other instances where good dogs have gone bad, or apparently good placements had not worked out.

The more of Shakespeare's story that I heard, the more I realized that this was a pup headed for disaster from the git-go. He was a gift to the man's elderly aunt as a pup. She was facing the imminent death of her husband, so young Shakespeare didn't have any structure in his life from the start. Once the new widow had time for him, he had already learned to fend for himself and to get his own way.

Why did he get away with the nipping? Because he could!Everyone laughed, shrugged off the fact that the pup didn't want to be touched, particularly if it was to direct him into something he didn't want to do. The explanation I got from the nephew, who had the dog for about 18 months now, was, “because it was just the way he was!”

Poor Shakespeare, here he was, facing a death sentence because the likelihood of finding a home were slim to none, all because people in his life had made poor choices for him all the way down the line.

The first mistake twas that he was purchased as a gift for someone who was in a time of life when she didn't need the added responsibility. She had no say in the dog that she was to get. Maybe there would have been a softer, less independent puppy that she would have chosen. But she was robbed of her ability to choose the pup. Also, with her husband dying, she had no time for the puppy. Timingwas not good for such an addition to the family. All the choices by others were made with the very best intentions, never-the-less, they were choices that should have been the Aunt's.

Responsible breeders will question prospective buyers about the home that the pup is to enter. The lifestyle of the family is important to the start that the pup will get in life. Most of the people I know in the breed, myself included, would never sell a puppy to some one who was purchasing it for someone else. It is important that the person getting the puppy have something to say about the selection.

I also learned that the seller in this case only offered the people the one pup and then met them “midway” between the kennel and their home…. the buyers never saw the parent(s), nor the place where the puppy came from. And, since this was in Missouri, there is still thatvery good chance that the dog came from a puppy mill. So, poor Shakespeare had several strikes against him right in the beginning.

Apparently the years that Shakespeare spent with his owner were OK as the man mentioned later that his aunt often referred to Shakespeare as her best buddy. However, upon her death, the dog was moved to the resort and unlimited freedom with no structure. Therefore he had no physical or emotional boundaries. Thankfullythere was someone to take in the dog at that time. But better management might have made a difference. Since they already had several dogs, including another Corgi, well-meaning though they were, they put Shakespeare into an environment where he could make all the rules. He ultimately drove the other dogs away from the house, down to the cabin area. He was the big shot in charge. Being an un-neutered male didn't help any.

The biting incident also was a “set-up-to-failsituation”. Shakespeare was fearful of loud noises and fireworks were particularly unsettling. Rather than put him in a safe, enclosed place, Shakespeare had to find his own safe place. Apparently he ran to the cabins where he could hide underneath one. When someone opened a door, he tried to get inside, away from the noise. And that is when a youngster got in his way and received a nip.

Because Shakespeare's rabies vaccination had expired, he ended up in the doggy hoosgow…. busted!Again, a people error. It is always important to keep shots current, particularly rabies as those are regulated by law. Another point brought home. Dog lovers are not always the responsible owners. It takes conscious effort to keep records on ones dogs. However, this might just have been the best thing that could have happen for Shakespeare as it brought him and his family together with me.

Once the dog was in our care, I quickly determined that he was a macho little jerk. He just didn't understand that there were rules. 24 hours of enforced isolation made him eager for company. A few trips out around the yard on leash helped him understand that rules existed and that I was in charge. Some basic work with the clicker, teaching him sit/down/stand for rewards and he decided to let me do the leading.

A trip to the vet determined that the dog suffered from no major health problems, thus no reason for his grabbing at hands that wanted to touch various parts of his body. He made no offer to snap or bite at the vet, a fact that totally awed the owner, who was present for the exam. Both the vet and I recommended neutering.

Then it was back to the kennel for another six days of training and desensitization. When the family arrived on Sunday to get him, they were very surprised at the changes in Shakespeare. He had learned to take treats gently instead of grabbing them with his teeth. He would roll on his back to get his stomach rubbed and he made no attempt to bite or nip when his neck, back or feet were touched. The family was also amazed that the dog had not given my daughter any problems when she bathed, groomed and cut his nails.

A recommendations made were that they strongly consider neutering, for health reasons if nothing else and put in a large play yard for Shakespeare rather than allowing him to run loose on the resort. I also suggested that when they wanted him to have more exercise that they take him out on a long leash or flexi-lead rather than giving him free run of the place. In other words, more structure and positive attention. Of course, they now understand that having the dog in a safe, indoor place at times when people celebrate, is vital. They also understood that he now knew the command, “gentle” before taking food.

In all, they seemed relieved to think that with some solid management that Shakespeare could live out his days with family. A follow-up call confirmed that Shakespeare was doing just fine. The family was employing some of the management skills such as giving the dog more positive attention and keeping him closer to home. They were taking him for walks on leash rather than allowing him to run loose. And they had changed to the RAW diet, which had a calming effect on him.

Shakespeare's story had a happy ending. Not all situations end so well. Not every sale of a puppy or placement of an older dog will be perfect. However, some of the things that this story reaffirmed for me, is that we, as breeders and sellers of puppies, need to take special care before letting puppies go.

Fear that a sale may be the last one possible is a great motivator in placing puppies too fast. Old hands know that the perfect home appears when patience is exercised. When selling puppies, don't be afraid to ask questions about who is getting the pup, and the living situation. My personal feeling is that buying a puppy for someone else isn't a good idea. I bought a horse for my daughter once, only to discover that she would never have chosen that horse for herself.

I also want to know about other animals in the family. How long have they had them?What happened to their last dog?How long did it live?If there is a pattern of obtaining a dog and then disposing of it when it becomes a problem, then one of my puppies isn't going there. I want assurance that the dog has a home for its lifetime and that the people buying it know that if something happens that they can't keep it, then I want it back. That is in writing in my contract!

It isn't unreasonable to ask the potential buyer about the timing of getting a puppy. Admittedly, no time is perfect, but there are some optimum times. For example, just after the holidays when kids are still out of school and can help with the house training and getting the pup settled in. Or, during summer vacation when family has both longer days and more free time to help the puppy adjust to its new environment.

One thing I demand is that I meet all members of the family. If just one member doesn't like the dog, it could spell disaster for the pup. In one case about five years ago, I had a family come out five times to visit the pups. I had reservations, but couldn't pinpoint them. Then on the last visit a small thing that the youngest child did convinced me that the child, just four, didn't like dogs…one kick, one slap, and the sensitive femalepuppy they wanted, could have been ruined for life…no way was my puppy going home with that family. They were quite angry when I returned their deposit and explained my reasons, but I had to live with myself on the decision, and had I let them take my little girl, I would have worried every day of her life. Ultimately, when she was about six months old, the perfect person showed up on my doorstep and I knew that these two were meant for each other.

Another time I goofed and let myself be talked into letting a young male pup go to a man whose wife was not too excited about his getting a Corgi. I did insist that he bring her over to meet the boy, then 15 weeks and she seemed OK with it. However, by the time he was five months he was returned to me. Seems that they “just couldn't house train him. ”Of course, all the accidents were by the back door leading into the garage which was how they let him outside. So, it was obvious that the puppy was trying to communicate, but the people just couldn't get the message.

Two other things I insist on before allowing someone to buy one of my puppies, is that they understand that pet puppies are sold on a Spay/Neuter Contract and they will be registered on a Limited Registration. I release the registration certificate when they show proof of altering. And, I can't stress enough to prospective owners that puppies attend obedience classes. The ideal is to start with Puppy Socialization. If the owners skills are honed, the puppy's future is much brighter.

I dealt with one owner a few years ago who, although offered free classes, (I co-owned the dog and showed him), just couldn't fit in the time to train. Turned out that this nice single mother with three lovely daughters had extracurricular activities that kept her out most evenings and weekends. The dog took to bullying the kids and became a barking fence runner. At three years of age, I ended up buying him back (after the mother had lost custody of the children for child abuse). I just couldn't bear the thought that he'd spend all of his time alone. It took a while, but ultimately I found an ideal home with a retired woman who walks him daily and dotes on him. It was even worth abandoning a show career (he had points) and neutering him to see him happy with someone who passionately adored him.

I can't say that “there's no such thing as a Bad Dog”, however, in the majority of the cases of dogs brought into training class, the problems stem from miscommunication by the people. Get the people straightened out, teach them some skills and the dogs have a chance. Our Pembroke Welsh Corgis are extra bright. They are like smart, precocious children and they need to know their limits. We humans have to place the physical and emotional boundaries on them. Train them, guide them, show them and rewardappropriate behavior and we end up with absolutely charming, wonderful companions. Leave them to their own devices and they become canine juvenile delinquents.

Shakespeare got lucky. His folks were willing to go the extra mile to make some changes. Now it looks as if he will live out his days with people he knows and loves. And that is the way it should be!

[ This article is reprinted with permission of the Author, Joan B. Guertin, All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reproduced in whole or part by any means without permission of the Author, Joan B. Guertin, JBGuertin@aol.com ]