Guest Post: Cheesecake

I am so happy when my clients see an improvement in their dog's behavior. I am absolutely thrilled if they brag about their dog and mention me!
This week's post is by a client of mine and one of the sweetest puppies I know, Cheesecake.
Cheesecake had a rough start- probably not bred intentionally or responsibly and in her first home she was left alone in a bedroom for days at a time (at least she had food and water). I'm pretty sure she has forgotten most of that by now, since she lives with some really great folks who love her and want her to be a good ambassador for bully breeds.
I'm happy to say that she's well on her way to being that ambassador after just a few weeks of training- I can't wait to see what else this pup will do to amaze us!

http://thecheesecakechronicles.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-just-fun-and-games.html


What skill(s) has your dog picked up that helped you to live well with them?

Vicious Attack Dogs

 At just 6 months, baby boy was pulling Roxie in for big kisses. 

My post this week is actually not entirely my own, though the picture above is. I'm not going to plagiarize anyone, I'm just going to share an article that really hit home with me.
This is an article about pit bulls, and how they are individuals. Each individual pit-type or bully-breed is not a representative of the entire breed, for better or worse. What people forget so often is that this is true for ALL dog breeds. Each individual dog is just that- an individual with their own story and characteristics; but not a representative for the entire breed or the population of dogs as a whole.

http://www.esquire.com/features/american-dog-0814

After reading this article I can assure you that Roxie is curled up on the couch with us, as she is welcome to do for the rest of her life. Tomorrow, she and our son will play fetch and tug together and they will inevitably share some snacks. We will take her for a walk and we will get strange looks, and some people will quickly run back into their houses. We have lived like this with Roxie for the past six years and it makes me furious and sad every time. She is a good dog. She loves people. I know she does not like many other dogs, so we are extremely cautious and courteous when we encounter any other canines.

After working as a vet tech and a trainer for the past 10 years, I have been bitten. I have been almost bitten. The times that weren't cats or hamsters were dogs. Usually Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Dachschunds, or Chihuahuas. I'm not saying these guys are inherently dangerous breeds, but I am saying that no breed is- each dog is an individual with their own traits.