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Sorry, Charlie
Read about the rehabilitation of a condemned American Pitbull Terrier. His name is Charlie, and I am determined to successfully place him in an adoptive home.
This story began when I received the following email:
>Hello
>
> Home Fur Ever is a no kill animal rescue. We have been
> rescuing homeless and abandoned dogs for over 7 years and
> and adopting them to good homes. We have a problem with one
> of our dogs that we rescued over 7 months ago. Charlie is
> his name and he is a pit mix or maybe even a full pit. He
> was locked in a closet from the time he was 5 weeks old from
> his previous owners. When he wasn't in the closet, he
> was kept locked in the basement and was shoved down the
> basement steps with brooms and long sticks. He is a little
> over a year old now. We didn't rescue him until his
> mental damage was already done. When we got Charlie away
> from his awful situation he went into a foster home with a
> family that he adores. Charlie absolutely loves the people
> he trusts. Over the past 2 months he has bit 2 people. It
> seems as though his his aggression is fear based. He is not
> a vicious dog by any means. He is not trusting of all
> humans, by no fault of his own. We
> sent him to be evaluated by a lady in Fowlerville and she
> said she deemed him unadoptable. We are not willing to give
> up on this guy. We are in the business of rescuing dogs and
> if we have to put him to sleep, I will feel we have failed
> him. After all these years of finding homeless dogs on the
> streets of Detroit we have never had to euthanize a dog. Go
> figure a human being is responsible for making Charlie the
> way he is. He enjoys playing in his baby pool and likes to
> play fetch. Unfortunately, as this time, knowing his
> unpredictable behavior around some people, we cannot safely
> adopt him out. Do you think you can help with him or is
> this something you don't think you can help with?
> Please let me know. We are trying to exhaust all of our
> options for this poor soul.
>
> Thank you
> Colleen
> Home Fur Ever volunteer
I thought I could help and maybe even save Charlie's life, so I responded that I would like to try to help Charlie and a few more emails followed which led to Charlie arriving on my doorstep Saturday, February 28, 2009.
Home Fur Ever also allowed me to see Charlie's evaluation from a specialist. Here it is:
I would tend to agree with everything it says, with the exception of the part about euthanization. I think Charlie can be brought around and taught proper manners and decision making.
February 28, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 1
My first impression of Charlie when I opened the door is that he was out of control, had no manners what so ever, and might strike at me once I got within range of his leash. So I grabbed something to block him if he should strike, and approached without fear. I must say here and now that I disagreed with Colleen when she says that, "He is not a vicious dog by any means." I felt that Charlie was capable of murder and mayhem without a moment's notice. He could launch an attack on adult, child, or animal without regard to outcome or consequences. In my thinking, the very definition of a vicious dog.
I think it took Charlie less than 2 minutes to accept me and then bond with me. For me, he has a long road to travel before I can reciprocate and trust him in any and all situations. I will keep a running commentary, complete with photos and videos, going until I feel Charlie is ready to be placed with new owners.
Saturday, my first day with Charlie was eventful, with plenty of distractions provided. First, we went to PetSmart to get a muzzle and supplies. I felt compelled to muzzle Charlie in the presence of Peanut, my 7 month old rednose female APBT, until I can trust him. The visit to Petsmart provided many in depth looks at Charlie's personality and behavioral tendencies. Fearful, inexperienced and lacking self confidence and social graces were my initial thoughts. He attempted to strike several times, at a lady, at another dog, and even at a child. So I added to his list of behaviors: biting, bullying and just generally trying to intimidate. Not good. He will attempt to flee foreign or unknown situations. If he cannot flee, if he is blocked or cornered, it will turn into an attack.
Here is Colleen's view of the meeting between Charlie, Peanut and myself:
>> I brought Charlie, Home Fur Ever's little problem child to Brian on Saturday, February 28th in hopes that he would be able to help with his fear based aggressive behavior. Charlie was not treated nicely from the time he was 5 weeks old from his previous mean owner.
When we arrived at Brian's house and I brought Charlie out of the car, he started pulling me all over the place on his leash. At this time he had a regular collar on. Brian came out and wasn't sure if Charlie was going to bite him, so he used a tennis racket as a shield. Charlie did not try to bite him, but was still acting like a maniac with no manners. Brian walked him up and down the street a few times, correcting him every time he would pull. After several walks back and forth he went inside and got a gentle leader and put it on Charlie. Of course, he didn't like it, but it seemed to help with Charlie and his pulling.
Brian did not want Charlie to hurt his little 7 month old Peanut, so we all went to Petsmart to buy a muzzle until he felt comfortable Charlie would not harm Peanut.
At the store, Charlie reacted badly to dogs barking at him, and lunged at 2 people that attempted to approach him. His insecurities really show when he is in public and there is a lot of commotion going on around him.
When we got back to Brian's house, Brian muzzled Charlie and went inside and got Peanut. He took them both for a walk and they seemed to do pretty well. After the walk with Peanut, he let Charlie play in the backyard for a while, where he found a huge rawhide bone that he did not want to let go of, however, he did drop it right away when Brian grabbed the leash off the patio table. Brian muzzled Charlie again and brought him inside the house where he and Peanut rolled around on the kitchen floor together. They both seemed to be enjoying each other's company (Charlie was still muzzled). I left at this point and can't wait to hear about Charlie's progress. <<
Thanks Colleen, volunteer for Home Fur Ever and obvious dog lover, for taking the time to type it out and sharing your view of the day with us!
For me, the trip was a very positive experience. Charlie provided me with several dozen opportunities to train, and he was never successful in his attempts to bite. He took his first steps to learning how he must behave in public situations.
After our trip to Petsmart came the time to introduce Charlie to Peanut, who was about to become a pack mate and common companion for the duration of Charlie's stay with me. As Peanut is a small dog, and only 7 months old, with no aggressive tendencies whatsoever, I felt compelled to muzzle Charlie because to do otherwise would expose Peanut to risk of unprovoked attack and serious injury.
My plan was to introduce the dogs via a walk. It is how I introduce any dogs, whether or not they are well socialized. I was calm and in control and the meeting went just fine. They quickly became friends and Charlie has been surprisingly tolerant of Peanut and her youthful exhuberance.
During the next walk, later in the afternoon, Charlie provided more insight into his personality and the way he interacts with the world. He tries to come off tough, he uses intimidation and biting as tools to create fear, but it is a front. Behind that is an insecure, fearful dog with very low self esteem. During a long walk, Charlie was fearful and reacted strongly to the slightest distraction. Squirrels, other dogs, people walking, children playing all had Charlie jumping, barking, frothing at the mouth and difficult to control. We came upon some teens playing basketball at a local playground and Charlie simply flipped his lid. He went from rage to crying to screaming and back again, fighting the leash like a bucking horse. It took nearly an hour, and about 40 approaches to the basketball court until Charlie started to calm down. He never displayed the behavior I wanted, which was to ignore the game and focus on the walk. I was hoping Peanut would have a calming influence on him, but the opposite proved true. Peanut was a little more excitable then normal, but certainly controllable and much better behaved then Charlie.
My prognosis for Charlie is that there is a good dog in there somewhere, and my goal is to help Charlie bring that out. I expect it to take anywhere from a week to a month and have many confrontations and situations to deal with before that goal is achieved. Lots and lots of time, effort and patience are required. I will not recommend Charlie for adoption until I completely trust him to behave accordingly in all situations.
March 1, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 2
Day 2 began after Charlie spent the night in his cage. Crate training will be a continual part of his training, and until I can trust him completely that's where he will be spending his nights.
Charlie seems to be somewhat house trained, and has no problems using the back yard. He appears healthy and his digestion looks fine, too. He is very fit, strong and athletic and can leap 6 feet in the air from a standstill. He learned sit, down and give me paw within minutes. I'm not sure if he already knew any of them or not, but he is receptive to training and positive reinforcement. His attention span seems to be 4 to 6 minutes or so, not bad for first starting out.
First thing in the morning, while I was making breakfast and my attention was not focused on the dogs, Charlie launched his first attack on Peanut. I should state here that I was just waiting for it, and actually it is a good thing for his rehabilitation. Each time he tries to attack or bite anyone or anything is a positive for me because it allows me to train. The apparent source for the attack was a rawhide bone Charlie seemed to think was all his. He was muzzled and no damage resulted. I corrected Charlie and brought Peanut over and gave her the bone, an inch from Charlie's face. I mouthed it as well, right in Charlie's face, daring him to do it again.
It was positive experience, I reacted immediately, Peanut reacted in the exact way I wanted, she simply looked to me to take control of the situation, and waited patiently until I did so. Her attitude seemed to be, "Hey, pal, what's gotten into you? I don't want to fight over a stupid rawhide!"
Charlie learned that attacks on Peanut are not tolerated anymore, just part of the overall plan of learning that unprovoked attacks on ANYTHING are not tolerated anymore.
I notice that Charlie claims just about everything for his own. The first time he jumped on the couch and I went to remove him he tried to strike. The first time I went to let him outside but asked that he sit before going through the door resulted in an attempted strike. Food, treats, toys, bones and even blankets result in Charlie becoming possessive and trying to bite. At first it seems unprovoked, but I am learning Charlie's tell tales before he bites. Again, many opportunities to train.
The rope toy really shows Charlie's rough edges and his ability to get excited and out of control.
First on my agenda is to be able to get Charlie under control when he approaches the red zone. For pitbulls, I teach the OUT command using a rope toy. It took literally minutes to teach Peanut the concept, as it does most well adjusted dogs with good manners. Charlie gets completely out of control with the rope toy, and doesn't respond to any commands or any attempts to get him to calm down and/or release the toy. If you push it too far, and approach and try to physically remove the toy, he will attempt to bite, he will even jump and attempt to bite in the face. Charlie is not in a good place right now, and I have my work cut out for me! My responses to Charlie in this state are to please calm down, I want to be friends, but if you really want to fight, I'm going to fight you to the death right here, right now. And you will lose. I do not allow myself to get angry or frustrated, and I simply do not show fear, no matter what happens, even when he attempts to bite and is successful, as has happened a few times now.
Charlie senses this and has accepted me as his pack leader. He also senses that I never feel fear toward him or operate out of anger or frustration. He is learning to treat me with respect and will eventually learn to treat all people that way.
I have decided to have a friend over, for a few reasons. I wanted to watch Charlie meet a stranger, and hopefully teach him the right way to go about it. I also wanted to get some video of Charlie now, in his early stages so we have a basis of comparison after training and rehabilitation occurs.
I will start with the OUT and LEAVE IT commands. Out simply means drop it now. Leave it means do not touch it again until I give the ok.
Peanut's (a well socialized and trained Pitbull) response to the out command.
Charlie doing his version.
Here is Charlie with just the basics, he has a problem with the 'down'. He doesn't have enough confidence to put himself in a vulnerable position.
March 2, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 3
Charlie is noticeably calmer today and appears to be getting used to my routine and way of doing things. He spent the night in the cage and didn't make lots of noise crying or barking. He will sit without wanting to fight before going in and out of doors. While walking, he is starting to be able to calm down for me when we approach other dogs and people. He is getting used to the idea that he cannot jump up and take whatever he wants off the kitchen table. However, he will still react strongly to loud noises and to some dogs who bark while we pass. Once we got home from our walk this morning, he wanted to fight through the fence with my neighbor's dogs. Another opportunity to train!
I still do not trust him completely and know that he could launch an attack on Peanut at any moment, but he is showing a desire to please and a willingness to learn.
March 3, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 4
Today has been a very postive day for Charlie and me, and I am feeling very confident that Charlie will come around and make a fine pet for someone!!
I do not have the feeling Charlie will try to strike me or bite me, even in tough situations where I am demanding his attention.
I started out the day with a simple plan, to go about things as I had the day before when Charlie launched an unprovoked attack on Peanut while my attention was elsewhere (making coffee, breakfast and getting myself sorted for the day). Maybe Charlie is still locked into the ways of George W. Bush, you could call it 'pre-emptive strike' - but I am asking him to change and it has started!!
So I brought Charlie out of his cage around 7:30 a.m and let him and Peanut outside for a while. Then I brought them back into the house, and purposely handed the bone which Charlie felt the need to defend over to Peanut. Charlie's claimed bone, which he felt the need to fight over yesterday, and I let him have all night with him in his cage (he carried it into his cage with him last night). I purposefully tried to ignore the dogs, go about making coffee and breakfast, and see what happened. Of course, I had my camera at the ready, regardless of the outcome. I will say that I expected another attack, as Charlie is still in an insecure and fearful state. I wanted to catch it on camera and get some video of Charlie's behavior and my correction.
Here is what happened:
So Charlie impressed me and has made it through his first barrier to his rehabilitation. He has learned to trust me, and he has learned that Peanut is not a threat to him, his well being, his food, his toys, nor his bone. Note here that Charlie still has his muzzle on, so I do not trust him 100%.
Our first walk of the day was even more encouraging for me. Charlie has learned to trust me to handle some of the situations we confront, and he is starting to look to me before responding. We only had 1 "Charlie Brown moment" in a 2 mile walk, and even then, I just asked Charlie to calm down and sit, and he complied after some fidgeting and growling. I found myself in my normal dog walking zone, completely ignoring the dog and listening to music and thinking of other things. For me to enter my normal comfort zone means Charlie has also entered a sort of comfort zone, allowing me to think of other things.
So we have reached a point where Charlie's fear has gone down and his self confidence has gone up.
I no longer have to control him by dominating him physically. I do not have to put my body between him and the object of his distress to prevent an attempted strike. I do not have to match the intensity of his fear and energy when confronted with new and foreign situations. I was able to stay calm and relaxed and ask Charlie in a pleasant voice, "Please calm down, that is no threat to you and you need to behave yourself. Yes, he may be barking at you like a jerk but he is a tiny dog and he is behind a fence."
Charlie's hair will go down and he will look to me and slowly sit. Very positive and encouraging signs!! Feeling confident enough to allow me to handle the situations for our pack.
For walk number 2, it was around noon, I decided to return to the scene of the crime, if you will. Charlie, Peanut and I walked to PetSmart. A great place because it is full of distractions, people, dogs, noises, etc. Plus, it is about 2 miles to get there so Charlie has plenty of time to burn off his negative energy and relax and enjoy the walk.
Charlie did great the whole way there and during our approach and initial walk through of the store. Then I happened to see the nice young lady that Charlie had tried to attack Saturday. She recognized Charlie and me right away. I introduced her to Peanut and asked if we could approach. Charlie was subdued until she came within striking distance of the slack of his leash and then launched an attack. Trying to jump and bite in mid air, the full blown, screaming, frothing at the mouth out of control Charlie I saw originially.
Only now I am on to his signals and tell tales. He first stares with increasing intensity, then his hair stands up, then a very quiet, low growl deep in his throat, then he goes for it and launches an attack. So I was able to foil his attempted bite put him in a submissive position. I had to respond physically and aggressively, meeting Charlie's intensity of attack with equally high energy and intensity and pinning him the ground by his neck until he submitted to the situation.
I must confess that at this juncture I was feeling quite disappointed, both in Charlie and myself. His old fearful self and aggression reared their ugly heads once again, even after I had thought I made some progress. I had to react strongly and physically, even after I thought Charlie had calmed down and would respond just my asking for his good behavior. I was not happy that I had to get sparked up and force Charlie into submission.
The kind lady at PetSmart was very switched on and caught on to everything that was happening. She told me to take heart, that Charlie was very different from the first time she met him, she was not really scared or intimadated this time, and that she had an idea, could I wait patiently for a minute.
So Charlie, Peanut and I watched her walk away and I calmed myself and asked Charlie to calm down and behave.
She soon returned, in a low, submissive position with hand outstretched. I thought she was just giving Charlie an easy target and another attempted strike was imminent; she was one of the people Charlie had a negative reaction to and tried to bite. However, Charlie responded quite differently this time. His hair went down, his ears went back and down, his tail started to wag and he approached happily and confidently, seemingly all smiles. I had to wonder what was going on.
She had a secret weapon, a handful of treats and it did the trick. To her credit, she was able to approach Charlie without fear, hand feed him some treats, and then pet him around the face and neck. So what was a disappointing and discouraging experience changed to a positive outcome with the help of an observant, dog friendly person from PetSmart. A person Charlie was fearful of and tried to attack on 2 different occasions.
After we got home from our walk, as is typical, I let Charlie and Peanut sort of decompress by allowing free time in the back yard. I take off sweaters, leashes, leaders, etc. and allow the dogs to run free with no commands or control by me. It is sort of a reward for asking for their attention and cooperation during our walks.
After several months, Peanut has learned to take advantage of the situation and sort of run amok once I remove her leash. Sprinting laps around the yard, jumping, barking and just generally acting out of control. Since she is so young, and so well behaved in most other situations, I have allowed this to continue. Again, it is her reward for the high demands I place on her during our walks. She is not allowed to be distracted, pee, poop, sniff fire hydrants, react to barking dogs, etc. while on lead. She has to be calm, submissive, and look to me first, before any reaction while we are walking. So I let all of that come out once we return to the safety and control of my fenced in back yard, she can just be a puppy and act like a baby if she wants.
Today I noticed that when I took Charlie's muzzle off, there was a line around it on his face. He has scratched, using both paws, a line around the edge of the muzzle into his face. Particularly around the lower outside edges, his dew claws seem to catch between the muzzle edge and his face and have scratched a groove into his skin. While not serious, it could become infected or get much worse over time. Now it is only a scratch, forming a line where the edge of the muzzle is.
Chalk up a small victory for Charlie, he put me in a spot where I had to make a decision. Allow him to scratch and damage his face while allowing him to be with Peanut and go on walks, etc. Or take a chance and remove the muzzle, stop the damage to his face before it gets bad, and see what happens. Maybe no longer walk him and Peanut together or allow them to be together without a muzzle.
So I allowed Charlie and Peanut some time in the back yard, no muzzle and no obvious supervision. Peanut did exactly as I'd hoped, jumping on Charlie, putting her paws in his face and generally being a pest to him. Acting as a happy dog wanting to play, refusing to be ignored. But to a fearful dog with low self confidence, this is often an invitation to attack.
I tried to act casual but was just waiting for Charlie to say enough is enough and launch a strike, I was ready to respond in a split second to separate them and correct Charlie. I felt as though I knew Charlie's signs of attack and that I would be able to respond before serious injury could happen to Peanut.
The preemptive strike never materialized, Charlie was amazingly tolerant of Peanut and her disrespectful behavior and I chalked it up as another victory in the battle to save Charlie.
So Charlie earned a little more trust and respect for the evening walk. I decided to try and walk him without muzzle or leader, just hooking his leash to his collar like a regular dog (I can't even do this with Peanut yet). He responded well, and when we got to the fenced in park where I let Peanut run free I was confronted with decision time again.
The past 2 days I have let Peanut run free and kept Charlie on his leash. For starters, it took Peanut several months to earn this freedom with me. I am 100% confident now that when I call her she will come running, top speed. She will not run out into traffic nor attack other people or animals in the park. Running away simply isn't an option for her, she just wants to be with me. She will not charge strangers nor animals and looks to me whenever something happens or she is in a situation she hasn't encountered before. She earns her free time by behaving and giving me 100% of her attention on our walks and coming immediately when called. If she misbehaves, no off leash time that day. Or if she is already off leash and misbehaves, it goes right back on.
When she is very good, I remove the leash and let her run free for half an hour or so. She is only 7 months old and is already completely trustworthy, so I think it has been working.
I took a calculated risk with Charlie. As usual, I go by my gut level instincts with dogs, and had a feeling things would be ok. There were no other people or animals present in the park, not even the usual squirrels I see, so if Charlie wanted to attack something, it would have to be either Peanut or myself. If he wanted to flee, and run through a gate on the far side of the park, half a mile away, he could wind up in traffic on Harper Avenue, and probably have a very short life expectancy. I decided that if that's where his destiny lay, so be it, let's find out here and now. I had a gut level feeling he would not flee nor attack, he was used to the routine, he was enjoying himself and he understood the rules. He knew by observation that if he misbehaved he'd go right back on the leash.
I took the risk and removed the leash. Charlie responded wonderfully, running and playing with Peanut, acting calm and self-assured. Allowing her to climb all over him, paw him in the face, and sniff his rear. He came back when called and I did not have to worry about either dog. I was able to let them run free for half an hour in a city park, then hook them both back up and walk home without incident. He acted like a regular, confident, trustworthy dog. Another victory in Charlie's recovery!! Can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!!!!
March 4, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 5
Today has been a good day for Charlie. This is the most 'normal' he's been, I can't think of any bad "Charlie Brown" moments today. It started yesterday evening when I decided to remove his muzzle - he is scratching around it causing damage to his face. He has had only 1 bad incident in 5 days with Peanut - he may have just been testing his boundaries. Since that one time, after being corrected, I have not seen any aggression out of him toward her and have felt no nervousness that a bite or attack might be forthcoming.
So off came Charlie's muzzle, I even let him sleep in my bed with Peanut and me. Again, a slight risk that I could wake up to an attack or dog fight. But I deemed the risk minimal because Charlie has been doing better. I was right, the night passed without incident and we all even managed to get some sleep.
Today has been great, too. Charlie has basically behaved like a normal dog all day, including on our walks. He had one or 2 brief moments, but calmed down immediately just by my asking him in a normal tone of voice.
Not too much else to say today, but I think it is a good thing!!!
Keep it up Charlie and your future will be bright!
March 5, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 6
Well, talk about some excitement!!! But before I go right into that, let me talk about how we got to that point.
Last night and this morning Charlie continued to do well. We worked on Charlie's table manners and his OUT command last night before bed. He is doing well on both, though his OUT is not as quick and complete as it needs to be, but I have no doubt we will get there. I now rate the chances of Charlie biting Peanut at less than 1%, he has not been muzzled in around 36 hours. I have felt no nerves regarding a bad incident.
However, he is still scratching at his face. It seems to be his way of getting attention and/or dealing with stressful situations. It is like a nervous tic he has. Not a major problem, and right now I'm not even really addressing it. I think it will sort itself out as Charlie learns and calms down.
I decided to spend some time with just Charlie for our morning walk and maybe take him to PetSmart. Poor Peanut, but oh well, she'll get over it: I wanted to be able to focus completely on Charlie and see how he acted in a very public environment with lots of distractions without Peanut's calm submissive energy with us.
The walk there was uneventful, and very relaxing. Charlie no longer responds to dogs barking in back yards as we pass or squirrels running around in front yards.
I was very surprised and pleased. We had no "Charlie Brown" moments in the store. I never had to correct with the leash or raise my voice. In fact, I never had to say no. The times Charlie started to get excited, like when the Rasta man with the scraggly beard and dreads came busting out of 2 large swinging doors right behind us with a large steel cart loaded with dog food, with the one really squeaky wheel, I was able to calm Charlie down almost instantly by merely patting him on the head and saying, "It's ok boy." His butt went to the ground and he relaxed, in a matter of just a few seconds his hair went back down.
We made several circuits through the store, coming close to dogs and strangers and Charlie never reacted badly. Unfortunately, the young lady who took the time to make friends with Charlie 2 days ago was no where to be seen, so I didn't have anyone approach or try to pet him. Just a nice relaxing stroll through the store and we headed for home. By the way, Charlie received several compliments from strangers for his good behavior.
The walk home was great, I spotted a falcon circling and landing in a tree near us, which I took as a good omen. I was mentally patting myself and Charlie on the back for a job well done and real progress being made. I was thinking to myself what are Charlie's major problems now and how do I attack them.
As we neared my street, we were walking north on Harper Avenue toward Masonic, I spotted a man with 2 dogs four or five blocks away. I calmed myself and prepared to keep Charlie calm and wanted to walk right by and have Charlie stay under control, passing by at no more than 2 or 3 feet apart.
As they got a little closer, I could see the guy looked like a total dirt bag, he looked homeless and the 2 dogs were both pitbulls. Very hyper, jumping, barking and out of control pitbulls. My brain immediately went into threat assessment and action planning mode. The dogs both had choker chains on with no other collars and no tags and were attached to old, dirty, frayed looking nylon web type leashes. They were both dirty looking and their faces appeared scarred from many battles. They appeared to be able to drag the Fisher King in any direction they pleased, and the sum total of his control over them seemed to be zero. I decided not to turn around and walk away or otherwise flee the situation. I am always asking Charlie to confront situations and to stay calm, now I had to ask the same of myself.
As they drew nearer, I took two wide steps to my left, onto the grass that separates Harper Avenue from the sidewalk. I put Charlie on a down and calmly waited for them to pass by. As soon as they caught sight of us, and got to our side of the street, the dogs went ballistic. Barking, biting, yanking, etc. They were so excited that when one got near the other, they took to biting each other. They were in a frenzy and their eyes reminded me of footage I've seen of Great White sharks on the attack. The man had no control and when he tried to assert control, he got several bites to the hands and legs for his efforts.
I stole a quick glance down to Charlie, who was amazingly still lying down, though his eyes were darting from the dogs to me and back again like he was watching a tennis match and his ears and hair were standing on end. As the guy and his dogs got within 20 or so feet of us, the dogs were pulling directly to us. I could hear the clicks of their teeth and jaws and see froth flying around their faces. Funny now, but I had a split second thought of, "I see no tags, they are probably not current on their vaccinations."
He was being towed along as if he was water skiing. Knees locked, heels dug in and still moving right at us at a steady pace. I took 4 or 5 really deep breaths, to get as much oxygen into my blood and muscles as possible in case this turned into a real drama. As long as the choke chains were, about 18 inches of tag end between the leash and where it went around their necks, I knew the dogs could use a move and get free. They can lunge to the end, pulling tight, then immediately back up and sort duck their head and spin around. A sort of tailspin move. If they are practiced at it and time it right, the second they back up there is a total loss of tension in the chain and they could possibly back right out of the loop and get loose - one or both - for an all out attack. I've seen dogs do it before.
I made eye to eye with Mr. Hobo and he appeared to be enjoying this, smiling away. I tried to exude confidence and control. I stepped onto Charlie's leash about a foot from where it connected to him to be able to keep him under control, and to be able to use both hands to deal with the dogs. Things went into slow motion mode for me, and everything came into sharper focus. I heard nothing but his 2 dogs, all the traffic and noise on Harper directly behind me faded away, as well as any noises Charlie might be making. I had tunnel vision on the 2 threats directly in front of me.
My emergency plan, in the worst case scenario, was to get a hold of both leashes or chokers, one in each hand if possible, and go into a hard fast spin, arms fully extended. Hopefully getting them into helicopter mode and get them spinning off the ground. And then keep spinning and stepping toward the nearest telephone pole, which was only 10 feet away to my immediate left, until I could crash one and then the other into it, trying to get their head or back to make solid contact with the wood, either incapacitating or killing both dogs. Then I'd give homeless Robin Williams a good beating and kicking. A long shot, I knew, but the only option I saw in the split second I had to evaluate the situation and think of possible outcomes if they got within striking distance. Turning away and attempting to flee never entered my mind. Charlie would have to fend for himself while this went on, I would be in survival mode, and I'd have to sort him out once the drama passed.
When the 2 dogs got within I'd say 8 or 10 feet of me and I was sure they were going to pull him within range and be able to bite, I calmly said to the man, "If your dogs get close enough and attempt bite me or my dog, I'm going to kill them both, right here, right now."
He reacted a little like he heard something funny, smirked and said something like I'd like to see that or I'd like to see you try or some such. He mumbled and I couldn't quite make out what he said, but his attitude told me everything I needed to know. He looked high or drunk to me, or both, and it was only 10 of 10 in the morning. Long, unkempt hair, dirty, torn jacket, shirt not buttoned, dirty frayed jeans and a spaced out look on his face. Ratty old sneakers with no laces, and he smelled really bad and was really dirty.
I reached behind me and stuck my hand under my jacket, between my shirt and my pants to the first knuckle. The cold of my fingertips on the skin of my back startled me. I said, as calm and deadpan as I could, "No you don't want to see it, I'm about to pull my forty five and shoot them both dead. Then I am going to throw a beating on you you'll never forget, maybe even let Charlie here have a go at you once I finish." One more step and they'd be able to bite me, and they certainly looked eager at the prospect. I was watching for the opportunity to get hold of one dog, whichever came into striking distance first, starting my spin, then I would worry about grabbing the other.
In a split second, the dizzy, stoned-looking grin disappeared. Replaced by a look of real concern and then downright fear. His face screwed up into a knot as he contemplated what to do next. I stood stock still, watching both dogs intently, hand behind my back under my jacket as if ready to draw down on him but really looking for an opportunity to make a grab at the leashes.
He took first one and then the other choker chain in each hand right at the dogs' necks. They had no slack and almost no range of motion. And then he started to force them away, turning round and heading back the way he came. The dogs jumping and squirming like hooked trout, I could hear them gasping for breath as they choked themselves. As they walked away, I noticed at least half a dozen bites to his hands and legs as the dogs struggled to get loose, a couple of them really good, solid connections, drawing blood, which he wasn't reacting to. He was either too high or scared to give a darn, just wanted to get the hell out of Dodge, and off they went.
When they were 10 to 20 feet away from us, I let Charlie up and continued walking. The world sped up to real speed and all the noise around me came back. I took to praising Charlie for staying calm and trying to slow down my now pounding heart. I noticed sweat on my temples and running down my back. I looked up and saw an older lady with white hair in the picture window of the house in front of me giving a big grin and thumbs up.
Truth be told, I am not sure what Charlie was doing for the few seconds the dogs were closest to us. My brain was focused and ready to deal with an attack and my eyes never left the 2 dogs. However, Charlie did not pull free from the leash being under my foot, as I am sure he is strong enough to do if he really put his mind to it.
Sitting here typing this now, 10 minutes later I'm having a chuckle about it. The whole incident, from the time I first saw them until they passed, could have been no longer than a minute or two. The danger zone, when they were nearing striking distance and their owner and I had our brief exchange, took around 8 or 10 seconds, tops. The guy took probably 20 bites to fingers, forearms and legs from his own dogs as he fled the scene and neither Charlie nor I were any worse for the wear, not even a scratch. The 2 dogs got to I'd say 4 or 5 feet from Charlie and me. Funny how quickly my brain can go from, "what a good day out, Charlie's doing great, we are calm and enjoying a nice walk" - full of myself and petting Charlie with not a care in the world - to "holy crap, this could get ugly, quick."
All in all, a good way to get the day going and it is in those moments that I really feel alive. It felt like my body dumped about a quart of adrenaline into my system.
Charlie is much more confident and self assured than when I first met him and he is trusting me more and more to handle the situations we encounter. Oh, and by the way, I had no pistol, or any other weapon of any sort on me, it was just a last ditch effort at a bluff, before the real action started, and I'd say it did the trick. I am also being flooded with other ideas on how I could've responded, like simply pulling out my cell phone and calling in Saint Clair Shores' finest. I'm sure they would have loved to deal with the Fisher King and his 2 dogs!
But I handled it in my own way and no one was hurt. Now is time for some quality time with Peanut, as I let the adrenaline work its way out of my system. Maybe an update later in the day regarding Charlie.
I would also like to thank everyone, friends and family, who took the time to send emails of encouragement for Charlie and me. I got a dozen or so emails and I really appreciate it!
March 6, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 7
Before I start with today, let me finish yesterday. Last night I had some friends over, and I was curious to see how Charlie reacted to strangers entering the house. I told them before they arrived that they had to enter without fear and ignore Charlie until he approached them in a calm way.
One load bark when they first came in, and then Charlie calmed down and was able to meet everyone and make friends. Charlie was well behaved the entire evening and you would have never been able to tell that he had aggression issues.
Today was a great day all the way around. For Charlie, for Peanut and for me it couldn't have been much better. For starters, it was nice and warm outside so a long walk was in order. Because the weather was so nice, I think, the whole city seemed to be alive and bustling with activity. We left my yard around 9 am and it was well after 2 in the afternoon before we returned.
To me, with me and in front of me Charlie is now a regular dog, with the behaviors and mannerisms of an average American Pitbull Terrier. Everywhere we went today were people, animals and distractions. Charlie handled everything with calm confidence.
We returned to the city park and basketball court where about a week ago I saw the ugly side of Charlie and his personality. And that was with only 3 people playing with one basketball. Today there were at least 15 to 20 people there, half a dozen basketballs and several people sitting off to the side watching. While Charlie showed some nerves early, as any normal dog might given all the activity and shouts and energy on display by many people playing a competitive game, he never lost composure. He never barked, went crazy or tried to snap or bite. Once a ball came bounding off the court right in front of us and a teen came running by to retrieve it. All Charlie did was watch, and look to me to see how I was acting. When he saw that I was calm and everything was ok, he acted in the same way.
In the same park, just a few hundred yards away from the basketball game I let Charlie and Peanut run off leash for an hour or so. They came back right away when I called, never went too far, and never behaved badly. They also played games and ran around playing chase and tag and just had fun with each other.
They knew they had to stay away from the basketball court and they did so.
For the first time I felt a real appreciation for Charlie and his personality. If I didn't already have Peanut I would definitely keep him for myself. Gone is the insecure, untrusthworthy fearful dog I met a week ago. In his place is a happy, confident dog with a great personality who is very tolerant of other dogs and likes to play and have fun. I didn't like Charlie, let alone trust him or want to spend any time with him when I first met him. Now I really enjoy his company and like him a great deal. He is very bright, loves to please and learns really quickly. Intelligent and capable are the 2 words I would first use to describe him now, as opposed to insecure and fearful which I would have used a week ago.
I would say I am 90% done with my work with Charlie, though to be honest, he has done most of the work. The few rough edges I have to smooth off regard meeting strangers and staying calm around ALL dogs, not just ones he knows or are already calm in his presence.
Before we left for our walk this morning, the neighbor's dogs were out and Charlie ran over the fence barking and acting a fool. He reacted strongly and for a second I thought he might try to jump the fence and attack. I was disappointed and got really angry, ready for a major confrontation with Charlie. When this has happened in the past, and I demanded Charlie stop it and leave the area, he would turn around and be ready to have a go at me instead, displacing his frustrations and insecurities with a small dog yapping through a fence to the person who asked him to remain calm and in control. I couldn't even grab his collar to lead him away, I had to grab something to block him from biting me and force him away using extreme dominance.
Today, Charlie saw that I wasn't happy and reacted like a normal dog would. His ears and tail dropped, he slinked away from the fence and went and laid down in a corner, looking very sad. I calmed down and sat in a chair to compose myself before the walk, upset with myself for getting so mad and wondering if I should just put him back in the house and walk Peanut.
Charlie came over and rubbed his face against my hand, ears and tail down in a very submissive position. I knew exactly what he was doing, he was saying he was sorry for the outburst and sorry that he let me down. He didn't react to the dog again. To me, a major milestone in his rehabilitation and the first time I felt a genuine love and affection for him.
In the beginning, I had to spend roughly 90% of the time being dominant and asserting control. That was just the way it was, I had to teach rules, boundaries, and limitations to his behavior, and show that there were consequences for his violent and aggressive behavior. I only provided affection when he was in a calm and submissive state of mind, which was around 10% of the time.
Now I spend roughly 90% of the time providing affection and calm reassurance and maybe 10% of the time having to correct and assert control. Without having to think about it, we walk and act like a normal pack unit. I feel confident I can handle Charlie in any situation, he is not going to bite or attack someone and he is surely not going to bite or attack Peanut or me.
After our walk today, I handed Charlie and Peanut big new rawhide bones to chew while we spent time outside enjoying the weather and I started cleaning up the yard after a long, brutal winter. I got a great show and an insight into Charlie's changed personality. First off, both dogs showed an interest in the bone the other was carrying around. Then Peanut dropped her bone and went for the one Charlie had. There are a few possible reasons for this, probably first and foremost is that I have been extremely protective of her in Charlie's presence, so she feels like she can do anything and knows I'll protect her if Charlie protests.
Today I acted totally detached and like I was paying no attention. Charlie let out a noise, BWAH, like a loud bark and shook his head around for emphasis. But never touched Peanut or did anything else, when she backed off he resumed chewing on his bone. Just a few days ago under similar circumstances Charlie pinned Peanut to the ground in a vicious attack which would have resulted in serious damage had he not been muzzled.
Today he merely made a noise, backed Peanut off and claimed his bone for himself. He did nothing after the noise and didn't move toward Peanut once he saw that it had the desired effect, she backed off and let him have it. I did nothing but watch and smile. It was exactly what normal dogs would do under normal circumstances. No fight, no bite, no injuries, just 2 dogs acting like dogs. He just said that this is my bone, leave it alone. And shortly after, the game continued where Peanut would drop her bone and look at Charlie's, Charlie would drop his and pick up the one she had just been chewing on, she'd pick up his and start chewing and the cycle continued, to my amusement, for another hour or so.
When the neighbor's dogs came out and started yapping again, Charlie barely looked in their direction. Playing with the rope now, I can bring Charlie to a high level of excitement and energy and then get him to stop and drop the toy right away.
Also, Charlie has taken so well to our training and walks that his reactions are now faster than Peanut's. He sits faster, lies down faster, and calms down faster in stressful situations. Granted she is still only a puppy, but I have been working with her for months and Charlie just days.
So while I think the major battle has been won, and that Charlie could live with me for the rest of his days in a happy, well balanced and highly socialized state, I realize I have some work still ahead of me before I can place him with anyone else. But the hard part is done, the big fights and confrontations are over, and this is the enjoyable time for me.
I am hoping to get some help from someone in the next day or 2 to get some good video of Charlie and his new state of mind.
March 8, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 9
Before anyone gets worried or starts wondering, yes it is day 9. We are all still here and in one piece and no great catastrophe happened yesterday. Day 8 was real and did really take place. Just that not much happened worth writing about, and truth be told by the end of the day I was wiped out. But a brief synopsis of yesterday and then what we worked on today will follow.
I spent the better part of yesterday helping a nice couple in Roseville training their black Lab (by the way, a wonderful highly intelligent dog that I enjoyed training). When I got home, it was raining really hard, so not a good day for walking or training outside. It was a good contrast to the day before, which was full of training in varied situations and circumstances. Instead of being exposed to loud city streets, a busy city park and a packed PetSmart and walking for hours on end, Charlie got to spend a nice, relaxing day indoors with few demands on his time and attention. We did work on a few things, though, including basic obedience commands and the OUT.
I'm going to take a minute here and explain my view of the OUT and LEAVE IT commands for the uninitiated. I am frequently asked about it and told by people that other trainers have told them playing tug of war with a dog is a really bad idea and you should never do it.
I couldn't disagree more, especially with large, muscular breeds like German Shepherds, Rotties and pitbulls. Not only is it a great release of energy and a good bonding experience with the dog, it gives you a sort of "off" switch when the dog gets too excited. I teach sit, down, etc. in a very calm manner and reward with treats. I repeat until a dog has it down pat. Then I can use those commands in the real world, under stressful situations and with no treats. The dog can't fake it with me then, play dumb, pretend he doesn't know the command or act like he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I know he's done it a thousand times and could do it blindfolded. I can hold him responsible for those commands and DEMAND that he perform them under any circumstances. At home and in a training environment, I can be very patient and take my time and make sure the dog understands. Once we are out in the world, and in a possibly dangerous situation, I know those commands have been implanted and drilled deep enough that I can use them in any situation.
The same for the OUT command. I purposely try to get the dogs excited and revved up in the house while playing, so I can take them back down. You'll notice in the videos of the OUT command the dogs are excited and you can hear the noises and growling, etc. That's by design, I purposely try to get them into that state, again, so I can bring them right back down with the OUT and LEAVE IT commands. Then I can use the same thing when I see them get overly excited or revved up by something going on in the outside world.
It is especially usefull when a pitbull sees another dog and wants to have a go at it.
So that's how Charlie and I spent our time training yesterday and today. I am now working on the finer details for Charlie. For example, I am working on allowing him free run of the house when I leave, so I don't have to worry about him destroying things when I'm gone. When I first got him, he was confined to one room with frequent checks. Now he has the whole house and I barely check on him. I also started working with Charlie in a vehicle today. It occurred to me that I haven't done that at all, and I don't want Charlie to flip out if I run in for milk and bread.
It was raining and ugly today, so I decided to do some running around with Charlie.
What better place to start then PetSmart. Charlie was very good on approach and entering the store. The place was packed and some type of dog class was going providing lots of distractions. Charlie behaved very well, I got a few compliments on his behavior and many people said what a beautiful dog he is. We came across many dogs, and Charlie didn't react at all, even when a few them barked aggressively at him. I had my pockets stuffed with his favorite treats and had several people, including 2 young children approach, pet Charlie and give him treats. I was very happy with Charlie, I saw no signs of aggression or fear.
Then I saw what I thought was the nice young lady that had helped previously. I saw her from behind and approached with Charlie. She turned around and it wasn't the same person, but I explained that I was training Charlie and would she please greet him and give him a treat. Charlie reacted very badly, and I had to get right in his face to get him back under control. I was able to calm him down and have her approach and give a treat, but I still didn't like the way it happened. Charlie was aggressive, and ripped the treat from her hand as opposed to his normal gentle way of taking it.
So my work is not done, but I don't know why he likes some people and reacts badly to others, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to who he doesn't like. I will say that it's getting better. What I mean is at first Charlie had a negative reaction to about half the people he met. That went down to about 1 out of 3 people he met and right now it seems to be about 1 in 8 or 1 in 10 people. But I'd much rather have that at something like 1 in 100,000, so as I mentioned, we still have some work to do. However, instead of having to work with 40 or 60 grit sandpaper, the real rough stuff to take off lots of material, we are working with 200 grit and putting the finishing touches on.
After PetSmart, I stopped twice: for bread and milk and at the video store. I didn't really need to do either, but I wanted to leave Charlie unattended in the vehicle and spy on him through the windows to see how he acted. The first stop was too quick, so I stopped again to wander around the video store for a while to see if Charlie got anxious. He was pretty good and didn't make a ruckus while I was gone, so that's good and not much needs to be done there.
After training for a while I decided to try and get some video so you can see his progress. I did it by myself, setting the camera on the counter top, so I apologize for the quality and focus but I think you can get an idea. I tried a few times to make sure I got what I wanted and things were visible. My first reaction while playing back to get the clips I wanted was boy am I bald!! Hair fleeing the top of my head like it's on fire!!
Anyway, what I got today is a little of Charlie's basic obedience, and his and Peanut's OUT.
You'll notice how good and quick Charlie's down is now. When I first got Charlie, he wouldn't lie down at all for me, I thought he was too fearful and insecure to allow himself to be in a vulnerable position. As you can see, not the case anymore. In fact, Charlie is making it difficult for me. He knows what I want now and reacts so quickly it is hard for me to even spit out the command before he is in position. I can't even get 'sit' out anymore, it's just automatic. Trust me, a good thing!!!
Here is Peanut demonstrating her OUT and LEAVE IT. Peanut's out and leave it have improved since Charlie has arrived, probably because we have spent time working on it. This is where I want Charlie to be before I place him. Again, these commands are very useful in the real world. If Charlie reacts badly to a person or dog, these commands should get him right back under control instantly, as they do for Peanut.
As you can see, Charlie's out is not yet where it needs to be, but it is much improved since I got him. I don't like having to say it 2 or 3 times though and we will continue to work on it until it is instant and complete, like Peanut's. I am not even to the point yet where I can attemp LEAVE IT, Charlie has to be rock solid and instant on the OUT first. But Peanut is going on 6 months work with me and Charlie is just over a week, so overall I am pleased with his progress. He is getting the basic concept, and I am able to bring his energy down after a little bit of effort.
Something else I have noticed is that Charlie and Peanut have gotten really close and now look out for each other. When I first got Charlie and left him and Peanut alone, I would quietly go and check on them when there was nothing going on. I would usually find Peanut in one room asleep and Charlie asleep in another room. Now, they are always curled up together, some part of their bodies touching. I think this is more positive sign from Charlie and his new outlook on the world.
Which brings me to my last video of the day. After training and other activities, and the treats that go with them, it's dinner time for the dogs. At first, because I didn't trust Charlie at all, I separated the dogs at feeding time. I also trained separately so that neither could try and go for the other's treat. For the last few days I train and provide treats together. Neither dog ever goes for the other's treat. I also feed together, right next to each other. Again, neither dog goes for the other's food or pays any attention to the other dog while eating. In the world of dogs this is very significant, as dogs left to their own devices are capable of killing each other over food.
In my view, my main task in completing Charlie's rehabilitation is getting over his unreasonable negative reaction to some strangers he meets. Unfortunately for me, even though this is not a big deal and most of his major problems are already solved, this will be very time consuming and require Charlie to be placed in a lot of situations where he can meet a lot of different people. Anyone who knows me at all will know that this is not easy for me, I am somewhat of a lone wolf and prefer to do things by myself and avoid lots of people in general and meeting strangers in particular. But for Charlie's sake, meeting strangers it will be until he is calm and confident meeting anyone.
March 9, 2009 -- Saint Clair Shores, Day 10
For the first time in over 2 days, no rain so we started the day with a very long walk around Saint Clair Shores. Both dogs were not good to start, many corrections required to get them back on point. Wanting to react to barking dogs, pull me around and just generally misbehave on lead. I had to struggle to not get angry or frustrated with them. That is to be expected since neither has been on a long walk in over 2 days, they were very excited to go for a walk and their energy was very high and focus low. But they came around in short order and we had a good walk with plenty of distractions. No dramas today and everything went pretty well. We passed several people walking dogs and I was pleased with Charlie's responses (to basically ignore).
We spent some time in the yard, I was on poop cleanup duty and just observing the dogs. Charlie no longer reacts violently to dogs barking in neighboring yards. Today was excellent, we were surrounded by barking dogs in nearly every yard surrounding mine and there was lots of noise and distraction, including a crying baby. It was almost comical how much barking and yapping was going on, but none of it was coming from my yard. Charlie was great, merely looking around and showing interest but not barking or reacting violently. A dramatic change from a week ago.
Later in the day, I left the dogs to it while I did some other things, laundry, housecleaning, etc. I heard a noise coming from the back of the house and went to find Charlie pulling books off the shelves. Time for a quick correction, nothing too severe, and give Charlie a bone. As with Peanut, I was simply showing Charlie what is not ok and then replacing with something that is ok. In these situations, I don't touch the dog or yell. I merely show some displeasure, point to what I don't want them touching and say, "No, you're not allowed to do that." Then I give them something that's ok and praise when they take interest in it. I put the stuff right back where it was, I have shown the dog it's off limits and now I am challenging him to leave it alone.
A while later, I heard more commotion and went back to find that Charlie had pulled all the sheets and blankets off my bed, and was thrashing about having a good ole time. On the floor was a completely chewed up book he had pulled from the shelf and basically destroyed (sorry Rick, it was the Tommy Chong book you lent me). A little more severe correction since Charlie chewed the exact book I had taken the time a while before to show him was off limits. I should say here that this is normal stuff for any dog, to be taught what is ok and what is off limits when they have free run of an entire house and very little supervision. I don't blame any of this on Charlie's past or his sometimes antisocial tendencies. Just a regular dog learning rules, boundaries and limitations in the house. Part of his overall training to make him trustworthy on his own with full run of the house. He was bored and unsupervised and just amusing himself. It took me about a month before Peanut was completely trustworthy in that way. I expect it to go much quicker with Charlie, he is not a puppy nor is he going through teething. He will stay in the cage for a while, till bedtime, and then I will let him and Peanut outside and then to bed as normal. Hopefully a lesson will be taught! Other than that, a good day all around and this is certainly not a big deal, as I mentioned, Charlie is acting more and more like a regular, well balanced dog with every day that goes by.
Since this page has gotten so long, and takes so long to load, I am dividing it up. To continue on to page 2 of Charlie's story, click here: