I tried to adopt a cute small terrier mix male adult dog that the spca staff thought would be a good match for our older Yorkie female. They also said he was having a rough time handling shelter life so he was in a separate area with similar dogs. The two dogs seemed to get along during introductions and when I took him home he initially seemed fine. We kept the dogs separated for observation and because by that time the resident dog started to get ill.
But on two occasions in 48 hours he thought I was going too close to his toy, he attacked me without warning (no growling to warn me there was a problem), biting and shaking me in the process. I got three bad bites As a result and probably would have been mauled if he was bigger. He ran for cover after each time, snarling and growling in fear, even though my reaction was to ignore him. It was then I knew he had been mistreated previously and that those who gave him up lied about his biting. I called spca and they agreed to take him in for training. I could not take him back for fear that he’d attack our Yorkie who had gotten very sick by this time, or my elderly parents who would be looking after him while I was at work. But I am still heartbroken because he still has not been adopted after over a year.
I really think that he needs a foster who knows how to and is willing to deal with extreme resource guarding issues. The spca ad for him only mentions he has special needs, is not good around children. It’s also sad that the prior owners lied about his behavior. The spca could have addressed this much earlier. Perhaps they should be forthcoming about his problem instead of minimizing it on his ad. I suspect that is why he has not been adopted. But they really need to target that special person willing to work with him and his issues.
#AdoptingaPet