Welcome Miles!

Miles, the Rottie with the rather extensive bite history, heads home, rather than back to the rescue! First of all, kudos the Take Paws, another local Nola rescue who has embraced the tools, training, and mindset of balanced training. Just to clarify, I'm not saying they only use a balanced approach, what I am saying is that they've had the courage to try our approach with some of their more challenging dogs-and that is an amazing development for rescues, owners, and most of all the dogs who are desperate to find the training guidance which will allow them to find their forever homes. Miles has several bites on his record, which are almost certainly the byproduct of too much leniency, permissiveness, and overall soft interactions sans valuable consequences for poor choices. What we found was a very happy to work, very happy to take direction, and an extremely different-and safer-dog once all the structure, rules, and leadership were implemented. You know, the stuff most rescues regard as abusive, inhumane, and detrimental. This work we were allowed to do IS the sole reason he was able to be adopted. Without it, he would have likely remained a swaggery, pushy, disrespectful, and dangerous Rottie-responding exactly as he should to a soft, permissive, doting environment. Second, a huge tip of the hat to his new owners, who are well aware of Miles history, who fully understood the lifestyle/effort/work needed to Keep him safe, and who were fully prepared fully prepared to embrace the training tools as well as the safety tools like the muzzle and dragging a longline until they feel comfortable. They've still got lots of work to do, and lots of learning to do, and we're anxious to help guide them as they make their way-but the priority was safety first. (Which is why he went home in a muzzle.) It's heartbreaking to know how many dogs like Miles, and how many dogs who are far, far easier than Miles, will never get the chance at finding a home, or even to live, simply because of a flawed belief system that thinks that soft, permissive, doting is how we best serve shelter and rescue dogs. Heartbreaking because it's precisely the absence of the structure, rules, tools, and accountability (consequences positive and negative) which dooms these dogs to being locked away, warehoused, and euthanized. Remember, rescuing doesn't mean pampering, loving, and feeding the emotions that are rewarding to you. It means enabling a dog to be able to successfully navigate and function in our human world-even if it makes you uncomfortable. At least that what it means if you truly care about dogs, and not just the actions which make you feel good and virtuous. Better to find your virtue in the reality of success rather than in the delusion of your emotions.
If you've a dof you need help with, be it puppy challenges, off-leash obediance and manners, or serious behaviour issues, The Good Dog's unique approach to training and rehabilitation has been helping owners and dogs find their way for over 15 years.
www.thegooddogtrainingneworleans.com