Priest's Confessions 10/01/08 | Columnists | Summerville Journal Scene

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Priest's Confessions 10/01/08

Published Tuesday, September 30, 2008 1:00 PM

By Ellen Priest
Summerville Journal Scene ®

Harry’s in therapy.

Okay, not exactly therapy, but in “animal behavior training expert” consultation.

Harry, our beloved dog, has never been vicious, despite his large size and history of abuse. That changed the other night when my husband asked him to get off the bed.

Apparently, Harry was quite comfortable on the bed, and took issue to the request to move his 80-pound self to the floor.

He made that quite clear when he bit my husband on the lip.

My honey had made the mistake of bending close to Harry to repeat a request that was ignored the first time. Harry spent the rest of the evening in his outdoor cage as punishment.

What makes a dog with no former history of biting turn on his owner? And not only his owner – the family member he loves the best.

None of the other dogs will have anything to do with Harry, but my husband will play silly games with him, including keep away the dolly and wrestling. He loves my husband and I couldn’t fathom what would cause such behavior.

So I contacted a rescue group I have done some work with to see if they had any suggestions. The group includes an animal trainer and thus, Harry’s trip to the behaviorist.

Her analysis is that Harry just doesn’t know who is boss and we need to make him know. It was kind of like a trip to the “Dog Whisperer.”

I was quite ashamed that two adults with four college degrees among them don’t know how to raise a proper dog.

Harry used to get his exercise from running in a large fenced backyard. That apparently was not enough exercise or control for our Goober dog.

So, we now walk him on a leash.

The walks are rather tedious because part of our task, as we learn to become proper dog owners, is to show him who’s boss on the walks.

So he wears a choke collar and is brought up short any time he tries to take control of the walk.

He doesn’t seem to mind.

He’s remarkably happy to be walking and waits patiently until he is told he can walk again.

These walks are supposed to fix a myriad of bad behavior. They will satisfy his wanderlust and hopefully keep him from digging out of the yard. They will teach him who is boss and he will be happier knowing it. They will teach him control and the other dogs will then allow him to be part of their pack again.

As for us, I think there may be hope. We are learning to control this beast of a dog. The Dog Whisperer himself would be proud.

Hopefully, this will cure Harry of ever biting his owners, or anyone else, again.

Within one month, because of Harry, my husband has been stung by a nest of yellow jackets and bitten on the face. I tried to make him feel better about his wound by telling him I find men with scars on their faces incredibly attractive.

His gruff response? “Good thing.”

Obviously his training doesn’t involve an improvement in disposition.

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