Lynne Ambrose & Smokey, we when to a fundraiser in Gilchrest Park and Smokey had just bit me again, so I thought I would go and see what help was available. I met a woman there from the Shelter and when I told her how Smokey had been biting me and showed her my black and blue arm, she immediately said to me, “Come with me, you need to meet Dennis”. Dennis met with me and asked me what the problems were, did a quick evaluation, took my name and phone number and called me.
He came over to my house and gave me some tips on how to get Smokey to stop biting me and how I could take control of the situation.
He said I should bring Smokey to classes at Southwest K9 Academy and we would be able to correct his behavior. I was skeptical at first but I knew something had to be done. That was in December 2007 and I couldn’t believe the difference in Smokey in just a few months. Let me back up to the beginning, it all started in January 2007, I had decided I was ready to get another dog. I went to the web site of the Animal Shelter to see what they had available.
Two days later I opened my front door to see this little black dog sitting there. My last dog was a black female- this one was a male. I had never owned a male dog before but I figured he needed a home and I needed a dog – so I named him Smokey. Smokey is a Lab/chow mix and 95 pounds now. Everything was going along fine – no one claimed him so I brought him to my vet and had him checked out. I even started taking him to the Dog Park in Punta Gorda.
Then around July Smokey started biting me. He didn’t have any problems at the Dog Park or any problems with other people but when we got home, he started biting me and BITING ME HARD! He left a few marks and a few black and blues. My friends at the Dog Park said I should get rid of him but I felt he would only be put down as a “vicious dog” and I thought I could handle him, besides he had a rough life already being abandoned and I did not want to give up on him. Even my friends at the dog park can’t believe the difference in Smokey.
The biggest thing, of course, is no more biting, but there are so many more things. Smokey listens to my commands and now every morning when we go for our walk, I can walk him without a leash. I am confident that I can control Smokey in any situation and I believe that Smokey is a happier dog now. He had a lot of issues being a stray, but now he is one of the “advanced students” in Dennis’ classes. Best of all once I learned how to control him, he’s become the great dog I knew he would be.
Lynne Ambrose & Smokey.