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I was called out on two jobs yesterday. A solicitor with a West Highland terrier he claimed was rather aggressive and a lady in Wilmslow with a Bullmastiff that had savaged another dog in the park.
I knew I could handle a little terrier but I took backup for the Bullmastiff. If I had to rein in 110lbs of raging dog I was going to need an extra pair of hands on standby.
Titan, the mastiff, met me at the front door demanding attention. I gave him none. He made direct eye contact, a dangerous challenge in the dog world; I stared out of he window. The introduction was over. Titan knew I posed no threat but didn’t intend to be intimidated. From then on reintroducing him to other dogs was easy. Titan just needed a leader.
Max, the Westie, was a different character altogether. There was no greeting from him. Max stood aloof, no sniffing, no hello. Soon as I tried to attach his lead Max went into a state of pure rage snapping and biting like an alligator.
It took me almost twenty minutes to gain his grudging respect. Max was not used to submission. We parted on friendly terms but have a lot more work to do.
If you plan to rescue a dog do not be fooled by breed. It’s merely a suit he/she wears and says nothing about the dog within. A mastiff can be gentle as a Labrador it’s all down to Leadership.
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