TheDoggyGuru
Banned
- Joined
- May 24, 2007
- Messages
- 60
Hey guys.
Ok, so here's an interesting Peanut story. As most of you know (at least those that knew me as ElCuchillo), I work at Gatorland in Florida as an Alligator wrestler and reptile handler/wrangler/trainer. Well, I now not only work there, but have started my own dog behavior training business. Hence, my new handle. Anyway, my very first client was a sweet young lady who had rescued a dog. It had apparently been abandoned in the Bahamas, and most likely hunted it's food for years. Anyway, it was going to be euthanized because it had heart worms, and they couldn't cure that there. Long story short, she got the dog, shipped him over, and took him home. Problem is, it is cat aggressive, and she has 5 cats. She took it to a few trainers, and they told her he was beyond help. They said it was a breed thing (cop out, in my opinion) and there was nothing that could be done with him other then getting rid of him, or preferably putting him down. Well, I took the case and went to meet her. Turns out the dog is a Rottweiller. A big, 165 pound Rotty. Damn. What a way to start my business. Dealing with a powerful, stubborn breed who has already been turned away by other, more experienced trainers. On top of that, I had only a week to help, as they were moving. A WEEK!?!?!? This should take a few months of training. Now I have a week. Undaunted, I said I'd do it and help them out. Well, the week is over, and while there is still some work for them to do with him, the rotty is now living at ease with the cats. They went from having a dog totally and completely obsessed with the cats and any other small animals, to a dog who will still give them the occassional once over, but is much more handleable. I consider my first assignment a success.
How this applies to the forum? Well, Monday's session had a scary moment. I was trying to work with the owner on how to handle the dog with no leash, and use her body and presence to control him, when one of the cats bolts out from under a table. The crazed energy freaked the dog out and he went after the cat. He chased it into the kitchen and when I got in there, it had the cat pinned beneath it's mouth. Since the dog (they named it Gator in honor of the gator wrestler who trained him) was wearing a muzzle, I didn't think much of it. I didn;t think the cat was hurt, just scared. I grabbed Gator and pulled him away from the cat, and the cat came with him. CRAP!! THE MUZZLE HAD RIPPED!!!!! I immediately went to grab Gator's upper jaw to open his mouth, when I see the cat's paws release Gator's head. A Rotty having black fur, and the cat being black, they blended together. I couldn't tell that the cat had all four paws dug into Gator's head. The cat released and took off and I held onto Gator. After calming both Gator and his owner down, and after checking to make sure the cat was ok, I reassured the owner that these things do and WILL happen. It's our job to stay calm and more importantly, stay the course. Anyway, as I'm talking to her, I realize there's a bump on Gator's head. Looking down, see what looks like a cat's claw dug into his head. I couldn't get it out, so I pull out the pen blade on my Peanut and used it to remove the claw that was in his skin, splinter-like. Good thing Rottys have a big meathead, because it didn't go too far past his fur. However, once again, the tiny little Peanut came through for me.
EDC
Mail opener.
Box cutter.
Twine cutter.
Barbeque Spare Rib cutter.
Gator skinner.
Cat claw remover.
Is there anything this little guy can't do?
Ok, so here's an interesting Peanut story. As most of you know (at least those that knew me as ElCuchillo), I work at Gatorland in Florida as an Alligator wrestler and reptile handler/wrangler/trainer. Well, I now not only work there, but have started my own dog behavior training business. Hence, my new handle. Anyway, my very first client was a sweet young lady who had rescued a dog. It had apparently been abandoned in the Bahamas, and most likely hunted it's food for years. Anyway, it was going to be euthanized because it had heart worms, and they couldn't cure that there. Long story short, she got the dog, shipped him over, and took him home. Problem is, it is cat aggressive, and she has 5 cats. She took it to a few trainers, and they told her he was beyond help. They said it was a breed thing (cop out, in my opinion) and there was nothing that could be done with him other then getting rid of him, or preferably putting him down. Well, I took the case and went to meet her. Turns out the dog is a Rottweiller. A big, 165 pound Rotty. Damn. What a way to start my business. Dealing with a powerful, stubborn breed who has already been turned away by other, more experienced trainers. On top of that, I had only a week to help, as they were moving. A WEEK!?!?!? This should take a few months of training. Now I have a week. Undaunted, I said I'd do it and help them out. Well, the week is over, and while there is still some work for them to do with him, the rotty is now living at ease with the cats. They went from having a dog totally and completely obsessed with the cats and any other small animals, to a dog who will still give them the occassional once over, but is much more handleable. I consider my first assignment a success.
How this applies to the forum? Well, Monday's session had a scary moment. I was trying to work with the owner on how to handle the dog with no leash, and use her body and presence to control him, when one of the cats bolts out from under a table. The crazed energy freaked the dog out and he went after the cat. He chased it into the kitchen and when I got in there, it had the cat pinned beneath it's mouth. Since the dog (they named it Gator in honor of the gator wrestler who trained him) was wearing a muzzle, I didn't think much of it. I didn;t think the cat was hurt, just scared. I grabbed Gator and pulled him away from the cat, and the cat came with him. CRAP!! THE MUZZLE HAD RIPPED!!!!! I immediately went to grab Gator's upper jaw to open his mouth, when I see the cat's paws release Gator's head. A Rotty having black fur, and the cat being black, they blended together. I couldn't tell that the cat had all four paws dug into Gator's head. The cat released and took off and I held onto Gator. After calming both Gator and his owner down, and after checking to make sure the cat was ok, I reassured the owner that these things do and WILL happen. It's our job to stay calm and more importantly, stay the course. Anyway, as I'm talking to her, I realize there's a bump on Gator's head. Looking down, see what looks like a cat's claw dug into his head. I couldn't get it out, so I pull out the pen blade on my Peanut and used it to remove the claw that was in his skin, splinter-like. Good thing Rottys have a big meathead, because it didn't go too far past his fur. However, once again, the tiny little Peanut came through for me.
EDC
Mail opener.
Box cutter.
Twine cutter.
Barbeque Spare Rib cutter.
Gator skinner.
Cat claw remover.
Is there anything this little guy can't do?
Or Knife for use against attack-dog