One of the boys. AKA Sam I Am, Sammy, Sam Sam, Chunky Monkey. Previously know as Whistler.
About four years ago, I got an email from a dog trainer that I had worked with. This was the email. Honest .... after all these years, I've kept it. I know, I'm weird.
I have a client who is looking for a new home for her male miniature poodle, "Whistler". He is black/grey approx. 5 yrs. old and neutered. The owner called me for training in March '07 because he had growled & nipped at their housekeeper when she tried to take a tissue away from him and did the same with family members if they tried to move him from his resting spot (on chair, couch, or bed, etc.). Her 10 y.o. son antagonizes Whistler (pokes at him, gets in his face) and so Whistler has nipped/bitten him on four occassions. Her 13 yr. old teenage daughter spoils and babys him - which is part of the problem. He does some guarding of bones, chews, etc., and so I would work free of charge with his adopter and take them through my leadership and resource guarding protocol/training - which has very good results. Keep reading...!
I feel sad about this - at the time we were training, they had a deposit on a golden retriever puppy and were thinking about getting rid of him then. It felt as if they were already "replacing" him. I found him to be very charming and he responded very well to my firm, calm, leadership energy. I was able to move him off his spot on his chair with no problems. He was very trainable and loved working for treat rewards and I found him a lot fun to work with - very intelligent. I think he would do completely great with an owner who would not spoil him, but be a good, firm, fair leader for him. I would love to take him myself if I didn't already have 3 dogs - which is my husband's current limit (not to mention any board and train dogs that are here for training!).
She told me today that she hasn't been able to find a home for him and that she'll most likely put him down if I don't get any leads. If she takes him to a shelter, they'll have to put him down because of the bite history - they can't adopt him out for liability reasons. There are some dogs that I would recommend euthanasia for if I think the aggression is not rehabilitatable, but this dog is SO NOT one of those dogs.
Let me know if you or anyone you know would be interested. I don't normally send out these kinds of announcements, it's just that this little guy really made an impression on me. I remember telling my husband about him back in March - saying how cool he was...
Now if you are a dog lover, or even if you're not, you've probably seen email after email from folks trying to find homes for fabulous dogs that, for no fault of their own, are in tough situations. I read them and my heart breaks. I immediately start contemplating whether I can take another one, or who I know who might just love a dog like that. But Whistler's story just stuck with me. I found myself checking on his status and trying to sell the idea of him to anyone that I thought might possibly be a good fit. The problem was that one word "bite". Everyone ran from the idea of a dog that already had a bad history.
After about a month, I let them know I would take him. I magnanimously said "If I can break him of biting, I will find him a home. If I can't, we will figure out what comes next." Don't I sound all rescuer like?
So Sam came to Creekstone. This was day one. Doesn't he look relaxed? Poor puddin'. He was fat still is), and wearing a turquoise sweater with sequins (that went away in the first two minutes).
He was clearly so confused. He had only known one family and now he was in a strange house with new people and an annoying little white dog.
Every time something would happen that made him feel unsure, he would run to his crate, lie down and lick his lips.
The trainer explained that dogs would lick their lips to sooth themselves. There was a lotta lip licking going on.
I didn't really like the name Whistler, and half of my face was paralyzed (another story) and saying Whistler was not the easiest thing in the world for me.
My father was suffering with Alzheimer's Disease disease at the time and really couldn't hang on to names. But as I was growing up, he had always called me Sam. I don't know why. I'm sure he didn't know why. But he called me Sam, and it was a name he could remember. So Whistler became Sam. Whistler had a bad reputation. Sam had no reputation.
I would love to say that I did something miraculous with Sam and changed a bad dog to a good dog. Honestly, Sam was just a good dog looking for a place to be good. We had a couple of rocky spots in that first week. But correction was a simple "we don't do that here". Yeah, I know he didn't understand those words, but I promise, that and an occasional "NO" was all that I did. No dog whispering needed.
Roscoe liked him right off. And Roscoe grew on Sam.
After a couple of weeks, I was having a glass of wine with some friends and one of them reminded me that I had said that I would find Sam a home if I could break him from biting.
I sheepishly said "I did. He lives here now."
Knowing me well, they all started to laugh. No one had doubted that once Sam got here, he would never go anywhere else.
Sheesh ...
So now I have two boys. They are as different in personality as they are in color. Sam is sweet and loving and hates to be in trouble. (Roscoe .... he's another story.) I find it funny that all of the people who were afraid to take Whistler now would love to have Sam. But that isn't happening. He has found his forever home. And my life is better for it.
Looking for a good dog? Try one that other people don't want. You might just find your own Sam.
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