Pets and Their People Blog

Some dogs spend so much of their relatively short time with us hoping to be noticed…hoping that the door may open, or the cookie cabinet will open, hoping for even a short massage. I see many dogs daily, weekly, yearly who are trying their best to live in our modern world, a world of rushing, Zoom calls, humans with good intentions but not much time…

We need to help dogs to feel accomplished, happy, cared for and heard. But in this crazy busy world, we might instead tend to push dogs too far.  

Over and over, the dogs always pay the price when they are put into situations which they just can’t handle. 

Recently, I had two people reach out to me whose homeowner’s insurance said they would drop them unless, with the first one they put the dog down, with the second one they get the dog out of their house.

A Cautionary Tale

The first situation involves an old client of mine who rescued a dog from the pound, a great pup who had a tough beginning. We muzzle trained, spoke to them about doing what’s best for the dog, trying hard not to put him in situations where he is afraid or defensive, never letting anybody go towards him, doing so many things to make his life better, front and foremost helping him to feel heard, showing and telling him that they had his back.

Well, wouldn’t you know last year they took him out of state to a sporting event? Husband took him for a walk where people were all over the place. A big man came running up saying that he loves dogs. The client said she didn’t know why her husband didn’t put up his stop sign, but he didn’t. Her husband said it was because the man seemed so sure himself.

The man crouched in front of the dog and leaned forward to pet his head. Sadly, the scared dog bit the stranger’s arm. 

A stranger leaning toward a dog is often seen as rude and confrontational. Some dogs don’t mind but many dogs do. 

The family kept in touch with the man and said they would pay any bills that he had. The man sued them for $500,000. Their homeowner’s insurance paid it and then told them that they need to put the dog to sleep, or they will lose their homeowner’s insurance. My client reached out to me right after the incident happened and then again after hearing from the insurance company, heartbroken of course.

I wish that I could use my Superman hero stuff and spin time back. Sadly, I can’t.  

I went to see them last weekend and wrote up a safety evaluation on their home and property as well as what they are doing for their dog. Thankfully, the insurance company agreed to insure them after seeing the evaluation! 

Know your dog. Do what’s best for him as much as you possibly can. 

Choose Kindness Over Violence

Early this morning, I heard about a similar insurance situation, but this lady used aversive methods after seeing me. This progression usually is not the case, as I believe I explain the ethical and humane parts of dog care and love pretty well. 

When I would run into this busy lady, she would pride herself on saying that she never has to shock him anymore, only show him the remote. That always makes me so sad, as I know that this dog lives with the constant threat of pain, fear and intimidation.

Now this dog as well, has bitten – for him, quite a few times. (I have to get you before you get me.) I saw him when he was a pup. He’s 7 now. She frantically called me saying that he needs to go, or their insurance will drop them. “Where can she bring him?” 

It is easier to prevent the unthinkable from happening than it is to spin the world back to before an awful event occurs.  

He is being put to sleep today. Heartbreaking. A truly nice dog whose family fell victim to a promise of a quick fix. I will send out some love to him today. I hope he feels it.  

Things happen, of course, but try your best to have your pet’s back. Be informed and focus on prevention. Be their advocate and for the love of everything with four paws, please, please always be kind. 

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About the Author

Debbie Sheridan is a proud Pet Professional Guild member, sitting on the Advocacy and Inclusivity committees. She is a certified Dog Bite Prevention Educator, certified Family Dog Mediator, applied animal behavior consultant, an end of life doula for companion animals and has completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course. She works primarily with fearful and anxious dogs who need extra understanding. You can find her at her Debbie’s 4 Dogs  website or Facebook Page  where she promotes kindness always for the win.

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Would You Like to Be Part of the Solution? Here’s an Amazing Pet Advocacy Opportunity!

This August, the Pet Professional Guild is hosting a fun and educational Celebrating Life Together Event , a two-part event designed to celebrate the lives we share with our pets.

• Part One is the Community Outreach competition, where we will saturate social media to spread great examples of humane, ethical, and effective pet care, training and quality time together. Winning and runner-up submissions will win amazing prizes!
• Part Two is a three-day Virtual Summit, August 16, 17 & 18, 2024. That’s three very full days of live virtual education featuring experts from around the world with the best methods, approaches, philosophies, and skills to enhance the lives we share with pets!

Watch this short video to discover how you (and your pets!) can get involved today:

Event Registration: https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars/celebrating-life-together-a-pet-approved-event/