If you’ve been a long-time follower or friend, you know that we are 100% honest and transparent about the dogs who come into our care. We have had so many successes with the sweet old seniors we have taken in. Some have found forever homes while others remain here. But there is one who is different from the rest. That’s Boomer. His age, 10-11, may say “senior” but his actions definitely do not. He’s very healthy, active, and smart. And sadly, has a very bad past. We met someone who knew him and his previous owner, and they told us that she verbally and physically abused him. And it shows.
We were told by the shelter where we pulled him from that he was a resource guarder. Okay, we can deal with that. Olive and Ransom have that issue. No problem, we thought! However, once we got to know Boomer, his other issues came to light. He’s highly territorial. He will growl and go after any dog who comes near him when he's in his crate. He will also get fearful and crawl into a corner and will not come out. He gets aggressive if you try to get him. He loves to be on the sofa with you but he also loves to claim your seat if you get up! But then, he will get aggressive if you try to get him to move. We can tell that these reactions are a result of the abuse he suffered in his previous life. Our vet recommended anti-anxiety medication to help him to overcome his fears. We did not see much of a change in him so the vet has added a new med. We are hopeful that it will help.
We have taken things very, very slowly with Boomer. We have wanted to gain his trust. He have done very basic obedience with him. He knows sit, come, watch, and now he knows “kiss!” He’s a very smart guy. He gets a lot of exercise, but would probably like more! Now we are stepping up our game. We enrolled him in a scent work class which he loves and excels at. We are practicing that at home too. We are now teaching him clicker training and targeting. This little dude needs not only to do something with his brain but also to take direction from us without feeling threatened.
We’re very excited about the game plan for Boomer and believe that he will respond well to our efforts. After all, when Ransom first came here, he was a terrible biter. Now he’s a lover! We see that potential in Boomer and are holding that positive thought for him.
Because of this time-consuming effort for Boomer, we are temporarily halting any new additions to our program. We’re sad about this because there is so much need for our help. However, it’s very important that we give proper care for the dogs already here. Boomer has an interested adopter but we feel that he needs to progress a little more before we send him off. Please send positive thoughts to Boomer to help him become a happy guy!
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