Re: [pyrnet] The Spokane dog and rescue

["Robyn Allwright" <ziffanyrobyn@earthlink.net>]

> A male Pyr taken from a shelter with no history available should be
> considered a potentially dangerous dog until he has had ample time and
> opportunity to be proven otherwise. Optimally, all dogs coming out of a
> shelter would first go to a rescue-affiliated foster home where an
> experienced Pyr person could come/already lives to do a complete
> temperament test. 

I agree with Linda and Katie on this, with first hand experience with a
shelter dog.  Our first rescue was an owner turn-in to a Tennessee shelter.
For the first two weeks, this dog (a female) seemed to get along well with
at least our youngest Pyr, who happened to be very much an omega girl. 
Then suddenly, the foster turned on all of our dogs.  We immediately
realised that this dog could not be kept with any other dog.  We had a
separate area for her, so this wasn't an issue.  Because we had not been
able to talk to the original owner (only had very sketchy information at
best from the humane society folks) we had no real clue that she had this
problem.  Fortunately, we were able to find her a suitable home with no
other dogs.  (BTW -- she is fine with other animals, such as cats, people,
children, and dogs when they are not on her own territory).

So, unless you have the appropriate place to house a dog released from a
shelter, you may wind up with much more than you bargain for.  

I believe Scott Cook from Florida had a situation last year with a male Pyr
that had a Jeckle & Hyde personality.  Once again, this was not immediately
evident (if I remember the story correctly), but the dog had to be put down
because of his aggression toward people.  I'm not saying that Gil is like
this at all.  Just that dogs are animals, not you children (although I
prefer mine to any child!), and because of their nature must be treated
with a certain amount of caution.
 
--- Robyn Allwright
--- ziffanyrobyn@earthlink.net
--- Ziffany Grea