Dobby - The dog on the BE line · Dog Training Community

Dobby - The dog on the BE line

The story of Dobby - Dog on BE line

We found Dobby on an online marketplace for a small rehome fee and only requested a leash and collar. We got the leash and collar, accidentally forgot to pull out the cash.

We met at an off-leash dog park with our female dog (Santa). When this beautiful purebred husky, came out of the vehicle, he was nothing but skin and bone with a bobble head, anxious, but explorative. He had a chain around his neck and the short lady we met with had a cast on.

We talked for a couple of minutes, she talked about how "she had his mom and sold him off but then was dumped on her farm later", how "she couldn't handle him anymore", the fact that "he lived in a fenced area on the property and does well on a chain", along with "never been an inside dog".

I knew I had a handful on my hands, but he needed help, she couldn't "keep up" with it anymore. We put on the collar and leash, she was fine with waiving the fee as we forgot it, "she was just happy he was going to a good place".

My partner immediately re-named him Dobby after she left.

Dobby immediately took to our female dog, and was all over my partner who was with me. I knew I had a bit of work on my hands, but I didn't know how bad.

Dobby's behavior and actions, showed me something that I have seen from learning through my years of dog training and working with dogs. The behavior of "alpha theory training". This, unfortunately included a lot of abuse towards him. He was only about 1.5 years old, not very old at all. But, a 1.5 yr old, purebred husky, filled with trauma and abuse - due to no fault of his own.

It took us about 4 months, before he would calm down enough to stop having him fully tethered within the house, just to get used to being inside. It would take another 4 months after that for him to slowly start to trust me. Little did I know, did I look like his abuser (short female myself, similar structures)

Dobby was filled with separation anxiety from when my partner would go to work; he was reactive to protect himself, scared of every move that happened inside the house, aggressive with resource guarding, not trained in not nipping, and worst of all - skipped growling and went straight to defense. A recipe, qualifying for behavioural euthanasia.

I was determined to get him off that line. He didn't deserve this. It wasn't his fault. But, I knew we were his last hope.

So far, we have had Dobby for almost 2 years. He is still traumatized, but slowly healing. Positive reinforcement for wanted actions to help him learn. Stern boundaries. Lots of daily love. Routines.

He now free roams the house. We can leave for a few hours and he will be fine with just Santa there. We can grab things from him as he walks by with something he shouldn't have. (if he gets to his area then we need to still lure him away, but getting easier to lure away! Our fight with him is on mainly socks only though... 🤣 his favorite thing to try to grab), he can be around children and kids (still working on those hyper playful nips, but getting better!), we got him growling again! No more skipping the growling stage! Best of all, he also feels comfortable enough to use his voice and "bicker" at us 🤣

We still have a lot of work to do, especially with more socializing, dealing with trauma, and helping him have more self confidence. Unfortunately, about 6 months after working with him, I ended up with a chronic injury that put me on modified bedrest for the next year - something that put a huge pause in our work with him (and personal life due to finances, housing, etc. because of this injury) but beyond the trauma he will heal from with time, he is no longer on the BE line. 💕🐾

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