Part 2 - Buddy Moves into his first house
Owner #2
Two weeks after the accidental death of their dog, a couple went to the breeder to purchase Buddy as a pet. Upon seeing his condition they state they thought he needed rescuing from the breeder so they purchased him.
Owner #2 said Buddy smelled terrible and was severely matted so they contacted a groomer for assistance with him. Upon shaving they state the groomer found several cuts on his body which they said were inflicted by the breeder when the breeder tried to trim out some of the mats. The breeder denies having done this, however, so it is hard to know when the wounds were inflicted or how. Could Owner #2 have tried to trim out the mats before enlisting the help of the groomer and cut Buddy in the process? Or could the groomer have nicked Buddy with the clippers when they were shaving out all the mats? Or, could Buddy have gotten the wounds some other way? At this point we have to accept we will never know. The only reliable piece of information I have are the pictures I was shown, which were taken after the groomer shaved Buddy and showed what looked to me like relatively fresh wounds, but based on what each of those involved told me, no-one claims to have inflicted them. Why is how Buddy got the wounds important? It isn't critical to know, but if it is possible to find out it is helpful in predicting his future behavior if he was put in a similar situation in the future. It would tell us what we may need to desensitize him to. Working with what we do know, the fact that there were wounds tells us that Buddy had been injured and was in pain, the fact that he was severely matted (which I did see in photos) tells us he had been in pain for some time.
One of the cuts required stitches, so the groomer contacted a veterinarian who stitched Buddy up, gave him vaccinations, and did an exam. The vet found Buddy had heartworms.
Up to this point it has been reported to me that Buddy, while acting scared, did not act aggressively toward anyone.
Buddy settled into his new home. Per Owner #2, Buddy was treated with love and showered with toys. Buddy was surprisingly well mannered in the house; no house soiling, no chewing items other than toys, etc. He was quickly given full run of the house and access to the furniture whenever he wanted. Although he was well behaved in the house, he did show fear of things in the house such as his reflection in various surfaces, household noises, anything new, etc. The owner states Buddy was acting fearful of people, so they were taking him on walks in their neighborhood which they thought would help socialize and train him.
Buddy Shows Aggression
Unfortunately, over time, Buddy started to show signs of aggression toward the man of the house and toy guarding aggression. Buddy was undergoing heartworm treatment at the time, which is very painful, and that added to the aggression. The owners sought the help of their veterinarian who prescribed anti-anxiety medication but, according to the veterinarian, told them they needed to take Buddy to the Veterinary Behaviorists at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The vet explained the medication was not going to solve the problem and that behavior modification was needed. Veterinary Behavior is the specialty that should be consulted for the proper use of anti-anxiety medications, and they are well versed in aggression and how to deal with it in a way that has the best chance of being successful. The owners opted instead to go to a local trainer for assistance. According to the owners, the veterinarian never did tell them to go to a veterinary behaviorist, just that he needed training. This is just one of many pieces of conflicting information I have received from all involved in Buddy's past. In any case, Buddy was not taken to the professional (veterinary behaviorist) who could have helped with his behavior problems before they escalated.
Read Part 3A - Buddy goes to School
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