How are they with other dogs?: Roxy

When I’m at the shelter, one of the most frequent questions I get from adopters is “how are they with other dogs?” While we try our best to test dogs to see if they are friendly, sometimes we just don’t know. We have to do introductions on-leash, one dog at a time. It’s a very unnatural way for dogs to meet but we have to ere on the side of caution because if anything goes wrong it could cost the dog its life. Often, one or both of the dogs are straining at the end of the leash and it’s not always clear if their intentions are good. If we don’t know, we won’t take a chance but this can greatly diminishes their chance of getting adopted or rescued. With bully breeds, they have to be held to a higher standard because of the stereotypes and misinformation that is out there. For example, if a little chihuahua and a pit bull meet and the chihuahua is lunging and trying to attack the pit bull and the pit bull is remaining as calm as he can but then gives a “warning” growl…who’s going to get blamed/labeled as aggressive? Unfortunately, it’s usually the pit bull. And once a dog has been labeled as possibly dog aggressive, it’s hard to remove that label.

Roxy was a dog that fit into this category. I met her way back in January 2009 when her previous owners turned her into West LA shelter. She quickly became a volunteer favorite because of her super friendly, “in your face” personality. She had a big wide smile that no one could resist. When her time at the shelter was up we tried to get her into a rescue but they wanted to know how she was with other dogs. The truth is, we just didn’t know so they passed on her. Roxy’s last option was to be relinquished for a fee, to a man that came recommended by other rescue groups. He would keep her as his own and work with her on whatever issues she had.

Fast forward seven months…the man she was living with was on the news and being charged with animal cruelty! Roxy was one of the many evidence dogs that ended up at the Downey shelter. She was super skinny and had lost all her hair, but she was alive. So now what? Well, the volunteers who knew her tried to get her into a rescue again, but the question was still…how is she with other dogs?

This is where Lori enters the picture. Knowing that we were struggling with what to do; she kindly offered to pay for Brandon Fouche to evaluate Roxy and put her with his pack so we would know once and for all…how is she with other dogs? So what’s the answer you ask? Turns out that she’s great with Brandon’s pack of dogs! She can be pushy and “in your face” with the dogs, just like with people, but she also knows her place and doesn’t want to fight. She’s been boarding with him while she waits for her forever home and gets to go on daily hikes with all the dogs! Roxy’s been through a lot in the last 15 months but she still has her big wide smile. If you are experienced with bullies and are a strong, confident leader, please consider giving this happy girl the forever home that she finally deserves!

Roxy is being adopted through Karma Rescue (www.karmarescue.org) with lots of help from Lori and the DDR family. If you would like to meet Roxy, please email me at blackjacksbark@gmail.com or call 323-274-2477.

As a final thought, if you are considering adopting a dog, going through a rescue like DDR is a great option because they will get to know all their dogs in a pack setting and will be able to pass that information on to you (Do they love all dogs? Only certain dogs, etc.) If you fall in love with a dog at the shelter (and there are so many to love!) and discover they might not be great with other dogs, having them evaluated by someone like Brandon can be a great benefit. They might be fine with other dogs and just have really crappy leash manners.