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From Fearful Puppy to Agility Competitor. Dezi's Story
Carol Harris, Certified Dog Trainer (ABCDT), Honors Graduate of Animal Behavior College
What could be more adorable than the three pound ball of black and white fluff that was our new 8 week old puppy? Dezi is a Havanese, chosen for the breed's small but sturdy size, companion role, and friendly, happy nature.
Yet, in a matter of days, it was clear that something was wrong. Dezi growl
ed and snapped at my husband and me he drewblood from my elderly Mom's thin skin. This was not what we envisioned when we adopted our puppy.
At the time, I was enrolled in a course to become a dog trainer. I knew enough to realize that we had a problem, but I lacked the experience to know what to do.
Fortunately, I knew an excellent trainer who came to our home when we'd had Dezi for just one week. After observing and hearing about Dezi's behavior, and trying for an hour to interact with him, she was unable to get Dezi to come within three feet, even for a liver treat. She confirmed that Dezi's behavior was not typical, and recommended that we take him to Dr. Radosta for a complete evaluation. I scheduled an appointment and got started the next day with the evaluation process.
Soon we were in Dr. Radosta's office where she spent 2 1/2 hours examining Dezi. We learned that Dezi was a fearful, anxious puppy, a condition that probably was genetic. Dr. Radosta told us that if we wanted a normal, easy puppy, Dezi would not qualify - he simply could not do it. If we chose to keep him, he would "always be a challenge".
I didn't know if we could live with this dog - his actions and his reactions to our family, friends, people on the street, other animals and new or unusual situations were constant unknowns. But, we realized that we already loved him and couldn't give him up.
Click here to read Dezi's story and watch him run in agility>>
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Lisa Radosta DVM, DACVB 
