About Woody

A dog who was written off by more than one dog trainer and expert. Some professionals even condemned him over a phone call without ever meeting him. That's something I just can't wrap my head around. I'm not some dog whisperer or certified expert, but condemning a being to death over a phone call? That's something truly human... Woody came to us from another shelter, where his previous owner had left him. He was originally brought in to assess his temperament - to determine if he was truly a dangerous dog better off being put down to prevent harm. He had attacked a trainer at the previous shelter. However, based on the available information, her approach was completely inappropriate and unsafe - simply put, she brought it on herself. Woody has definitely been damaged by humans, and on top of that, he has a rather unstable and unbalanced nervous system. He avoids eye contact and doesn't trust strangers. He reacts aggressively toward unfamiliar people through a barrier, but outside, he tends to ignore them. He is reactive to other dogs. He doesn't tolerate handling well. He can get quick procedures like vaccinations done while wearing a muzzle, but longer treatments require sedation. It takes a long time for him to let someone in. He has been with us for several years now, and his chances of finding a home are slim. ��%BD��%BD%BD��%BD��%BD%81 On the other hand, Woody can be incredibly cute - when he trusts and feels safe, he loves being scratched, playing with balls, chewing, sniffing, and scent games. He knows how to enjoy life, run around outside, and roll around like a happy, normal animal. He loves water and would swim until he dropped. For years after he arrived, we worked very well together. He had several people he liked (in his own reserved way), he was trained to accept the muzzle willingly, even putting his nose into it himself. Outside in a calm environment, he responded well to his handler and tolerated light handling. Unfortunately, a few months ago, one of us made a tiny mistake - a mistake any 'normal,' balanced dog would have forgiven after years of positive experience - but for Woody, it triggered a defensive reaction and he attacked. The result was a very badly bitten hand, and everything we had built over the years collapsed like a house of cards. So now, we're starting almost from scratch - maybe even below zero. Woody has become nervous and withdrawn. We now have to rebuild trust to allow for necessary, everyday handling like muzzling and minor treatments. Unfortunately, with a dog of his size and strength, we simply cannot risk him doing something like that again. Because, let's face it - we all make mistakes. But we're not giving up on Woody. He was broken by people, and he deserves to be happy.

Zbuzany, Czech Republic