Active and strong, Kable was rescued from euthanasia from the Duncan/Cowichan SPCA. We were called to assess him the day before he was scheduled to be put to sleep. Why we wondered was this beautiful happy 3-year old sitting on death row in a shelter? Because he had sat in an enclosure for 6 months; because he couldn’t be walked on a leash they said; because he pulled and wanted to play tug with the leash; because he over-powered his inexperienced handlers. We brought him home immediately. Lack of training, where there is no aggression, is no excuse to consider euthanasia. Within 5 minutes of arriving home, Kable and I walked a half kilometer to the mailbox and back without incident.
I’ve kept silent about Kable’s story, but I can no longer. The BC SPCA and many other groups, are pushing for a ban of training tools like slip leads, pinch collars, ecollars, and cho
ke chains. A slip lead, a pinch collar and two toys, is what I used to save Kable’s life and make his world so much larger than an enclosure. Ask yourself – Is it appropriate to take the life of an untrained dog, or is it more appropriate and humane to correctly and professionally use a training tool to save his life and forever stop the behavior? All dog tools, even a nail clipper, can be used improperly. Ask for assistance from a professional trainer if you need to. Know or learn how to use training tools correctly. Don’t kill the dog because he wasn’t provided training. Don’t ban tools – educate & save lives!
The video link above demonstrates how quickly the right tools, used correctly, can immediately change behavior. This was minutes after arriving home from the shelter. Kable is thrilled to be enjoying his summer swims and hikes!
Debeau Rottweilers 