By Karen Vogt Pierce - Wil-Brook’s Point the Way, AX, OAJ, NAP, NJP, OAC-V, TDIAOV, R1-MCL, VCCX After my little Tori went to the Rainbow Bridge I was looking for a small female Sheltie to be a companion to little Misha. I was looking at a very energetic little tri female, but Misha said, "NO WAY is this obnoxious little thing coming to live with us!" Misha picked Pierce, so Pierce it was! Shortly after Pierce came to live with us, he started exhibiting fearful behaviors. As he was only a few months old, I attributed this to a normal puppy fear period and just kept socializing him. As time went on, however, I realized I had a serious fear aggression problem on my hands. When my sweet, cute, cuddly ball of fur, Pierce, started acting like "Cujo", it was very distressing to say the least. Trying to take him for a walk was a traumatic experience, every time. He would lunge, growl and bark at anything and everything that moved - cars, children, adults, bicycles, dogs and cats (and many that did not, such as fire hydrants and mailboxes). Less than 20 pounds, he was strong enough to pull me off my feet, causing me to slip on ice and hurt my back.I had been training dogs in obedience and doing pet assisted therapy for 10 years, so I was not a clueless, first-time pet owner who didn't know which end of the leash was up. I had worked in classes with other people's dogs with aggression problems, but this was the first one to live in my home. I had Pierce neutered, stepped up his obedience training and socialization, and enrolled him in agility class to build his confidence. I consulted with 7 different trainers, many of whom said I should rehome him or worse... Although at times I was afraid of him and often frustrated to the point of tears, I wasn't prepared or willing to go down that road. I made a commitment to Pierce and I was determined to find a way. It took about 3 years, but with a lot of hard work, Pierce started coming around. We started reaping the rewards of all of our hard work. Pierce passed his Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog tests and to date has over 150 documented visits. He’s an especially great therapy dog with my Mother. He has also earned several titles in agility, his APDT Rally 1 title and his Clever Canine Companions Versatility Excellent title. Pierce’s accomplishments mean so much to me because of all the time and effort (and yes, aggravation) spent along the way. I am so proud of Pierce! He has overcome so much and is such a pleasure now. After about a year of being able to relax and enjoy spending time with Pierce at trials and other public places, he came down with inflammatory bowel disease, which is for the moment, under control. We had a serious scare last year when Pierce’s liver enzymes went through the roof. I suspect it was caused by a medication Pierce was on to control the IBD. I’m happy to report that at the moment Pierce is feeling very well, both physically & emotionally. I have a very special relationship with Pierce. It’s hard to describe, but we have a closeness that I haven’t had with any of my other dogs. I think perhaps, it’s because we went through so much together to get where we are today.
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