Originally posted by cloverfdx
thats good that he has found a game that he enjoys (be it not the best type of game) one that encourages growling and biting
As someone who has had dog companions my whole life and has learned a great deal about dog behaviour and interaction, I know the difference between REAL growling and biting and PLAY growling and biting. The latter is very natural and harmless behaviour.
if you knew henry was a abused dog why did you hit him when he went after the cat.
Henry was not BEATEN in his previous life, he was NEGLECTED. And there is a difference between ABUSING and BEATING a dog and PUNISHING a dog. If you believe that there is never ever a situation that warrants hitting a dog, then we'll just have to agree to disagree. The threat of lethal violence towards another animal or human is a situation that calls for extreme measures, in my opinion.

Henry had been placed with several other people before I adopted him, unsuccessfully. He was a very difficult, adolescent, male hound that was out of control and refused to accept his owners' authority and was not getting the kind of vigorous exercise he required. I was told that if this placement did not work out, Henry would probably end up being euthenized. I could have bought myself a nice, cooperative, docile breed of dog, but I instead opted to commit myself to saving the life of this dog, and knew in advance that it would be a very challenging task.

When I brought Henry home (6 months ago) he didn't just run after my cat (actually my mother's cat), he literally tried to kill her. Could I have handled their introduction differently in order to avoid that situation? Yes, but hindsight is 20/20 and I had not dealt with a dog like Henry before. It all happened very fast, and I instinctively recognized the need for Henry to understand in no uncertain terms that such behaviour would not be tolerated. I only had to repeat the "don't kill the cat" lesson once more after that, and then never again have had reason to punish Henry physically.

The next two months of training in other areas were extremely difficult, almost impossible, and I was often driven to tears in my frustration. Being both very knowledgable about and previously very successful in training dogs, I completely exhausted my repertoire of positive reinforcements and was at my wit's end as to how to solve the one remaining and persistent behaviour problem -- Henry's frequent refusal to come in from the field when called and/or refusal to get back on leash. Never letting Henry off-leash was not an option, as Harrier Hounds are a breed that require a great deal of exercise and need to run and track as per their nature. They simply do not work out as pets if they do not have that outlet, as demonstrated by Henry's previously unsuccessful adoption placements.

In the end, after much consultation with dog trainers, and those knowledgable about hounds (vs your average domestic dog), I made the decision to get Henry a shock collar, and very reluctantly. I'm sure you are gasping in horror at that too, but it turned out to be the best thing I could have done. It literally saved Henry's life, and I only wish I had done it sooner.

I only had to use the collar's "shock" setting a couple of times, and Henry's behaviour instantly changed. For a couple of weeks after that, I only had to use the "beep" setting, and after that I only had to point the receiver at him. Now I only have to give a voice command, and he always responds. In the last few weeks I have not even had to call him, he now comes in from the field on his own. Nonetheless, in view of his history, I continue to keep the collar on him when in the field, just in case.

Rest assured that Henry is far from being a traumatized, abused dog. He is now a very happy, healthy dog who has learned to accept reasonable boundaries in his life, and is a delightful addition to our family. The hard work and perseverence involved in rehabilitating him has made him even more precious to me.