Bowie (bite history)

Bowie is a 2yr old Cardigan Welsh Corgi that was saved from the Orange County shelter in mid Jan. 2022. He was “rescue only” due to biting in his household. It was reported that Bowie bit one of his owners on multiple occasions, had a poor relationship with them, and would snap or bite when he was being petted. There were multiple attempts to bite when he was being muzzled. The most recent incident occurred when he was being pet. Bowie began to growl, bark, then lunged and bit his owner’s hand. He displayed food aggression, didn’t like being leashed up, didn’t like his neck touched, or the back of his head touched. Bowie would pull away, back up, or attempt to snap. With his overall demeanor and reactions within the home, his family was too fearful to discipline him when he misbehaved. While in bite quarantine at the shelter, Bowie would avoid being leashed up and was unsure of shelter staff, at times being a challenge to remove him from the kennel. It was noted that his overall demeanor in the shelter was untrustworthy for staff to take out and interact with. Prior to being saved from the shelter, we were able to meet and interact with Bowie in one of the shelter yards. Time was spent engaging in “follow the leader,”  basic commands, muzzle conditioning, and being leashed and unleashed. Bowie is very food motivated, making treats a very valuable tool for dogs as insecure and untrustworthy as Bowie. In working with Bowie and getting to know him, it’s very evident that he’s insecure and has a difficult time trusting people, which is not uncommon when it comes to sensitive dogs. The first couple of weeks were spent teaching him the household rules and boundaries, to wait for release commands, and to look for direction. He definitely showed his food aggression and would challenge back when asked to not counter surf. In moments like those, it’s vital that we remain calm, stand our ground using our body to block him from accessing what he’s challenging us for, and backing him away until he calms down. He did well being desensitized to being leashed and unleashed, eventually allowing gentle pettings around the neck area. Once he allowed his neck area to be touched, we engaged in calm body massages and belly rubs, working our way to the back of his head, under his collar, and towards the more sensitive areas of his body. The important step with Bowie was being patient and not pushing it in order to not break his trust. By holding back and giving him the opportunity to get comfortable before moving forward, he recognized he had bodily autonomy VS us “invading” his space, creating trust, and a more open dog. Being patient with these interactions also allowed us humans to remain calm and relaxed VS tense, unsure, or anticipating a reaction, which a dog can feel, adding to the mistrust. Once a relationship was established and Bowie built a connection, he revealed a very sweet, gentle, affectionate, and playful side to himself. He was very polite about not jumping, calmly sitting with sweet eyes, waiting for a chest scratch, would roll over and accept belly rubs and massages on his legs and paws. He’s incredibly intelligent and picks up on routines rather quickly so keeping him guessing and engaged with small changes sometimes worked to our advantage. He loves playing fetch - easily his favorite past time, walks well on leash, and is great at his place command. You’ll frequently find Bowie has taken himself to his bed and relaxes until something is asked of him. Bowie is nowhere near ready for a home, but we can say for certain that he will require a very special home. He’ll require consistency, diligence, and patience. He is not a “plug n play” kind of dog - he needs very clear guidance, direction, and accountability in order to develop trust and respect, which opens the door to a more intimate relationship. It’s going to take a committed and dedicated home for this boy to thrive - we know they’re out there, somewhere. Until that home is found, we’ll continue opening him up and learning more about him. Bowie is a very loved, one of a kind, unique soul that’s already become a cherished member of the QBSDR family.