Dozer

DOZER, DOB Unknown

Placed through Mastiff Rescue

From Chris Dodi, Dozer’s owner

I had filled out an application to work for mastiff rescue and after a few months, they called to inform me that they had received a call from a local shelter that a mastiff was there.  All they knew was that he was an 18-month old brindle and he had been left tied to the shelter's fence in the middle of the night.  Eventually they learned that his owner was a drug dealer fearing an arrest.  He tied the dog to the fence because he had made him so barrier-aggressive that he knew if the police came, they would have had to shoot the dog.  Even so, the shelter manager was able to talk down the mastiff and mastiff rescue reassured me that he was actually good-natured, just not trained.  And not neutered.  And he had probably never been in a car before because the hour-long trip home was most interesting, since he was determined to either drive or squeeze himself into the front seat of my Honda Civic.

After a year of intense training, behavioral counseling, obedience classes, copious hours of walking and dog-park socialization, I am proud to say Dozer passed his therapy dog test and began visiting a retirement home in Toronto.  Not long after that, he tested with children because he is great at doing nothing, which is a good thing, and was pegged as a therapy dog aide for a children's reading program.  As it turned out, he has become a regular visitor in a special school for disabled children and has been a great success.  In every way he has become the sweet, warm, cuddly goofus he was meant to be, and we love him dearly.

Comments

[Dawn]

We have a Dozer that is 18 months that looks just like him..:O) What a wonderful story...We are so lucky to have such a wonderful breed..and you are a special person to do what you do!!!

[Pam Dillon]

What a wonderful story, it brought tears of joy...way to go Dozer and Chris.

[Kristi]

What a great story! He looks snug as a bug in a rug!