It’s been back to back expert witness behaviour assessments/reports for the courts these past few months and it’s not often I get to post cases public.
I do want to get this Belgian Malinois boys story out there who was facing destruction though.
He hadn’t been involved in any dog on dog incident, he hadn’t bitten anyone, he wasn’t seized under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991/Control of Dogs Scotland Act.
He found himself caught up in a situation where multiple police had to enter his owners premises on a totally unrelated matter to him.
Which then resulted in multiple people returning over a day later, whom were strangers to him, entering his territory with the intention of capturing him, in circumstances where he was already on high alert from the day before, had nowhere to retreat to, what he would perceive as a threat and a danger, displaying defensive fear aggression as per any dogs nature on these circumstances.
The authorities were not able to capture him and he had to be tranquillised/darted and transported to kennels when sedated. An application to seek destruction on him was then ordered for this brief instance of purportedly aggressive behaviour. With no owner to fight for him and now mistakenly labelled aggressive and dangerous for the public a destruction was sought at the courts.
Thanks to the kennel owner realising this was a dog who had shown this behaviour through fear and stress, wakening up in a new unfamiliar kennel, although initially fearful of his new surroundings he was not showing aggressive behaviour or any concern, and settled into kennel life quite quickly, the kennel owner reached out for help and wanted to fight for him. This was all done very urgently as time was ticking.
I was asked to assess him and he was the easiest dog I’ve assessed to date! (Small video clip him loving being handled at the assessment).
It’s so important to remember that dogs rely on us as humans for everything, they learn from their environment and they learn from us. Just like us they react to everything in their environment, from smell, sound, sight and touch.
Being forced into a fearful situation in the environment with triggers he would perceive as a threat, the primitive survival part of his brain and body would take over, not the thinking part, everything in his body preparing him for flight or fight, his hormonal and behavioural responses all about survival and doing what he knows instinctively. The main point is making the threat go away.
In confined circumstances this is all quite traumatic and it’s a natural instinct of self-preservation for any animal.
The trigger the dog perceives as a threat is a threat no matter how irrational we as humans perceive this trigger. They do not have our logic. It is up to us to understand the behaviour presented to us and to not mistakenly label the dogs behaviour afterwards. This boy is certainly not dangerous and not aggressive and he is a dog that is more than able to be re-homed and live a happy life. He is not a dog that even needs restrictions imposed. He has an exceptional temperament and one of the most affectionate friendliest dogs I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Some of the temperament tests he was put through the average household domestic dog would not be able to withstand!
The police agreed after the assessment that he is not a danger to the public, he is no longer facing destruction and he is off to a rescue to start his new life! Wish u all the happiness and the best beautiful boy!
I want to say a huge thanks to Jacob Cohen in the legal fight for this boy! I want to thank Police Scotland for working with us and letting this boy have a chance at life! A huge thanks to the kennel owner whom I can’t disclose! And I want to thank Maureen Berry for assisting me with transport on the day.
Muttropolitan Management 