A canine’s hostility and responsive actions are never a consequence of lineage, but rather a human influence. Regardless of their breed, dogs that have spent their existence in a supportive, caring setting and received proper socialization are never a danger.
Unfortunately, this unfortunate Pittie pup, Maddie, had a challenging beginning in life.
When a woman discovered her in a Brooklyn park, New York, she was extremely reactive to everyone. This charming pup had been a victim of dog-breeding for fights and was on the verge of becoming an extremely aggressive dog. But then, the right individuals intervened!
Maddie’s Backstory
When Elli Frank, from Mr. Bones & Co. in New York City, received a call regarding Maddie, she felt quite perplexed. The individual who contacted her mentioned that Maddie was given to her in a park by a man who claimed to have “found her in a dumpster.”
Shortly thereafter, the man vanished, and the dog was entrusted to the organization.
Upon her arrival at the organization, Elli and the team quickly noted that Maddie hadn’t spent several days alone, as she showed no indicators of hunger. Instead, it was likely that she had been abandoned by a man that very day.
“The man disappeared after fabricating a tale about how he obtained the puppy, who was subsequently handed over to our organization. We immediately understood she was in grave danger,” Mr. Bones & Co posted on Facebook.
The challenge was, Maddie was no walk in the park! She was extremely reactive and intolerant of every single human and dog in the facility.
“MADDIE displayed high reactivity towards both people and dogs, not accepting handling, and her frustration threshold was minimal – she reacted almost instantly if she felt uncomfortable,” the organization noted.
The staff speculated that she was likely from a fighting lineage and had already “begun the grooming process for fights,” before someone intervened.
Transforming Into A Brand-New Pup
Elli swiftly reached out to Suze Cullinan, the president of Instinct Dog Behavior & Training, a seasoned certified dog behavior trainer specializing in assisting dogs overcome issues related to fear and anxiety.
This reactive canine joined the training program, embarking on a long journey. Although it began as a three-week training phase, Maddie remained apprehensive around strangers and exhibited abrupt outbursts. Hence, Suze opted to foster her until she completely healed.
Through positive reinforcement training, Maddie made progress every single day. She gradually started to develop trust in both people and other dogs. Thanks to her foster mom, this aggressive girl was on a path to complete recovery – and even beyond that!
Nine months later, the most amazing news arrived!
Instead of approving her for adoption, Suze couldn’t bear the idea of separating from her canine companion. Thus, she resolved that Maddie would be a foster fail and remain with her forever!
She has come a long way and acquired social skills like a true princess, and now she is flourishing and savoring life to the fullest!
“MADDIE put in tremendous effort to thrive under her foster mom’s care and mastered the social skills necessary to adjust to an environment filled with new people and dogs daily,” they mentioned on Facebook.
Suze is exceedingly delighted to witness Maddie as a new version of herself.
It took time, effort, and tears, but ultimately, the entire journey was worthwhile! Maddie was no longer her former self, and now she even assists her mom in healing other dogs
Once a mistreated Pittie that had no chance, Maddie is now a transformed canine… all thanks to human kindness!