The Project Dog: Chief’s Story

Welcome to The Project Dog! We are really looking forward to hearing Chief’s story, but first, let’s start things off with a little introduction.

We are Meg and Brett! We happily adopted Chief from Diamonds in the Ruff in 2021. Prior to meeting him, we were told that Chief needed to be the only dog in the house and was slow to trust others. Immediately upon seeing us he ran up and gave us kisses; it was meant to be! However, with everyone else he still practices social distancing. Chief takes a long time warming up to people (and dogs), but once you’re in his circle of trust, he will love you forever! Neither Brett nor I had ever owned a reactive dog prior to Chief. We definitely made some mistakes in the beginning but all our hard work has paid off. We are the 3 best friends anyone could have and are at our peak happiness when we are all together.

Family photo at Agility Graduation Day!

Sounds like Three’s Company! What a great start to your story. Tell us a bit more about what makes Chief a “Project Dog.”

Chief has always been a reactive guy. Despite his introduction to Brett and I, Chief has always been very slow to trust. When we adopted Chief we knew his needs were special. A single dog household that doesn’t see a lot of traffic and can meet his enrichment and exercise needs. Prior to his rescue he spent his life trying to protect himself from the actions of some horrible humans. This, mixed with lack of proper socialization as a puppy and the fact that he’s a feisty GSD has led to a distrustful Chief. However, despite everything that was against him and the fact that we made some dog parent mistakes Chief has grown and progressed in ways we never thought possible. We started with Reactive class with Leah and progressed into Agility with Noelle. Each class has been an opportunity to show him that the world around him is safe and that no matter what he can rely on his parents to protect him. Thanks to the skills he has learned, his recovery time between triggers has lessened and we all feel more prepared to handle stressful situations. Chief doesn’t find spending time in populated areas enjoyable, but then again neither do we! Maybe that’s what makes us the perfect trio. He might always bark at strangers, lunge towards holiday decorations, and would rather not meet your dog, but he can handle all that stress better now than he could 3 years ago. Having a reactive dog for us has quite literally meant that training is happening daily AND the love we receive from him in return is well worth it! With all that being said, Chief is not just reactive. He is goofy, cuddly, crazy smart but also kinda doofy, sassy, speedy and intensely loyal. He takes window patrol just as seriously as he does cuddling up on the couch with his parents. He always needs to be in the middle of us and he will almost always steal your seat if given the opportunity. Chief is attached to our sides like velcro and we wouldn't have it any other way. We also call him the "fun police" because if he hears us laughing from the other room he quickly rushes in to make sure no fun is had without him. When he wants attention he times the squeak of his toy with the start of your sentence. Chief also takes agility very seriously and often yells at his classmates when he feels like they aren't being serious enough. Think Dwight Schrute from "The Office". He can't always smell the treat right under his nose but will be sure to remind you that it's 7pm and it's time for a dental stick. His personality is unmatched and everything we love about him!

Chief has some great qualities and from the sounds of it, a big personality! It is obvious how much you love Chief, but is there anything that has been especially difficult about sharing your life with a reactive dog?

Chief is not a brewery dog, he will not sit and enjoy the sights at a coffee shop, and you won't find him walking around a farmer's market. These are all expectations we needed to temper once we truly saw how reactive Chief was/is. Prior to adopting him, Brett and I never had any reactive dogs. Trust me when I tell you we made mistakes. We can vividly remember taking him to breweries and keeping our head on a swivel making sure no dog or human got too close. We were not always successful creating distance and still question how we all were able to stay safe in many of those situations. But, we learned. We learned that the stress of these situations was not worth it for any of us. While we would prefer to be with Chief all the time always, we also know that the risk is not worth bringing him along. In turn, this has led Brett and I to become more content at home. We would rather all be on the couch watching a movie or playing a game together then apart. As Brett says "there is an opportunity cost when we go out and the cost is less time with our best friend.". Chief also has not met many of our family members. If you're anxious he will pick up on it and it will make him anxious. If you're a kid, you move too fast and he can't trust you. And if you know his name before he knows yours, all bets are off. This has led to us not being able to have many people over despite a lot of our family wanting to get to know the cute cuddly guy they see in pictures. In addition to adjusting our expectations and our lifestyle, we have also worked on our own anxiety in various situations. For me, it was during agility. When we first started Chief was very aware of the people and dogs around him. Even when he was in the ring alone, I would worry he would somehow jump the wall in response to hearing another dog or seeing someone look at him. Luckily that never happened. I set a goal for myself to work on my own anxiety in the ring. It took time, reassurance from Brett and trusting Noelle but I was successful (mostly!). Now, Chief is more relaxed because I'm more relaxed which lets him focus on his job. When we enter into class and he walks into his "apartment" he may be yelling but only because he is excited to work and not because he is scared.

It sounds like you have made some really helpful changes and are making great progress! Sometimes our challenges make our successes even sweeter. Are there any accomplishments that you are especially proud of?

Despite Chief's reactivity we have seen through experience that with the right support he can thrive and be successful. In our previous apartment we lived next door to a wonderful older woman and her 2 small older dogs. It took a year of positive reinforcement, lots of treats and patience but Chief was able to successfully play with the 2 dogs, unmuzzled in their backyard and inside their house. When we adopted Chief we were told he would likely never get along with another dog due to his past. While we know he's not interested in making friends with just anyone, we now know he has the ability to trust those that he deems worthy. His progress to meeting these dogs was slow. When we first moved in he would bark and lunge at the fence while they unapologetically pranced around seemingly unbothered by his response. Each time we went into the backyard, it was a training session. Throwing treats away from the fence to help distract him and treating him when he was able to have a positive response to one of the dogs. Eventually he would be able to go up to the fence without barking. Then he would take treats from Barb, our wonderful neighbor. Then, one day while I was at work, I received a picture of the three dogs sitting side by side. The process took a year. A year of slowly teaching Chief that what he was seeing wasn't dangerous. Neither Brett nor I thought we would every see him with another dog let alone two! The whole process was worth it to see him learn that he can trust other dogs.

Chief and his friends, Benjamin and Franklin

That is an incredible accomplishment! The right support can definitely make a big difference for our dogs. What do you feel has provided the most support for you, as Chief’s humans?

Finding SuperNova has been the best thing to ever happen. It is the only public space where we can bring Chief and his needs are respected. Each Sunday space is created for Chief to enter and exit the facility. He has teachers, some of whom don't even know him, advocating for space and making sure his needs are met. Even though we don't know a whole bunch of owners with reactive dogs, being in a space with people who know what your dog needs is amazing. We don't need to keep our head on a swivel or advocate for space because Chief has his own apartment where he is distanced from other dogs. Each week, Chief's needs are met without question. This gives us the time to truly be present with him. And, not only do we work on nailing those weave poles, but we can also continue working on his reactivity (and sassy German Shepherd-ness) in class. Agility is our social outing with Chief and we are very grateful for SuperNova and Noelle for creating a safe space for us.

We are so happy to be able to provide Chief with a safe space where he can be successful. It sounds like you have learned a lot from being on this journey with Chief, are there any lessons that stand out?

Simply put, his comfort in situations matters more than ours. When we adopted Chief we didn't realize his reactivity meant that he would have the human equivalent of a panic attack if humans or dogs were in his space. (His personal bubble is pretty big, usually if you are within 12 feet that's too close). We had to put aside our own ideas of what it would be like to have a dog, in order to make sure his needs were met. But that has been the beauty of having a reactive dog. It forces us to be present when we go for walks and to slow down and tune in with him. We can read his body language better than we can most human's and know what it takes to make sure he is comfortable. While challenging him is part of owning a reactive dog, he can't succeed if he doesn't feel safe to do so. We have also learned that despite everything he has been through and all that he has faced, Chief has the biggest heart of any dog or human. His adoption profile stated "he will love you more than you'll ever know" and that is so true. Chief has a heart of gold.

You mentioned earlier that you had never owned a reactive dog before. Knowing what you do now, is there any specific advice you would give to someone that just got a project dog?

It's okay to make mistakes, we all do! The amount of times Brett and I look back and think "what we were thinking!?" is more than we'd like to admit. You're learning about the needs of your dog and that will take time. Just remember that your job is to keep them safe and protected and what they will offer in return will be priceless. Keep consistent with training and progress will come, we promise!

Great advice! Thank you so much for joining us for for the interview, we have loved hearing Chief’s story. Before we wrap things up, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Any pet parent will say that their dog is special, but Chief truly is amazing. Sometimes I wish everyone could see how wonderful he is, but maybe that is what makes our bond so special. Only a small group of people get to truly see how loving Chief is! From the moment we saw his profile we were in love. An emotional connection neither of us have ever had for a dog. The 3 of us are a unit, and I don't remember a time when Chief wasn't curled up by my head in bed or following me around the apartment. He's a tiny little guy at 65lbs, that just wants love. Chief is helpful in ways that he doesn't even know. A fun fact is that Chief is Brett's registered emotional support animal (Chief is looking into the process of registering Brett as his emotional support human). When days get tough, Chief is always there to make them better and when it's time to celebrate he is right there with us too! Chief is our soul dog!

Photos: Chief’s first time at the beach, Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa, “Majestic Little Beast”

Thank you to Meg and Brett for sharing their story. We love happy endings and we think they have certainly found one! If you have a “Project Dog” and would like to share their story, contact us.