Shelter Dog of the Month

Originally when I met the 4 year old red-nosed Pitbull Maya from Room From one More in North Jersey she was extremely aggressive towards people and other dogs. She was unmanageable and intolerant, and it took very little to set her off; this was due to the fact that she was bred for fighting in Camden, NJ.

The first thing that needed to be done was to counter condition her association of approaching individuals being a threat. This was done by giving her positive reinforcement and proper communication. Finally within a few weeks I was able to get close enough to handle her.
Since then I’ve been working with her on her obedience training, expanding her tolerance levels, and controlling her environment so that her old habits would not return.

While most thought that Maya would never be capable of interaction with humans, she has come a tremendous way through hard work and training. She no longer has the fear and anger in her eyes, but looks at you with concentration and love. Instead of lunging and biting upon approach, she sits and waits for you patiently, now being the quietest dog in the shelter.

Before my work with her a vet and three trainers had said that there was no choice but to put her to sleep. Now we believe that with the right care Maya could potentially be adopted by the proper home that could give her the attention she deserves.