Okay, so I'm watching the Dog Whisperer (hey, I'm unemployed) and this episode strikes a chord with me.  This family has a Papillion mix that they got from a shelter, and their problem is that he's aggressive and attacks when they "go for" him.  They’re afraid that if they can’t “tame” him they’ll have to put him down. Here's my stance on this....

My Papillion is also a rescue who was going to be put down if I didn’t adopt him.  I got him when he was about 4 and now he's about 7.  He likes to go and lay under end tables and other small spaces.  If you try to grab him from under there he will growl and freak out.  I don't know if this is a Papillion thing or just a small dog thing, but the Papillion mix on this show does the same thing.  You can't grab at him from above.  Get on his level and call him, and he'll come.  Don't scare him, because that will make him more defensive. 

I am a HUGE advocate of adopting "rescue" dogs, but the important thing to remember is that these dogs have most likely have had a horrific "past life".  You need to be careful with them and love them.  With my rescue, as soon as you crouch down and get on his level, he's great.  All in all, my dog is wonderful and he is the biggest cuddle bunny I've ever seen.  But you can't rush at him from above.  You can't approach him from a dominant stance.  That'll freak him out, and he'll go into defensive mode. 

I think the bottom line is that everyone should get their dogs from a shelter, but you should also get "people training" to learn how to deal with these special needs doggies.  These babies need a lot of love and understanding, and people need to understand that. On another note, I firmly believe in nurture over nature – all of the pit bulls and rotties that I’ve ever known have been the biggest fraidy cats in the dog world – just big babies who only want a belly rub. Take care of you pets, and they’ll take care of you. Karma is a powerful thing – do something good for the world (like adopting a pet who needs you) and the world will do something good for you (like giving you a lifelong friend).