The Suicidal Whippet, Part 1

If she couldn't find a rescue that would take him, she was going to euthanize him --- a show bred brindle and white whippet male, only 18 months old. He was a show dog till his ears started to stand up straight at one year old, and he was noted to be a wirey, unruly puppy. He was rehomed and, in spite of obedience classes, the dog park five days a week, and walks twice daily, his behavior became more odd and extreme. He counter surfed, food obsessed, gorged himself with water, destroyed items in the house if left alone, couldn't be crated without whining, drooling, and trying to escape, and lunged and snapped if someone was carrying food. He was rehomed again and taken to a behaviorist, who put him on medication, and a personal trainer who recommended a program to help resolve the problems. It was suggested that his behavior was genetic in origin, and someone labeled him as autistic.

I had worked with racing greyhounds and show dogs and horses, and had some idea of the demands of the job of being a show dog, so I told the owner to come out and meet me, look the place over, and see if she would be willing to let me try to help. She brought the whippet with her - a true basket case - drooling, whining, shaking like a leaf in a crate in the car. I gave her a tour, and when we were done, she agreed to leave him with me. At that point I told her to say her goodbyes because I would put him in an area where he was safe and he would stay there till he calmed down. She asked me if I wanted his blankets, toys, leashes, bowls, bed, and doggie coat. I told her to take them all home because we were starting all over as of that moment. We put him in the "safe" area, and he ran and jumped off the walls, whining, drooling, non-stop. As she left, I could tell she was having second thoughts about my tough love program.