My experience with Tao began with my friend Cathy Kozak. It was Cathy who made it her mission to find me the perfect dog after I bought my first home several years ago. I enjoyed her Mini Schnauzers, but felt their energy was not quite the right fit. After some research, she was convinced what I was looking for was a Giant Schnauzer. We found some Giant enthusiasts that met near a local dog friendly cafe, and had the opportunity to meet several Giants and their owners. I was hooked, but had some reservations about whether a Giant could coexist with my parrot, as most have a significant prey drive. While I was away on vacation, Cathy happened to meet Karalyn Eckerle of the newly developed Southern California Giant Schnauzer Rescue at an event in Arizona. She was fostering a female giant, Bonnie, with a very low prey drive that had mostly ignored her own birds. Cathy convinced them to hold the dog for me until I had a chance to talk with them. I returned from vacation and Cathy proudly announced that she had found me the perfect dog! I submitted an application and talked extensively with Karalyn about my situation and what she knew about Bonnie's background. We decided to give it a chance. The local Valley of the Sun Giant
Schnauzer Rescue came by for a courtesy site visit at my house to make sure it was suitable, and Karalyn and I split the distance between Phoenix and San Diego, meeting in Yuma for me to adopt Bonnie. It didn't seem right to call her Bonnie since she no
longer lived with her brother Clyde, so I changed her name to Kona for this new chapter in life. It was life changing for me, and for Cathy, who added a Giant to her family as well. When Kona suddenly passed last September at age 9 1/2, I was beyond heartbroken.
After about a month had passed, Cathy mentioned that when if/when I was ready to consider another dog, Chis Maduri was the national coordinator for BRT rescue. I had watched Cathy's BRT Zaja grow up from a pup over the last year, and had grown to like this big goofy bear of a dog. He reminded me quite a bit of the Giant personality, and I had to agree with Cathy's assessment that while physically bigger than most Giants, he had a milder temperament. She had also observed much less prey drive than her Giant. I had just met Chris a few weeks before Kona passed, when I took Kona to her for grooming on Cathy's recommendation. I must say Kona had never looked better!
I had talked to Karalyn Eckerle after Kona passed, and her kind words did so much to help my transition. A couple things she said
truly resonated with me. The first was that having another one does not in any way disrespect the memory of the one you lost. The second was that she had come to recognize that her new ones often seem hand-picked by the one who left --- they often exhibit similar traits. She would tell herself, "the one who passed knew it was a good home and when he saw another in need and thought it a good match, he mushed us together!" Since she knew my situation, I asked her to look into any Giants with SCGSR that might be a good fit. At the time, none were quite right for my situation. I decided to submit an application with BRT rescue, and let Kona pick for me. Just a week later, Chris called me up to discuss a dog that had come into rescue. She explained his background and the incredible journey he had already taken to Alabama. Given his history of food and toy guarding, she did not want to place him into a family with small children. Since I had listed Cathy as a reference, she had talked with her extensively to see if I would be a good fit for his needs. While she preferred to avoid more travel, she was willing to consider having him come out to Arizona if I would commit to giving him a home. I thought it over carefully, and decided to open up my heart and home to Tao. I became more excited in anticipation as I received updates and pictures on progress with his fosters. After a few delays, the big day arrived for his flight from Atlanta to Phoenix, which also required a long drive to Atlanta to catch the flight. I remember when the cargo worker announced that his crate had arrived, with eyes like saucers "that is one big dog!" I grinned, knowing Tao was actually rather small for the breed.
He was such a sweet boy! We all took turns giving Tao a big hug to welcome him home, relieved to finally see him. I took him on a leash across the lot to let him stretch, and just marveled at him. Chris thoughtfully brought some shampoo to clean him up from his trip. We took him by the office where Cathy and I work, and he met several people readily, tail ever-wagging. I took him home to rest after the long day, and began working with him by hand feeding and allowing limited exposure to toys. The next day, Chris generously donated her time to give Tao a proper bath and trim down his coat, which was so extensively matted that it simply came off like a blanket. He seemed so much more comfortable afterward!
I took him to the vet a couple days later to begin heartworm prevention and for microchipping, and he was very calm waiting in the office and a perfect patient! That weekend was Halloween, and he demonstrated his formidable guarding abilities on some unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. I left the front door open so that air could come through the security door. A group of a dozen or so young trick-or-treaters rang the doorbell, and Tao immediately rushed the door with a ferocious bark. From the back of the house, I could hear a cascade of screams as they saw his approach to the security door, and by the time I arrived there was a mass of children running to the driveway. A friend ran outside to reassure them and offer them each some candy. I suppose word got around, since we didn't have any more visitors the rest of the night!
After a few days, my girlfriend Jen brought her two smaller dogs (a cocker spaniel and cavalier king charles spaniel) over for introductions. Everyone got along fine, and we were very hopeful for a smooth transition. Unfortunately, a few days later, there was an incident in which Tao flipped over her little female cocker. We did not see any trigger, and decided to keep them separate and allow more time for his transition to a new home. A few days after that, Tao found a toy we had inadvertantly left out, and he become possesive. When my girlfriend sat on the couch next to where he was laying on the floor and demanded he drop it, then attempted to pick it up, he charged right at her. She threw her hands up over her head, and he fortunately only nicked a finger before I grabbed him back and sent him out of the room. It shook us both up quite a bit, and after this and a couple other incidents we realized that our collective understanding of his issues was inadequate. To my surprise, when I questioned whether I was able to give Tao the home he needed an ensure everyone's safety, it was Jen that insisted that we would do whatever it took to make things work. We would not give up on Tao.
I called Chris, and she agreed that we needed a behaviorist. We each made inquiries, and both came up with the same ecommendation: Gary Wilkes. He had worked with several large breeds with similar issues, and both Giant Schnauzer rescue groups I contacted, recommended him urgently for my situation. I called Gary and found him extremely knowledgeable and thought his approach made sense. We scheduled an appointment. Gary is the founder of clicker training, and immediately began working on positive reinforcement with click and treats to encourage correct behaviors, then also began techniques to establish boundaries and teach inhibitions. I came away from our first session with a real sense of relief and hope that we could help Tao reach all his potential. Gary made some real progress with Tao in that first session. In particular, he made sure that Tao listened to Jen. He gave us homework assignments, and in the days that followed, Tao clearly began to recognize Jen as an authority in the home. In subsequent sessions, Gary taught us much about how to interact with Tao and dogs in general, and showed us how to teach inhibitions and encourage behaviors with Tao. It was an amazing transformation. He seemed a completely different dog by the 4th weekly session, and we continued to build from there. During our last training session, Tao obeyed commands from new people in the home from across the room. His 'vocabulary' of commands has drastically increased with Gary's guidance.
Today, Tao is an absolute joy. He has been getting along fine with Jen's dogs, and now readily drops toys and other items when asked without any guarding issues. I have not had any issues with food, although I continue to feed him separately to avoid triggering any problems. He plays fetch with abandon, and will bring the ball directly to my hand and drop it. Gary introduced me to the Gentle Leader collar, which has made me much more confident in public. He invited me to take Tao to the local Giant Schnauzer fun day, where Tao met over 20 Giant Schnauzers, most of them off leash and often several at once, and he behaved beautifully! He was happy to meet people of all ages, and seemed very comfortable in a rather chaotic situation full of people, food and many dogs off leash in an enclosed park. A friend of mine from out of town came to stay at my house for several days, and he and Tao became fast friends. Not known for being much of a 'dog person', he commented before he left that Tao was the most well-behaved dog he had ever met!
I am so glad that Cathy introduced me to BRTs and thankful for all of the sleepless nights Chris put into Tao's rescue to allow him to be a part of our lives. He is now just another member of the family. Well, the only one with a big wet beard! :)
Schnauzer Rescue came by for a courtesy site visit at my house to make sure it was suitable, and Karalyn and I split the distance between Phoenix and San Diego, meeting in Yuma for me to adopt Bonnie. It didn't seem right to call her Bonnie since she no
longer lived with her brother Clyde, so I changed her name to Kona for this new chapter in life. It was life changing for me, and for Cathy, who added a Giant to her family as well. When Kona suddenly passed last September at age 9 1/2, I was beyond heartbroken.
After about a month had passed, Cathy mentioned that when if/when I was ready to consider another dog, Chis Maduri was the national coordinator for BRT rescue. I had watched Cathy's BRT Zaja grow up from a pup over the last year, and had grown to like this big goofy bear of a dog. He reminded me quite a bit of the Giant personality, and I had to agree with Cathy's assessment that while physically bigger than most Giants, he had a milder temperament. She had also observed much less prey drive than her Giant. I had just met Chris a few weeks before Kona passed, when I took Kona to her for grooming on Cathy's recommendation. I must say Kona had never looked better!
I had talked to Karalyn Eckerle after Kona passed, and her kind words did so much to help my transition. A couple things she said
truly resonated with me. The first was that having another one does not in any way disrespect the memory of the one you lost. The second was that she had come to recognize that her new ones often seem hand-picked by the one who left --- they often exhibit similar traits. She would tell herself, "the one who passed knew it was a good home and when he saw another in need and thought it a good match, he mushed us together!" Since she knew my situation, I asked her to look into any Giants with SCGSR that might be a good fit. At the time, none were quite right for my situation. I decided to submit an application with BRT rescue, and let Kona pick for me. Just a week later, Chris called me up to discuss a dog that had come into rescue. She explained his background and the incredible journey he had already taken to Alabama. Given his history of food and toy guarding, she did not want to place him into a family with small children. Since I had listed Cathy as a reference, she had talked with her extensively to see if I would be a good fit for his needs. While she preferred to avoid more travel, she was willing to consider having him come out to Arizona if I would commit to giving him a home. I thought it over carefully, and decided to open up my heart and home to Tao. I became more excited in anticipation as I received updates and pictures on progress with his fosters. After a few delays, the big day arrived for his flight from Atlanta to Phoenix, which also required a long drive to Atlanta to catch the flight. I remember when the cargo worker announced that his crate had arrived, with eyes like saucers "that is one big dog!" I grinned, knowing Tao was actually rather small for the breed.
He was such a sweet boy! We all took turns giving Tao a big hug to welcome him home, relieved to finally see him. I took him on a leash across the lot to let him stretch, and just marveled at him. Chris thoughtfully brought some shampoo to clean him up from his trip. We took him by the office where Cathy and I work, and he met several people readily, tail ever-wagging. I took him home to rest after the long day, and began working with him by hand feeding and allowing limited exposure to toys. The next day, Chris generously donated her time to give Tao a proper bath and trim down his coat, which was so extensively matted that it simply came off like a blanket. He seemed so much more comfortable afterward!
I took him to the vet a couple days later to begin heartworm prevention and for microchipping, and he was very calm waiting in the office and a perfect patient! That weekend was Halloween, and he demonstrated his formidable guarding abilities on some unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. I left the front door open so that air could come through the security door. A group of a dozen or so young trick-or-treaters rang the doorbell, and Tao immediately rushed the door with a ferocious bark. From the back of the house, I could hear a cascade of screams as they saw his approach to the security door, and by the time I arrived there was a mass of children running to the driveway. A friend ran outside to reassure them and offer them each some candy. I suppose word got around, since we didn't have any more visitors the rest of the night!
After a few days, my girlfriend Jen brought her two smaller dogs (a cocker spaniel and cavalier king charles spaniel) over for introductions. Everyone got along fine, and we were very hopeful for a smooth transition. Unfortunately, a few days later, there was an incident in which Tao flipped over her little female cocker. We did not see any trigger, and decided to keep them separate and allow more time for his transition to a new home. A few days after that, Tao found a toy we had inadvertantly left out, and he become possesive. When my girlfriend sat on the couch next to where he was laying on the floor and demanded he drop it, then attempted to pick it up, he charged right at her. She threw her hands up over her head, and he fortunately only nicked a finger before I grabbed him back and sent him out of the room. It shook us both up quite a bit, and after this and a couple other incidents we realized that our collective understanding of his issues was inadequate. To my surprise, when I questioned whether I was able to give Tao the home he needed an ensure everyone's safety, it was Jen that insisted that we would do whatever it took to make things work. We would not give up on Tao.
I called Chris, and she agreed that we needed a behaviorist. We each made inquiries, and both came up with the same ecommendation: Gary Wilkes. He had worked with several large breeds with similar issues, and both Giant Schnauzer rescue groups I contacted, recommended him urgently for my situation. I called Gary and found him extremely knowledgeable and thought his approach made sense. We scheduled an appointment. Gary is the founder of clicker training, and immediately began working on positive reinforcement with click and treats to encourage correct behaviors, then also began techniques to establish boundaries and teach inhibitions. I came away from our first session with a real sense of relief and hope that we could help Tao reach all his potential. Gary made some real progress with Tao in that first session. In particular, he made sure that Tao listened to Jen. He gave us homework assignments, and in the days that followed, Tao clearly began to recognize Jen as an authority in the home. In subsequent sessions, Gary taught us much about how to interact with Tao and dogs in general, and showed us how to teach inhibitions and encourage behaviors with Tao. It was an amazing transformation. He seemed a completely different dog by the 4th weekly session, and we continued to build from there. During our last training session, Tao obeyed commands from new people in the home from across the room. His 'vocabulary' of commands has drastically increased with Gary's guidance.
Today, Tao is an absolute joy. He has been getting along fine with Jen's dogs, and now readily drops toys and other items when asked without any guarding issues. I have not had any issues with food, although I continue to feed him separately to avoid triggering any problems. He plays fetch with abandon, and will bring the ball directly to my hand and drop it. Gary introduced me to the Gentle Leader collar, which has made me much more confident in public. He invited me to take Tao to the local Giant Schnauzer fun day, where Tao met over 20 Giant Schnauzers, most of them off leash and often several at once, and he behaved beautifully! He was happy to meet people of all ages, and seemed very comfortable in a rather chaotic situation full of people, food and many dogs off leash in an enclosed park. A friend of mine from out of town came to stay at my house for several days, and he and Tao became fast friends. Not known for being much of a 'dog person', he commented before he left that Tao was the most well-behaved dog he had ever met!
I am so glad that Cathy introduced me to BRTs and thankful for all of the sleepless nights Chris put into Tao's rescue to allow him to be a part of our lives. He is now just another member of the family. Well, the only one with a big wet beard! :)