Love Bites

Kim has not been able to bring a man into her home in years. Her rescue dog Dilly has already bitten five people, and she is terrified that the next time could cost someone an injury, or cost Dilly his life.In this episode of Better Human Better Dog, I meet Kim and her two rescue dogs, Dilly and Sweet Pea, and I see the pattern in seconds. Before a man even reaches the door, Kim tightens the leash, stiffens her body and braces for trouble. Dilly reads that tension as an instruction: protect her, protect the apartment. What looks like territorial aggression toward men begins with what is travelling down the leash.The real work starts when Kim tells me where her fear comes from. Through pack walks, leash work, door exercises and calm, repeated introductions, she has to learn to lead in the one place Dilly's behavior is strongest, which is home.