Can a dog be rehabilitated after a brutal attack on owner?

[Aikido]

I have been involved with the fight against Kimbertal for some time. I was sent a copy of a letter sent to a her Lawyer. We would like to know if this dog can be rehabilitated.

She writes:

JANUARY 4, 2001


xxxx xxxxxxxx
xxxx xxxx xxxxx
xxxxx., xx xxxxx


REF: DOG ATTACK ON DECEMBER 7, 2000
LISA CAPPONI

DEAR xxxx,

HI, I HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

IT HAS TAKEN UNTIL NOW THAT I AM ABLE TO WRITE THIS SUMMARY TO YOU OF WHAT WE BELIEVE CAUSED THE ATTACK ON 12/7/00.

FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED DOBERMAN PINCHSERS EVEN SINCE I CAN REMEMBER. I HAD GOTTEN MY 1ST DOBERMAN WHILE IN HIGHSCHOOL, FROM KIMBERTAL KENNEL. NINO WAS MY 3RD DOBERMAN FROM KIMBERTAL KENNEL.

NINO WAS AN AWESOME PUPPY WHO WAS FULL OF LIFE AND LOTS OF LOVE. HE WAS A GREAT PUP AND A BIG PART OF OUR FAMILY IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WAY.

WE PURCHASED NINO ON 9/26/99 AND ON 12/02/99 WE PURCHASED A FEMALE DOBERMAN, GIA ON A BREEDERS CONTRACT( CONTRACT ENCLOSED). BOTH DOGS WERE PURCHASED STRICTLY AS FAMILY PETS.

WE INITIALY STARTED IN HOME DOG TRAINING WITH A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINER, STEVE GALOWITZ (RESUME ENCLOSED); HOWEVER, MY HUSBAND DAVID WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THESE TRAINING SESSIONS DUE TO HIS JOB (DAVID IS A CONSTRUCTION WORKER WHO WORKS MOST SATURDAYS AND SOMETIMES ON SUNDAY) AND ALL FAMILY MEMBERS NEEDED TO ATTEND AND BE A PART OF OUR DOGS TRAINING.

SINCE DAVID’S WORK SCHEDULE WAS SO HECTIC, WE DECIDED TO ENROLL OUR DOGS IN KIMBERTAL’S 2 WEEK BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM (WALKING ON A LEASH; NINO ON LEFT, GIA ON RIGHT) . SINCE I ALWAYS HAD GREAT PUPS FROM KIMBERTAL, I TRUSTED THEM WITH OUR DOGS FOR ON LEASH TRAINING. . WE ENROLLED OUR DOGS IN THE BEGINNING OF JULY AND PICKED THEM UP ON 7/19/00.

WHEN WE PICKED OUR DOGS UP, A TRAINER BY THE NAME OF FRANK, WENT OVER THE WHOLE TRAINING PROCESS WITH US IN A PRIVATE ROOM AT THE KENNEL. FRANK BROUGHT THE DOGS TO THIS ROOM ONE AT A TIME. BOTH OF OUR DOGS WERE SO HAPPY TO SEE US, BUT WHEN NINO CAME INTO THE ROOM HE WAS SHAKING AND STARTED TO URINATE ON THE FLOOR(WE JUST THOUGHT HE WAS OVER EXCITED TO SEE US).
AS WE WERE GOING OVER THE TRAING PROCEDURES, A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF WARREN WALKED INTO THE ROOM AND NINO STARTED GROWLING AT HIM RIGHT AWAY. I ASKED FRANK WHY MY DOG WAS GROWLING AT THIS MAN AND HE SAID FOR SOME REASON NINO “HATED” WARREN, I TOLD HIM THAT NINO HAD NEVER EVER GROWLED AT ANYONE AND ASKED HIM IF SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MAKE OUR DOG ACT THIS WAY. FRANK JUST SAID THAT HE WAS THE ONLY TRAINER THAT WORKED OUR DOGS AND THAT HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY NINO “HATED” WARREN.

ONCE WE GOT HOME, NINO SEEMED LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DOG, HE WAS VERY NERVOUS, SHY AND EVEN SEEMED AS IF HE DIDN’T TRUST US. I CALLED THE KENNEL SEVERAL TIMES AND EVEN ASKED IF SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH WARREN OR IF NINO WAS STRUCK BY ANYONE THERE OR AN OBJECT FOR ANY REASON; HE JUST WAS NOT THE SAME. KIMBERTAL SAID TO BRING HIM BACK AND THAT I COULD HAVE A CREDIT FOR A NEW DOG. DAVID, THE BOYS AND MYSELF WERE SO ATTACHED TO NINO WE JUST WANTED TO HELP HIM AND TURN HIM BACK TO THAT SWEET LOVING PUP THAT WE KNEW PRIOR TO NINO GOING AWAY TO TRAINING. AS TIME WENT ON, NINO GOT WORSE AND LESS TRUSTING.

FIRST WE TOOK NINO TO OUR VET TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS NOT IN PAIN OR SUFFERING IN ANYWAY. NINO GOT A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, HOWEVER OUR VET NOTICED A CHANGE IN NINO.

SECOND, WE CALLED OUR ORIGINAL TRAINER, STEVE GALOWITZ AND SCHEDULED FOR HIM TO COME TO OUR HOME ON 12/9/00 TO GIVE US A PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO NINO DURING HIS STAY AT KIMBERTAL KENNEL, WELL STEVE NEVER GOT THAT CHANCE, THE ATTACK HAPPENED ON 12/7/00(MY HUSBAND’S B-DAY).

ON 12/7/00, GIA AND NINO WERE OUT IN OUR BACK YARD AND THEY TOOK OUR BEDROOM COMFORTER OFF THE LINE, SO I WENT OUTSIDE TO GET THE COMFORTER. I BROUGHT THE COMFORTER INSIDE AND DOWN TO THE WASH ROOM. NINO CAME IN FIRST AND WHEN I POINTED(WITH MY RIGHT FINGER) TO THE COMFORTER, HE STARTED RIGHT AWAY TO ATTACK ME, MOST OF THE ATTACK WAS ON MY RIGHT FOREARM, BUT I ALSO SUFFERED BITES ON MY LEFT ARM, LEFT FOREHEAD, STOMACH, LEFT BREASAT AND MY LEFT EAR LOPE. DURING THE ATTACK I WAS HOMEALONE WITH MY TWO CHILDERN, CHRISTIAN, AGE 4 AND ANTHONY, AGE 2. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS HAS BEEN A MOST HORRIFING EXPERIENCE THAT I WILL NEVER GET OVER.

I WAS IN HOLY REDEEMER HOSPITAL FOR 6 DAYS, I HAD TO HAVE SURGERY ON MY RIGHT ARM AND I AM STILL UNDER DOCTORS CARE.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE WE ARE WILLING TO COME FORWARD AND STATE THAT NINO WAS A WONDERFUL DOG WITH NO SIGNS OF AGGRESSION (FAMILY MEMBERS, NEIGHBORS, OUR VET & VET ASSISTANT VET, FORMER TRAINER, STEVE GALOWITZ). ALSO, MY DOCTOR CAN SUPPORT ALL RECORDS STATING HOW SERIOUS THIS ATTACK WAS. IN ADDITION, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A WOMAN WHO IS VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH KIMBERTAL AND THEIR PRACTICE. THIS WOMAN, SHARON ALSO KNOWS OF SEVERAL SIMILAR CASES AGINST KIMBERTAL. I WILL BE ABLE TO GET HER PHONE NUMBER IF YOU THINK WE HAVE A CASE.

PLEASE FIND ALL PAPERWORK THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE KENNEL.

THIS IS THE MOST TERRIBLE AND UPSETTING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME AND MY FAMILY, I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL EVER GET OVER THIS. WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW I FEEL.

xxxx, PLEASE REVIEW AND ADVISE IF YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I SHOULD PURSUE.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND APPRECIATE YOU REVIEWING THIS.

TAKE CARE,

LISA CAPPONI
747 HALLOWELL DRIVE
HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA 19006
Hardrocmom@aol.com


[This message has been edited by Aikido (edited January 12, 2001).]

[RottnKid1]

This is a tough one. It was a severe attack, not just a nip, so a lot depends on the owners and the dog. I'd really like to know what happened to this dog to make it behave in such a manner. I'm sorry, but this is not a situation that can be resolved through a forum. If they want to rehabilitate this dog, then I can't suggest strongly enough an excellent trainer and behaviorist. This is a problem that needs an expert who can work, hands-on, so to speak, with the owners and the dog. Please keep us updated.

[Doc]

This thread is being closed because it is already in another forum.