Although not totally unexpected, it still came as a surprise when I got the txt from Tresor’s family that they were returning him to me. It was the same as it was on Christmas Eve in December 2011 when they asked if they could return Paris, who had also gone to live with them in March 2011. Of course I said yes and yes again. Now my real work begins. It will entail finding a good behavioral dog trainer, someone with certification and experience, in dealing with the issues that make Treasor a difficult dog to own, especially in the suburbs. I am optimistic such a person can be found and although it may be a long process, he can live a happy life with us.
I have reached out to my usual mentors, (N5, N7, N24, and N29) and each had their own insights into what I should do, reflecting their own unique philosophies in handling borzoi. There is no shortage of opinions here. I will follow my own style, based on the mentor with whom I most agree in this area, whose advice was based on a trainer educated in the field of animal behavior modification and dog training certification. I would have hoped his affluent and very well educated human “family” would have been motivated to do this for him, but they did not. They loved him for his looks, not realizing in the beginning how difficult an accessory an unhappy borzoi could become to live with.