Derek came into our group on December 1, 2006. He was picked up as a stray and rescued from a local shelter. He showed no behavior problems in foster care until the 3rd week. That's when a "power struggle" between his foster boxer sister and him started. At first, this was concerning to the foster parents because they didn't know what was going on. They thought Derek was fighting with her but after witnessing a few of these arguments, it was realized that Derek was trying to push her down, not hurt her. It was a battle for pack position. It made sense for this to start after some time had passed as Derek saw his foster home as his own. After all, he doesn't know that he is in foster care and has the potential to be adopted at any time. These arguments continued sporadically but were controllable. To the un-educated eye however, it looks and sounds ferocious! It was also quickly noticed that Derek was extremely leash aggressive, making walks very difficult!

Derek was adopted back in December of '06 and returned within 24 hours. The adopter was informed of his behavior and given specific instructions on how to handle him but obviously, he was too much for them. Derek is not a maliciously aggressive dog - he has never put a scratch on either of his foster boxer siblings - he just didn't know how to communicate properly with other dogs. It was obvious that he was not socialized during his early years and that is not his fault. LBR decided to enroll Derek is a special obedience class that helps overly reactive dogs learn to cope. What a difference that class has made! But he still requires almost constant training and a watchful eye.

LBR has spent a total of $828.86 on Derek's medical care since he's been with us. This total does NOT include food, treats, toys, and other non-medical items. These types of things are purchased by his foster home out of their own pocket.

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