Soule: Unexpected Love for a Ferocious Pit Bull

Cody, a 9-year-old pit bull rescued from the streets of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, would viciously attack anything that moved—except humans. Encountering calves, car tires, horses, goats, and other dogs, Cody would lunge, bark, and attack. It's how he survived in his younger years.

A rescue agency placed him with me for retraining. As I'd done with other dogs, I taught him to accept me as his pack leader by always walking ahead and ensuring he knew I was providing his food.

To control Cody's lunging, I'd distract him with the scent of food. He didn't get the food; he just got to smell it to divert his attention from the moving car, tractor, or calf. When he wanted to chase a running calf, I'd lift him by his leash to shift his focus, and no matter what he did, I tried hard to be calm and assertive. For added insurance, he wore a muzzle, which gave me confidence that he wouldn't kill a farm animal if he did get loose.

Training was going well until after I removed his muzzle. Cody got into it with my dog Flora. She started it, but Cody escalated it to a battle to the death. Husband Bruce and I separated them, but that attack made me realize that Cody was a killer. That night, I decided, with the approval of his St. Croix sponsor, it was time to put him down.

Then I met Lisa, who purchased a calf from me. Her husband, Marlon, owns Dark Dynasty K-9 and trains protection dogs. (He also owns Hulk, a 175-pound pit bull that is the world's largest!) He agreed to help me retrain Cody.

Marlon explained that not all dogs like each other. Your dog has dog besties and dogs he hates. The best way to control your dog when he wants to lunge at another dog is by showing leadership, which starts with leash training.

Click here to find out what happened to Cody.

Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, where she raises and sells beef, pork, eggs, and other local products. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com. Carole is also now a certified Life Coach who helps humans and K-9s achieve the impossible a little at a time.