Kirk D. and Gangster

“At the shelter, Gangster was a sweet, playful dog who loved all of us and just wanted attention. Shortly after we got home, his dark side came out. Within a few days, everyone in the family had been bitten, with blood drawn on three of the four of us. We called Cissy, and she came to see us. She gave us instruction in how to recognize when he was getting toward aggression, and strategies into how to work through those times (often just to give him space). We did our imperfect best in following her strategies, and with lots of patience and paying attention, Gangster soon learned to trust us and we learned how to live with him.
Now, Gangster often lets us pet him for long periods of time. When we first got him, two or three pets was his limit. Gangster has also learned his boundaries. While he still has his off days (don’t we all?), he has become a loving little Gangster. I don’t think Gangster would still be with us if Cissy didn’t help us. And we’d be missing out on a most of the time loving, playful little dog. Thank you, Cissy.”