Progress

It's been almost 4 years since we adopted him, and EVERY encounter with another dog has been a disaster. He was a bait dog used for fighting, so instead of learning that other dogs are his friends, he learned that other dogs are going to hurt him, and he's been an awful mix of emotions and reactions with some extreme fear-based aggression. When he wasn't growling at dogs to "GET THE F**K AWAY FROM ME," he was cowering and trembling with fear.

I've been working non-stop to teach him that other dogs are "buddies" and have finally gotten him to the point where he can sit and wave hello when I ask him, "What do we do when we see a buddy?" Or when I ask if he wants to "say hello to the buddy!"

Today I brought a little buddy home for a few hours, and after some initial awkwardness (my pup has no concept of personal space; the poor little pup got annoyed a few times) we were able to go for a walk together, and they were able to lie next to each other on my bed (the muzzle was removed once the excitement died down).

It's not ideal, but it's a fuckton of progress from where he started.