A few days ago, I saw a video by a Spanish rescuer who runs a dog shelter. He was quite upset because a family returned a dog they had adopted, claiming it had bitten someone—either another dog in the household or one of the family members; regardless, they returned the dog and then wanted to adopt another one from the shelter—a request the rescuer flatly refused. In his video, he explained that the dog isn’t actually aggressive, but rather nervous, and therefore requires patience. Unfortunately, the rescuer couldn't provide that level of individual attention, as he has so many other dogs under his care. He had warned the family about this, but I suspect they assumed that, because it was a stray dog, it would naturally be grateful and adapt quickly—which, as it turns out, is not always the case.

I share this as a reflection because it happened to me—and the worst part is that I raised him from a puppy. Various factors contributed to him becoming an anxious dog, but even so, I didn’t give him up; instead, I sought help. We’re making progress, though I’ll admit that sometimes I’m afraid of how he might react. That said, I’m coming to realize that my energy is everything and my stance toward him is of vital importance—he needs to understand structure, which fosters greater respect. While love is fundamental, training a dog and setting clear boundaries is also a form of love. Some dogs have such a docile temperament that this might not be necessary, but that doesn’t apply to every dog—as is the case with my own dog, and with this little one as well.

Angela, Hercules, Chloe, and Beethoven have been excellent dogs—none of them ever tried to bite me. My black dog, Angela, in particular, is an absolute sweetheart and incredibly grateful. Oddie, however, showed me the other side of the coin—the kind that requires firm, predictable guidance. This isn’t about mistreatment—far from it! There is a world of difference between instilling fear and providing leadership. Working with Oddie has been anything but straightforward; there have even been moments where I felt afraid and found myself frozen in certain situations. Still, I am learning to read his behavior, set boundaries, ensure that affection is earned, and maintain control—both over myself and over him. It’s important to remember that it’s never the animal’s fault; it comes down to how they were raised. In this case, we’re dealing with a young adult dog who was abandoned—he’s likely around two years old, which can be a particularly challenging age for dogs—but it is possible to make progress if you are truly committed to changing his life.

For this reason, it is of utmost importance that, when adopting an animal, you know what its character is like and if you have the time, dedication and energy to educate that style of animal, a mucuchie, or another breed with a strong character, is not the same as a Golden or a Collie, whose character is generally more docile. Of course, when they are mixed breeds like mine it is difficult to know, what would I know is that it is such a small dog, that it did not even weigh a kilo when I adopted it, it was going to be a dog of more than 20 kg and with a strong character, but I did not abandon it nor did I lock it in the yard, I took responsibility and if I made a mistake with it, because yes, I made the mistake of not taking it for a walk when I was young, for fear of diseases or poisoning that had been occurring in me. area, that is why I am looking to repair the damage that it causes.

And I’d like to conclude with a few questions: What do you think about this case? And have you encountered any dogs that were difficult to deal with?