Her voice was getting louder. Not sharp, but firm. Confident. The dog’s ears twitched at the sound; her head turned in Lil’s direction. “The breed gets a bad rap because so many owners pick them for the wrong reasons. They don’t think about how the breed will actually fit into their lives. An unsocialized Cane Corso is a bite waiting to happen. But, properly socialized, they are some of the most loyal and loving companions you can have.”
“Cane Corso. Huh. I think I’ll call her CC. You know, your stepdad wanted me to have her put down. I couldn’t do it. She’s not a bad dog. She’s misunderstood. She needs somebody to believe in her is all.” I let my head drop forward a bit. I wanted so much to give her a good life, yet I didn’t know where to start.
Lily smiled, put a hand on my arm. The touch kicked up my heart rate as heat rode down my spine. “I get it. And I love that Brody Shaw, big mean linebacker, goes all soft for his rescue pup.”
I didn’t think it was possible for me to get embarrassed, but I felt the tips of my ears turn red.
“She’ll come around with time and patience. If you don’t think you have those, plus the energy to put into her day-to-day care and training, tell me now. I’ll make other arrangements for her, because she’s going to be some work. Right now, that kennel is where she feels safe. I’d guess she’s spent most of her life in one. Wherever she came from, she’s not had an easy life, and it’s going to require a lot of work on your part to earn her trust.”
I didn’t have to think about it at all. “No, she’s my dog. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to make her life with me stellar.”
Lily gave a solid nod, her lips turning up at the corners. “Okay. I’m going to get her to come out. Why don’t you have a seat to give us some room?”
I sat in the corner chair and watched the raven-haired trainer work her magic. She moderated her voice the entire time we’d been in the room, but now her tone changed to one that held more authority. CC’s ears perked, her massive head coming up from her paws to watch the trainer.
Lil knelt in front of the kennel. She didn’t baby talk or coo; she simply spoke in the same confident tone that perked the dog’s ears. She told CC how brave she was. That she was safe. That she wouldn’t let anything hurt her. It didn’t matter what she said because the point was the delivery.
Within a couple of minutes, the dog moved to the open door to investigate the trainer, who offered a palm to sniff. After a gentle nosing, Lil scratched her behind an ear and my girl’s eyelids drooped in pure bliss. She stopped before the Cane Corso had had her fill, and a question filled CC’s puppy-dog eyes when Lily pushed back a few feet. While she spoke, Lil produced a treat from her pocket.
It proved too tempting, and my girl emerged from the kennel to investigate. It was something to see. Lily was in control of the situation, the dog picked up on it, and as a result, started to relax. She peered around as if seeing her surroundings for the first time. The dog ducked when Lily stood to her full height, and nearly dropped to the floor. As soon as her new friend reached into her magic treat pocket, CC’s heartbreaking reaction was replaced with curiosity.
“She’s inquisitive, eager. That’s good, but you’re going to need to repeat this process until she comes out on her own to find you. You’ll want to keep treats with you whenever you’re with her to reward her for good responses.”
Lily’s patient yet firm voice was doing it for me, too. The woman was totally in control and it was hot. “What about bad behavior? Housebreaking and all that?”
When CC sat next to Lily’s leg and nosed her pocket, Lil offered her another treat. She patted CC’s head, examining the dog’s scarred neck and the smaller scars on her ribs. I had no idea how she’d gotten those. Barbed wire maybe, or a cage that was too small. Like they came from some repetitive action and the scar tissue was so thick hair no longer grew.
When Lil started moving around the room, the dog followed. The trainer rewarded her with another treat. “For now, ignore any unwanted behavior until she’s more confident. What puts her at ease is feeling like you’ll keep her safe. You want her to feel that all the time before we worry about bad habits. Once she’s sure of herself in the apartment and seeking you out on her own, we’ll worry about the rest.”
I propped my elbows on my knees. My voice came out grated. “Make her feel safe. I can do that.”
Whatever my girl had endured before she hopped in my truck, she’d never have to worry, or scrounge, or shiver, or fight again. Lil must have noticed the emotion swimming through my eyes because her own softened.
“I’d like to get her out to your living room so I can look her over better.” She reached into her pocket, producing a handful of treats. “Hold on to these. I’m going to lead her into the hall behind you, and then you’ll take her out to the living room the same way I get her to go with me. Sit on the living room rug and let her come to you. Reward her when she does. If she asks for more treats, reward her again. If she asks for affection, give it to her with a gentle touch, but don’t lean over the top of her or make prolonged eye contact because those are threatening gestures in dog language, okay?”
I nodded.
“You go in front of me and hold the treats in your left hand. Once we’re in the hall, I’m going to move away, and she’ll slide up next to you. As soon as she does, give her a treat and say her name in a gentle voice.”
CC circled around Lily’s legs, sniffing. Patting her hip, Lily took a couple steps forward and the dog stayed with her.
I fell in ahead of them and moved into the hall. In a seamless transition, a massive brindle head appeared next to me, nosing my hand for a treat as Lily stepped away. “Good girl, CC.” My voice was even, calm. “You’re such a pretty girl. Wanna come sit down with me?” She stopped nosing my hand, instead contemplating me with interest, and when her mouth fell open, her enormous tongue lolled to the side.
As soon as my butt hit the rug, she dropped down to her haunches and began nudging my hand for treats. I talked to her, rattled nonsense, told her about my workout and the pretty girl who flipped me off. She listened to it all. Ears pulled forward, her head cocked from side to side like she was trying to comprehend what I said. My smile must have been a mile wide because Lily chuckled as she sat down with us.
“What do I do when I run out of treats?” I only had a couple left.
“She’ll be fine. We’re going to watch what she does and I’m going to look her over.” Lil’s smile was soft. “Corsi are intelligent, loyal animals, but they need a strong owner, or they’ll walk all over you. Your job is to remain gentle and confident, and trustworthy in her eyes.” While Lily spoke, she watched my girl with intense precision. “She’s going to need a job at some point, too, or she’ll take it upon herself to make sure guarding is her job. She’ll need socialization. Lots of exercise. She’s obviously been bred a lot in her short life. I’m guessing she’s around three, maybe four years old? A vet would be more accurate. The way her nipples protrude indicates she’s nursed several litters. What the...” Lil squinted, scooting closer and leaning down to study something on the dog’s belly.