Cody, the Cocker Spaniel

Cody the Cocker Spaniel was turned in to the Valley Dogs Rescue group by his prior owners. They were headed out for vacation and said that if Valley Dogs didn’t take the dog, they were going to drop him off at the pound. Upon further questioning, it turns out that Cody was purchased from a breeder and the family had him for about four years.  They wanted to use Cody as a breeding stud. Therefore, he was never neutered. This contributed to his tendency to act out as he tried to establish his position as the Alpha in the home.  In an act of frustration, he bit one of the children in the home. That is when the owners decided that they no longer wanted to deal with him.

Valley Dogs indicated that Cody was dropped off with no toys, blanket or personal affects to comfort him. As his owner drove off, he was scared and confused. All of the dogs in the foster home that Valley Dogs provided for were much bigger than him and he didn’t know how to react to them. He showed some fear aggression and tried to be the dominant one in the house. Cody had a few “Cesar moments” with his foster mom as she helped him to find his role within the pack in the house.  They also had him neutered a few days after he moved in.  A short while afterward, he became the balanced and affectionate dog that he always wanted to be.

Cody has now become a “velcro dog”, migrating to others with love instead of cowering with fear when a hand is reached out to pet him.  He is living in a loving home with his new parents, a dog-brother Buddha and a cat, and he gets along with them all fabulously. In fact, his parents brought Buddha with them to the photo session because the two of them have become inseparable and Cody is much more comfortable when he is around.  Buddha is a beautiful Lab/Chow mix that I just had to snap a photo of…

Valley Dogs is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill animal rescue organization who’s mission is to rescue dogs that have been abandoned, neglected, or otherwise placed in harm’s way. Our rescue dogs are cared for in foster homes until they are adopted to approved permanent homes.  Since 2003, Valley Dogs has rescued and rehomed over 1000 dogs.

You can reach Valley Dogs by phone at 480-898-DOGS, by email at mwest@valleydogs.org or you can visit their website at www.valleydogs.org