Merit was out of options when he was returned to Iredell (North Carolina) County Animal Services last year.
The beagle/cocker spaniel dog was adopted in August. By October, he was back at the shelter. The family said he did not acclimate to the children in the home.
Merit’s return to the shelter was bad news for the dog. His behavioral issues made him difficult to adopt. He was likely to be euthanized.
That’s when Highland Canine Training in Union Grove, N.C., stepped in and decided Merit deserved a chance, said Magdalena Szymanska, Highland’s director of education.
One of Merit’s trainers, Shawn Hite, made the dog a special project. Hite came to Highland in January and began working with Merit.
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Now, the dog with a bleak future has passed his certification as a bed bug detection dog. Merit will be making his home with Hite when he returns to Indiana.
It’s a happy ending, said Tracy Sanchez, volunteer coordinator at Iredell County Animal Services. “We are always so grateful when organizations such as Highland Canine are able help us save lives when we no longer have options,” she said.
Szymanska said Highland has worked with the shelter to train dogs to make them more adoptable. Basic obedience, such as sit, down and stay, is the main focus for Highland. Occasionally trainers run across dogs in need of more training. That was the case with Merit.
“As a result of having limited options at that point due to the nature of his return, Highland Canine Training agreed to take him on as a rescue and train him for a specific job. They knew both his background and his potential and were able to help him in a way that we were not going to be able to do,” Sanchez said.
Szymanska said it was apparent Merit needed structure and training to tap into his potential.
Hite, who retired in 2017 after a 20-year career in the military, came to Highland as a student in January. One of his first projects was Merit. Using the dog’s instinct for scent work, he began using boxes to allow Merit to hone in on bed bugs. Once Merit mastered finding the scent in the boxes, the duo moved on to cars and buildings.
Hite took Merit to stay with him at a hotel and used his temporary home as a way to enhance Merit’s training. “He did hit a scent in one of the rooms,” Hite said. He added that the hotel was then able to treat the room for bed bugs.
And what is Merit’s motivation to find the bed bugs? A tennis ball.
Merit comes back to his trainer and owner, Shawn Hite, with his tennis ball. Playing fetch is a reward for Merit.
When Merit does his job, a game of fetch with Hite is his reward. Merit also gets praise and affection.
During the training, Hite developed a bond with the approximately 7-year-old canine. Hite decided to adopt Merit and take him home when Hite graduates next week.
Meanwhile, the dog who had little hope of finding a home now sleeps with Hite in his hotel room. When Hite returns to Indiana next week, Merit will have 16 acres for play.
Hite said this is the best outcome for both him and Merit. “I am happy,” Hite said. “He is a good companion. He has great recall off leash. I love that this dog is a rescue. I love his personality.”
Sanchez said training and patience unlocked Merit. “He needed the right fit and a job,” she said.
Szymanska said saving dogs is one of the missions of Highland Canine and its nonprofit arm, Highland Canine Connect. The nonprofit was founded to work with the community to create fulfilling and engaging connections between dogs and people in need. Highland Canine Connect trains service dogs, donates police dogs to agencies with limited budgets and trains therapy dogs to be placed in schools.
Highland Canine holds classes for trainers, including those already working with dogs but wanting to learn more, and people interested in starting a dog-training business.
