Welcome back to Sit Stay Rant, where we are unleashing the real mess behind rescue, cult vibes and all. Amy, along with Gabby, Emily, and Brittany M., dive into part two of their ever-growing list of dog rescue pet peeves.

This time, the team tackles one of the most frustrating and dangerous habits in rescue: people exaggerating or mislabeling dogs to get them surrendered or moved faster. You know the drill: a family says they “just can’t keep the dog,” and when things don’t move quickly enough, suddenly the dog is “aggressive” or “untrainable.” Those two little words? They’re not just annoying, they can be a literal death sentence.

The group breaks down why true aggression in dogs is rare, and how most behavior issues stem from fear, lack of socialization, or stress. They talk about the infamous “ladder of reactivity,” where small warning signs escalate if ignored, and share personal stories like Caesar, a Baltimore shelter dog labeled “aggressive” who turned out to be a sweetheart once out of the shelter chaos.

But that’s not all, this episode also dives into some of the other everyday pet peeves of rescue life, from fosters who expect instant perfection to people who evaluate dogs way too quickly before giving them a chance to settle in.

With a mix of humor, real-life bite stories, and hard truths, the team reminds fosters and adopters that patience and precise language matter. Calling a postpartum mama “aggressive” or slapping that label on a scared transport pup isn’t just inaccurate, it’s irresponsible. Words shape outcomes, and careless ones can put dogs at risk.

So sit back, rant along, and remember: leave the dog alone, let them come to you, and for the love of rescue, stop throwing around the word “aggressive” when what you really mean is “scared” or “reactive.”