"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog." - George Graham Maeby, a 3-year old Poodle/Cocker Spaniel mix, is afraid of other dogs and will growl and resort to a bite if that's what it takes to keep them away. And that is a problem when she visits her cousin' Jack, a 6-year old Pug/Jack Russell Terrier mix. In the next few weeks we will be forming positive associations between Maeby, Jack, and other dogs.
Buster is not fond of grooming time, especially bath time, so we worked on making a bath
a more positive experience. By the end of our session he was jumping into the tub on his own! When I arrived Stella was already in our crate and she was much less reactive when I came in. To further help the greeting process we taught Farley to go to his bed and stay while the door was answered. This combination should greatly reduce the anxiety created when guests come in the house.
TIP #1: TELL HIM WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO DO There is nothing wrong with telling your dog "No", and it will probably interrupt the behavior for a moment, but it's not enough information to truly stop a behavior. Instead, tell the dog what you want him to do. Is your dog begging at the table? Tell him to go to his bed or crate, and reinforce that behavior. Jumping up at visitors? Tell your dog to go to his place and sit to earn the attention he desires. Clear communication is one of the keys to success. TIP #2 PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTION "I'm not going to put my dog on drugs!" "I don't want my dog to be a zombie!" I have heard these types of comments over the years from owners of dogs with major separation issues. The sad part is that as much as those folks loved their dogs and thought they were protecting them by avoiding drugs, the dogs were suffering greatly, and could have been greatly aided by pharmacological intervention. Now, I'm the last person to cavalierly suggest that a dog needs to be on drugs; it's not the right solution for every individual, and there are potential side effects with any type of medication. But the side effects of chronic, severe emotional distress must also be considered. Just as with people, constant or even frequent anxiety can cause all manner of physical ills. Dogs can become afflicted with gastric ulcers, atrophy of the lymphatic glands, and even suppression of the immune system, which in turn opens the door for illness and disease. That said, a course of drug therapy, as helpful as it may be, is not likely to solve your dog's separation issues on its own. Drugs are meant to be used in conjunction with a behavior modification program, not as an alternative to it. - excerpted from Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety by Nicole Wilde Zoey is a gorgeous, 7-month old Golden Retriever with the happy-go-lucky attitude that most Goldens have. She already knows Sit and Wait really well, so we will be teaching
her Down, Leave It, Come When Called, and Loose Leash Walking. For his safety and those that he comes in contact with, we spent the entire session
introducing Bulleit to his new muzzle. He did great and by the end of the night he was putting his nose in it on cue. Lottie, who doesn't normally get walked with a leash, learned how to today, and she did
surprisingly well. She is definitely a quick learner and is eager to please. Today we met with Sullivan, a 2-year old Golden Retriever/Labrador Retriever/Poodle mix. Sullivan gets possessive of his food bowl and some other items when the kids are around
him. We will work on counterconditioning this behavior. Lyla is an 8-month old, 70 pound German Shorthair Pointer/Bloodhound mix who pulls a lot, which makes total sense considering her breed makeup. But that doesn't mean we can't
teach her that pulling does not get her to where she wants to go! |
AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
April 2024
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