“If I could be half the person my dog is, I'd be twice the human I am.” ― Charles Yu, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe Jenny is a sweet boxer mix who has fear issues which result in her not coming when called. When you call her she comes very slowly, then stops 3-5 feet away. It could be that her previous owners called her to them and then used harsh punishment on her. She also has pock marks all over her body which may be evidence of being shot with buckshot. Why anyone would want to harm this sweet girl is beyond me. This will be a difficult case, but helping a dog like Jenny is why I do what I do. Today was our first session with Fiona, a border collie/shepherd mix. Fiona is very fearful of strangers and large dogs, some of which live in her neighborhood. When people come to the door she gets very excited and lashes out by barking and growling. My first order of business was to try to gain her confidence. By being calm myself and rewarding her for reciprocating calm behavior, I was rubbing her belly within 20 minutes. We then moved on to teaching her to go to a mat by the door. By doing so we hope to give her a place she can relax, instead of getting overly excited, when someone comes to the door. From March 7-9 I had the privilege of participating in search and rescue (SAR) training coordinated by the National Search Dog Alliance. Participating as a field technician it was my job to help the handlers with training issues that may be adversely affecting their K-9 partner's performance. It was a fabulous weekend of learning another of dog's special capabilities. Check out photos in my picture gallery or even more on my Facebook page. We worked more on Gracie going to a spot to relax when someone comes to the door. She is making great progress. Gracie also has some separation anxiety issues and will not let her owners walk out of a room without following them. We worked on putting Gracie in a stay and leaving the room. In the beginning we would leave only for a second, then return. We gradually increased our time out of the room she was in, to the point that we were able to be away from her for 10 minutes. Slow and steady wins the race! Today we worked with new dog Halle, a Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher mix. Halle is a bit fearful, and at our consultation she kept her distance. But today she warmed up to me quite quickly, so that's a good sign that her fears aren't that deep seeded. The client hopes that Halle can be a therapy dog, so our work will be geared to reaching that goal. With today's progress she is well on her way! |
AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
April 2024
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