Brewster and Morgan
These two very large rottweillers exhibited territorial aggression towards humans and other dogs. They were very intimidating towards anyone who approached, barking, growling and showing their teeth and gums. Although the owners reported that they had not actually bitten anyone, I felt this was only a matter of time if their anxiety (both the owners and dogs!) was not addressed. I suspected that they had not been socialised properly as puppies as they were bought at 14 weeks old (? too late). Through much work and effort by all in promoting fair and consistant training, I am pleased to report that both these beautiful dogs are 9/10ths of the way to successful rehabilitation.
Fin
Fin is an adorable Lhasa Apso. His owners contacted me to help reduce his incessant barking which was driving them mad. He also had an issue with chewing waste paper and displayed anxiety when walking beside heavy road traffic. He also tended to pull on the leash and attempt to dart across the road towards other dogs.
Following on from my assessment, it was clear who ruled the roost! By understanding and working with the principles of dog psychology and positive training, his owners have Fin well on his way towards becoming a relaxed, well mannered companion dog. Keep up the good work!
Yoda and Bud
Yoda and Bud are two lovely Shih Tzu's. Their owners contacted me for help with a biting issue. Resource aggression over toys was predominantly the issue. It became clear from my assessment that there was a manners issue here and some basic changes in the existing boundaries were needed. Having implemented the recommendations, the owners report that there is a vast improvement and the biting issues are almost resolved. Well done!
Storm
Storm is a 5 year old GSD who despite working toward her Gold Good Citizenship Award exhibited barking and lunging at other dogs. This led to her owner crossing roads and avoiding other dogs for fear of attack. Her leadership role model was fine in the household. It was obvious to me (and her owner) that she needed to be (re)socialised with other dogs. This became clearer when I learned that she had been seperated from her littermates around 6 weeks of age.
Storm's target is to be gradually introduced to other dogs initially at a distance and then decreasing the distance as she becomes more relaxed. I have also advised that she has a walk with a calm dog pal.
UPDATE : Although Storm's owner is more relaxed on the walks, Storm continues to bark at other dogs and lunges towards them. I am now advising that, having witnessed a brief pause (freeze) between spotting another dog and commencing barking, that timely and careful intervention is required. This involves refocussing at the point of arousal (using distraction and calming signals) but prior to barking and lunging. I am drawn to the conclusion that Storm's anxiety is more likely to be innate rather than conditioned. A work in progress!
UPDATE : Took Storm on a 3 hour controlled exposure exercise to popular dog walking venue by the sea with my own Polo. She behaved impeccably following her first shaping intervention, steering clear of volatile dogs and interacting well with stable ones. Am well chuffed. Captured encounters with other dogs on camera.
Her owner has continued these results by walking her daily at Cramond with great results. I have also introduced Bach's flower remedies to compliment the rehabilitation process.
Have home boarded Storm for the weekend. Adapted into our family unit without any issues. No interdog aggression during any of her walks (on and off leash). Gold star for Storm!
Chase
Chase is a 16 month old pitbull terrier cross who has his owners at their wits end with his pulling on the leash and barking at other dogs. I can vouch for his pulling power!! Having spoken to his owners it was evident that Chase was needing to have proper boundaries and learn some manners without the attitude. His owners have implemented my instructions and already noticed an improvement in the household. He, however, continues to pull on the leash. I tried the strategy of encouraging Chase to carry a ball in his mouth during the walk (as he showed no interest in food reward) with good success. His Mum reported that Chase growled at her whilst removing him from the sofa. This of course is not allowed and caused fear from his Mum. It's a catch 22 because Chase needs his energy drained but the walk is a nightmare for his owners. I plan to follow up this week. Watch this space!
UPDATE Owners report an improvement on his walks.
Milo
Classic example of resource guarding
Milo is a gorgeous solid black coloured cocker spaniel. His owners contacted me to help them with his aggressive issues which became noticeable at the age of 3 months. They had tried (and spent a lot of money on) other behaviourists who offered weird and wonderful "techniques" despite never witnessing his behaviour. Following assessment, it became clear that Milo has an extreme case of resource guarding, not restricted just to food or toys but to space. During assessment, his distance increasing signals were limited to growl, whale eye and bite,bite,shake in a matter of a split second. Thank goodness for the assess-a-hand! Immediate intervention was of a pack reduction plan for Milo. Second intervention surrounded safetly reclaiming possessions. Third intervention involved canine communication through calming signals. Introduction of Bach's flower remedies to compliment the rehabilitation.
Next intervention was to recondition his response to approaching humans as being non threatening and a more pleasurable experience using classical conditioning.
UPDATE Despite best efforts, Milo's aggression has not really reduced. The ferocity of his attacks have not subdued. In order to promote a safe environment, he is now wearing a Baskerville muzzle. This in itself has produced an amazing turnaround. Confidence has grown in the household. I have asked the owners to use as much touch and massage as possible over the next few weeks. My observations are that Milo loves this new found way of relaxation. This behaviour could be a classic example of rage syndrome (random aggression) in (usually solid coloured) Cocker Spaniels. A result of irresponsible breeding in the Cocker Spaniel (OR ANY BREED) breeding circuit. Unfortunately, some breeders continue to breed irresponsibly from a minimal gene pool as this rage syndrome may only appear every 3-4 generations. Incurable but controllable with a muzzle and non confrontational limit setting. Pharmacological (seretonin) intervention has a reported 50% success rate.
Personally, I have no doubt that Milo has rage syndrome, he ticks each and every box for this diagnosis.
This is rare and the first time I have witnessed it but I am confident in the diagnosis, although I wish I wasn't!
UPDATE Milo's owners gut instincts were that Milo did not have rage syndrome and sought a second opinion from Barbara Sykes who suggested that Milo needed a lot of hard work and her TLC methods (Think Like Canines) to promote better manners and reduce his attitude. She does not agree with the rage syndrome diagnosis.
I wish Milo a full recovery in that case.
Azzurri
picture of Azzurri to follow
Azzurri is a magnificent huge thoroughbred pedigree Black Russian Terrier. I had never worked with this breed before. However it was fair to say that Azzurri exhibited some very bad manners. In a top floor flat, his barking was becoming a nuisance. His owners contacted me as his antisocial behaviour had reached such a level that one of his owners had to frequently sleep on the couch! He controlled everything by his barking and biting. He needed to learn some manners and have his attitude addressed immediately. Simple leadership strategies have worked wonders. He is still a work in progress...
Bracken
Bracken is a lovely 10 month old Airedale Terrier who has poor recall and a habit of destructive behaviour, chewing almost everything. He ruled the roost having free access to all the rooms and generally pleasing himself. First step was to introduce some basic boundaries and house rules. He has used his mouth on occasions which needs to be addressed immediately. The owners are working on this at present. I have recommended an increase in his structured exercise and that he remains on leash at present to promote his own safety. He also requires back to basics obedience training and other constructive ways of unleashing his energy.
UPDATE Bracken is progressing nicely although still requiring firm limit setting as he continues to be "mouthy" He is learning to unleash a lot of his energy through play in the garden. He can now walk nicely at heel but his owners need to practice this more intensely. Perhaps the introduction of a treadmill or agility training to compliment his walks will assist.
Oscar and Austen
Oscar and Austen are 7 year old and 11 month old Old Tyme Dorset Bulldogs. I have never worked with this breed before so it was a real honour to be invited to help. Oscar was trained as a guard dog for the first 3 years of his life so he is needing counter conditioning in the current ways he reacts to stimuli. He has bad manners exhibited by biting and has a habit of lunging and barking at other dogs. Austen has poor recall but also has started to use his mouth. Both dogs are very, very strong and the owners are using all their strength to hold on. A physical battle of strength is never a good idea with powerful breeds and this needs to be addressed using positive training interventions. Both dogs displayed no boundaries within the household, this needed to be addressed straight away. The owners are working on this at present. The next step is to work with basic obedience training and to learn to communicate with the dogs using body language and teach them calmness. Watch this space....
Cassie
Cassie is a typical Jack Russell Terrier with lots and lots of energy. However, she has an aggressive side to her when meeting other dogs. She jumps and snaps at them. The owners daughter has a young Cocker Spaniel puppy (Archie) that they would like to walk together so this is the goal! Following my assessment, it was clear that human love was lavished on Cassie, she chose the best sitting areas, the best bed, ate first etc... Time for good manners training and some house rules to be reinstated! Within a few days, the improvement was noticeable and Cassie was beginning her rehabilitation, to a wonderful new way of being. The next step involved my Polo. Introduction time! Cassie displayed fear and anxiety and hid behind a chair. This was a better reaction than the owners anticipated, they thought there would be bloodshed. Polo was relaxed, which was very reassuring to me. Given time and not paying any attention, she gradually ventured out, her nose getting the better of her (liver cake treats on offer!). She remained easily startled, at one point bolting towards Polo when her owner jumped up quickly. A wee snarl. Now the nose was itching to greet Polo. Time for the walk together. A little timid to begin with, but after 5 minutes they both trotted happily together. A slight snarl at a passing dog.
Homework for owners? As much practice walking Cassie with a non reactive dog as possible! Next, reinforce basic obedience and then introduction to the Cocker puppy.
UPDATE A fantastic time was had by all during the first walk with Cassie and Archie. A nice socialisation period set the tone for the walk. Half way, the dogs were allowed off leash and had a great time playing together!
UPDATE Cassie is trully a star at my Fun Agility Classes
Charlie
Charlie is a large 8 month old German Shepherd Dog who was undersocialised with his littermates having been seperated at the age of 6 weeks old. He attanded socialisation classes at his vets and also at puppy obedience classes. However, he is an over excitable dog who requires to learn how to relax and learn good manners. He barks excessively when the doorbell rings and also lunges at people and other dogs when on leash. A familiar theme, but he needed to learn good doggy manners in and out of the household and his owners needed to implement their teaching skills with him. His recall is variable depending on external stimulus.
The first step is to set up rules and boundaries. His excessive barking was controlled by non verbal body language and positive and negative reinforcement which helped reduce his level of excitement. The intention not being to eradicate his barking but to control it, by acknowledging his alert bark but then assuming responsibility to investigate the noise (doorbell). Having witnessed how to accomplish this, the owners are putting this into practice.
My follow up visit will concentrate on basic obedience leash work and interruption of his response to approaching people and dogs by classic conditioning. Finally we will work on providing another option for him to control his predator instincts in full chase mode.
UPDATE : Charlie has continued to pull on the lead on his walks. Consistency is the key here. If you allow your dog to pull even once every 20 walks, this is enough reinforcement for the dog to continue pulling. More work required.
Orson, Jake and Rocky
Picture to follow
Orson, Jake and Rocky are a pack of middle-aged dogs who had all been given a second chance of a forever home. The owners did have an idea about leadership although did not put this into practice fully. As a result the dogs generally pleased themselves, initiating play, initiating patting etc. They bark at the ice cream van, the doorbell etc. Rocky (8 years old) behaves like he gets "spooked" on a walk. This has led him into dangerous situations where he has bolted away ending up on the main roads. He was the last to join the pack but is the one who is causing most concern. There is absolutely no exhibited aggression from any of the dogs.
Having agreed that the dogs could alert the owners by barking, the emphasis was put onto taking over the responsibility of investigating the stimulus (doorbell, icecream van etc) Deja vu? The owners are working on the body language techniques I demonstrated. I have suggested that in order to control Rocky's flight tendencies during a walk, he should remain on a leash at all times. He trembles at noises. I am going to utilise a very gradual desensitization and exposure program using sound cd's and introduce a DAP collar to help him relax. I shall also maybe incorporate Bach's flower remedies. A dog relaxation cd is also helping.
UPDATE: The owners have done a magnificent job in setting behaviour boundaries (good manners) and have control over responses to door bell etc. The family unit is much calmer. The owners are now utilising a sound de-sensitizing cd which will benefit Rocky no end. The DAP collar has been used previously with little effect so there was no point in adding unnecessary expense.
Gem
Picture to follow
Gem is a 4 year old Golden Labrador who her owners admit "spoiling." She was brought into the family home at the age of 8 weeks. She is excitable and needed to learn an alternative state of mind - relaxation. Her owners want to work on her recall skills and also the drop and leave command. She has an acute fear of laminate flooring and as such needs counter conditioning of her fear response. Naturally, solid leadership is required in addition to basic obedience training. In order to help her relax I am going to utilise a relaxation for dogs cd (of which I was sceptical but having witnessed the effect on my own dogs I am a believer!). I may also introduce Bach's flower remedies and a DAP collar.
Dee
Dee is an anxious collie who exhibits fear aggression towards other dogs. She was seperated from her litter at the age of 6 weeks, which means she was under-socialised. By setting boundaries of good manners, this has helped her regain some confidence and has improved her leash walk. She also has a fondness for attacking the hoover, preoccupied with aerosols and starts barking at the doorbell and letterbox. All these were "fixed" in less than a few minutes intervention. Seeing is believing!
Bailey
Picture to follow
Bailey is a typical high energy 13 month old boxer. His owners contacted me after Bailey had bitten his obedience trainer. He pulls on his leash and has poor recall. He is easily excited and becomes very "mouthy." Step one was to demonstrate positive leadership to Bailey with the implementation of my rules and boundaries good manners program. The next step is to teach an alternative behaviour to excitability. Finally, his basic obedience training re walking at heel and bullet proofing his recall skill.
Jack
Jack is a 3 year old deaf Jack Russell X. He has aggressive episodes and has bitten in the past. His owners contacted me because they were worried about Jack's behaviour. He has just been removed from the dangerous dog register after one year. He has shown aggression towards adults, children, other dogs and innanimate objects. A range of interventions have been tried by his owners including a citronella bark collar. He is described as a "highly strung, persistant and demanding" dog. He is rarely relaxed. The first intervention was to implement my rules and boundaries program. Jack has been taught with visible hand signals (cue's). The next step is to counter condition his responses to his fear aggression and de-sensitize him to his perceived threats.
UPDATE Jack has certainly responded positively to my rules and boundaries program. He is much calmer now around the house. He is still wary of approaching dogs.
UPDATE: Jack is now participating incredibly well in my Fun Agility Classes.
Kira
Kira and Polo
Kira, as you can see from her photograph, is a beautiful Border Collie X. Rescued mid February, she has had her fair share of troubles. Firstly with Kennel Cough and then interdog aggression. She exhibited growling, barking and lunging at other dogs for no apparent reason. Her owners were concerned about keeping control, especially when jogging. They would also like to be able to walk her with their friends dogs. Some leadership skills were already being partly introduced by her owners which really just needed some fine tuning. Her unwanted aggression was counter conditioned with the principles of classical conditioning with good effect. Within a few minutes she was walking side by side with another large dog. Keeping calm and relaxed on the walk is an essential ingredient to helping Kira overcome her fear and anxiety of other dogs. Working in the here and now will help Kira adjust her response to other approaching dogs.
UPDATE : There has been a massive improvement in Kira's unwanted behaviour. She is responding well to her new rules and boundaries and is generally exhibiting more relaxed behaviour. She responds well to retraining methods from her owners. She has a sore leg at present so hopefully she will be running around playing with her new friends shortly!!
Pookie
Pookie is a little Griffon who exhibits dog dog aggression. Despite his size, he will lunge at much larger breeds. His underlying issues are fear based and under socialisation. We are working on rules and boundaries techniques, teaching good manners, lessening her attitude and gradual socialisation with other dogs, making a daily walk an essential part in his rehabilitation. Next week, I will introduce Pookie to my working dog Polo.
UPDATE: Introduced Pookie to Polo last week, all went well, no evidence of aggression. The owner has been at her wits end though and has considered selling Pookie because of his lunging and barking at other dogs. My plan is now to expose Pookie in a controlled environment to lots of other dogs and join my dogs for a weekend. Watch this space.....
UPDATE: Unfortunately, my plan to keep Pookie for a weekend with my dogs was thwarted by legalities for my new home. As a result, Pookie has become my second unsuccessful story as he is now confined to the house by his owner who is unprepared to walk him outside due to her level of anxiety and his fear aggression. My advice is to remain calm on the walks and to gradually expose Pookie to other dogs by gradually decreasing the distance between them whilst using the principles of classical conditioning. Good luck Pookie!
Wolf and Barney
Barney is a collie x who is around 12 years old and Wolf is a 4 or 5 month old lively GSD. Their owners contacted me because Barney had bitten their young son and Wolf needs to improve his obedience. Wolf is a mouthy dog, jumps up and pulls on the leash. He needs to learn good manners. Barney exhibits territorial guarding whilst under the table and can be possessive of toys and treats. He is also generally anti-social to other dogs.Barney's behaviour has worsened following an attempted break in last year. From my assessment, it was evident that neither dog regarded the family as leaders. This was the first point to be addressed and I have recommended my rules and boundaries model. The owners reported an improvement within a day or two.
UPDATE: My return visit focussed on Wolf's pulling on the leash and also lunging at other dogs. This led me to introduce positive teaching using a clicker. This, and I shouldn't be surprised, has shown improved manners on Wolf's walks already. I have also given advice on Barney's resource guarding, which includes hand feeding and higher value food being offered/dropped on approach to his food bowl, an approach that will take at least 3 months hard work.
UPDATE: Barney has bitten the owner's 2 year old son on the face, after the child touched his back. Barney is a rescued dog who had suffered physical abuse at the hands of the previous owners. This action presumably triggered a self defence response from Barney. Reluctantly both myself and the vet have recommended Barney be put to sleep. However, the owners wish to try a desensitisation program in the first instance. This is a high risk strategy and as such I have insisted that Barney wear a muzzle for the duration of this process. This will promote a safer environment. I have recommended that my positive traning methods and counter conditioning models be implemented immediately. This will be hard work for the owners if it is to succeed. I have also recommended that Wolf's unwanted behaviour be extinguished by the use of time out.
UPDATE: I have just heard that Barney developed a tumour on his neck which the vet felt was sinister. As a result of his discomfort and pain, the only humane action was to put Barney to sleep.
Caelyn
Caelyn (which means "Loved Forever") is a 2 year old Bijon Frise whose owners have a problem with his continual barking when meeting new people or children. This is a major problem as he lives in a Guest House. This brought back many memories for me as my first dog as a child, was a Cairn Terrier called Hamish who became extremely aggressive whilst living in my parent's Guest House. On first impression, Caelyn is a nervous dog who demonstrates distance increasing signals. In addition, he generally pleases himself as to where to sit, eats first and decides when to play. Again, the first step was to implement my rules and boundaries model, reinforced by setting limits on his barking. The goal is not to stop him barking but to control it. This is actually easier than it sounds. Infact during my first visit, Caelyn never barked at my arrival. I had taken Polo with me as a distraction, which worked well. We practiced controlling Caelyn's response to the door bell ringing. This was an incredibly fast turn around and the issue was resolved within minutes.
The owners are comitted to implement my interventions and I look forward to my return visit.
Murphy (and Tina)
Murphy is a 7 year old lurcher/deer hound X who was rescued by the family last week. They travelled all the way to Thurso to see and collect him. As far as they are aware there is no history of neglect or abuse. Murphy is a very docile and relaxed dog and has excellent manners! He joined Tina, a 6 year old Poodle, in the new household. Pretty much from the word go, Murphy started to bark and whine when left alone in the house. This would continue until the owners returned. Naturally, this caused them concern especially with the close proximity of neighbours. I introduced a de-sensitization program along with a relaxation CD and massage. I suggested the dogs did not have free reign of the house and instead be confined to one area such as the kitchen. Deep relaxation massage was practiced in this area too. The de-sensitization program is gradual exposure to increased isolation times. This is working well according to the owners and rapid improvement is reported. Keep up the great work!!
UPDATE: Murphy is a transformed dog thanks to the dedication and work from his owners.
Izzy
Izzy is a beautiful 11 month old tri coloured Cocker Spaniel who has developed a fear of road traffic. During her walks she freezes as she approaches areas near the main road. At times, she can suddenly bolt away from her owners with the intention of returning to her place of safety. Her anxiety/fear is manifested in flight response, hyper ventilation and trembling. Her owners have a clear knowledge of pack status and had been following this model. There were a couple of issues that needed fine tuning in so far as more positive reinforcement and moving away from aversive steps. Having witnessed Izzy's reaction to traffic during our walk, I have advised a desensitisation program to help Izzy overcome her fear. This includes use of gradual exposure to noise via a specialised cd and also daily calm exposure to traffic.
UPDATE: There has been a significant improvement in reducing Izzy's fear of traffic. She no longer freezes when approaching the road. We used "jackpot" treats to keep her mind off feelings of anxiety during the walk. She no longer pulls on the leash to escape the noise. Well done!
Suki
Pic to follow
Suki is a 9 month old Newfoundland who has started to exhibit destructive (and expensive) behaviour. She also has the tendency to urinate in the house. She has the habit of jumping up at visitors and her owners feel that she is starting to show signs of play aggression. Her owners have much knowledge of the breed and also currently provide a home for a 7 year old Newfoundland.
Having explained the dogs perception of her behaviour and advice on implementing my new rules and boundaries model, it was time to take Suki out for a walk. She knows how to pull!! After all, her forebearers pulled boats and nets in for fishermen in Canada! Having said that, following my advice on how to correct her pulling, she demonstrated that she is quick to learn. Unfortunately we did not come across any other dogs, but the techniques are just the same.
I am really looking forward to my return visit to see how Suki has progressed!
Roxy
Pic to follow
Roxy is a beautiful 2+ year old Boxer who is exhibiting "selective deafness!" She is described as "not listening" Her owners wanted help with Roxy's recall, barking, interdog aggression and her tendency to jump up at people. Roxy is a typical young boxer dog who needs to be taught the rules of social living! Setting limits and boundaries on her unwanted behaviour is the key to success. As ever, I feel it is important to establish a clear leadership figure in the house and teach what is acceptable and what is not. This is done, not by punishment, bullying or lowering the dog's self esteem, but by rewarding positive behaviour and extinguishing the unwanted behaviour. The barking at the door bell behaviour took only a few minutes to rebalance. Recall is an obedience training issue, but if you put the time and effort in, you'll reap the rewards. Jumping up is generally an issue not of dominance, but of excitement and bad manners. Keeping calm and relaxed before, during and after the walk are the essential ingredients here in addition to corrective interventions. Again, I am so looking forward to my return visit...........
Treacle and Toffee
Pic to follow
Toffee and Treacle are two labs aged 2 and 3 years respectively. Treacle has developed some unwanted behaviours by stealing food (not uncommon with labs!!), pulling on the lead, poor recall and a tendency to bolt out an open door and disappear. She approaches the door when the bell rings and seizes the opportunity to make a dash for it. It would be easy to keep Treacle behind a closed door but my clients house has many children in it and like most children they are full of beans but also unpredictable with memory!! The interventions here involved going back to basics with recall training, a reduction of the level of excitement in the household and reclaiming personal space and boundaries from the dog. I am looking forward to my follow up visit to see how things are progressing.................
Molly
Molly is a 2+ year old black labrador. She was one of six puppies who the owners described as being the one who avoided the rough and tumble. She was acquired around the age of 6 weeks, which is probably around 2 weeks too early. However, she is well socialised with humans and dogs alike. She does, however, have issues with sudden noises. A startle reflex can save a dog's life and is totally natural as it is in humans. The issues arise from lack of recovery and subsequent behavioural problems, such as suddenly darting off. This can endanger a dog's life. Molly was involved in a serious car crash towards the end of last year. Fortunately no physical injury was sustained. However, the psychological damage can be just as disabling. As one would expect, this trauma has led to a fear/anxiety of travelling in cars. The first step was to introduce relaxation via massage and dog relaxation music. The cd is good as it can be played in the car as well. The process of relieving Molly of her anxiety is to break down the mechanical process of getting into the car into small steps. Once she is confident, she moves on to the next step. The results after a few minutes were incredible.
Her sudden and over reaction to noises are being addressed through a desensitisation cd. This is a very successful intervention as long as you only progress when your dog is ready.
I suspect I shall meet a confident and relaxed dog on my return visit.........
Scamp
Scamp is a 1 1/2 year old terrier cross who was rescued from the SSPCA in Balerno. He has reduced social skills, poor recall and pulls on the leash. He exhibits aggression to one of the owners (male) and has bitten several times. He is described as having "selective deafness!" From my assessment and observations, it was clear that Scamp was protecting his female owner. It was a clear case that Scamp owned the owner! Scamp needs the rules of the household reinforced and boundaries set for living in harmony. No longer to be allowed in the bedroom and the owners to reclaim their personal space. I showed the owners how and when to intervene, both inside and outside of the house, although the two English Bull Terriers we came across required more work than Scamp!
I witnessed Scamp lunge and bite his male owner just before I left as he returned into the room. Although this was unpleasant, it did allow demonstration of the interventions to minimise this happening again.
I am looking forward to my follow up visit when needed.
UPDATE: Despite their best efforts, the owners were unable to regain their confidence with Scamp and as such have decided to surrender him to the Dog's Trust. I wish Scamp well in finding a new home.
Sasha
Sasha is a 2 year old Chow Chow. She was one of 8 in the litter and was acquired around 8 weeks old. She is described as always being a bit timid. She pulls on the leash, has poor recall and is stand offish with humans. She also exhibits diminished social skills with other dogs. She has recently been joined by a 6 month old Chow Chow puppy. Her owners were worried that the puppy may develop similar traits as Sasha. Sasha had no problem with my introduction to her after a couple of barks. By communicating with her via body language, I was able to develop her trust in me. On the walk, I demonstrated a couple of positive techniques on how to train Sasha to walk at heel and not pull. We encountered another dog and I was able to demonstrate how to control the initial greeting. Of course, recall training is something that does not develop overnight but I have left instructions on how to bullet proof her recall.
Again, I am looking forward to my follow up visit.
Ernie
Ernie is an 18 month old Yorkiepoo who went to live with his current owners in April this year. His history is really unknown but his behaviour is that he lunges and barks at other dogs whilst on leash. His owner was very much aware of "probably doing the wrong thing" and really just needed someone to confirm this!!
We established new rules and boundaries for his owner so Ernie can relax on his walks. We also introduced relaxation cd and massage which he loved. We practiced getting Eddie to focus on his owner with the plan to increase his attention span. The owner is also keen to try Bach's flower remedy. The owner, herself, will practice relaxation too.
I am looking forward to our walk along the canal in Edinburgh in a few weeks.
Errol
Errol is a beautiful 9 month old Gordon Setter who is fortunate to live with owners who have extensive land. He is walked about an hour a day in local woodland which he loves. The owners have had dogs all their lives, and their last dog was also a Gordon Setter. This had been an exceptionally well behaved dog and as such the owners opted for the same breed. Of course all dogs are different, even puppies from the same litter have different behavioural characteristics. Errol is causing anguish in the household because of his bad manners. He is mouthy, jumps up, table surfs, humps legs and chews. It is time to be taught good doggy manners. I introduced the owners to positive training techniques as their current interventions were traditional punishment techniques. By using the clicker and treat method we began to shape Errol's behaviour into being more appropriate and sociably acceptable. By breaking down the goals into small achievable steps, I have no doubt that Errol can live up to his predecesors good manners.
Franklin
Wow, what can I say about Franklin? Certainly the tallest dog I have ever worked with on a one to one. At 12 stone, probably one of the strongest too. I just had to post three pictures of him because he is so handsome.
Franklin has a fear issue of other dogs, exacerbated when on leash. His behaviour is difficult to manage because of his sheer size. He has learnt to bark and lunge towards other dogs and at night, in the dark, towards any approaching stranger. He attends a training class who have weekly pack walks which sound fantastic. Franklin seems to enjoy these with only the occasional outburst. We are using positive training methods to reward appropriate responses (in a humans opinion) and ignoring the unwanted responses. He is learning the look at me cue, loose leash walking and to meet other dogs with good greeting skills. I am also recommending canine massage. Franklin's owners are very keen and know that there will be no overnight successes but with consistency and the right interventions, the results will appear.
Flinn and Angel
Flinn and Angel are two 8 month old miniature schnauzers (check out the photo..wow!!). They are brother and sister. The owners contacted me as they become over excited at visitors, exhibiting excessive barking, jumping up and grabbing onto the owners clothing.
Time to teach some alternative incompatible behaviours. First step was to work with each dog individually. Then to "charge" the clicker. By reinforcing good manners and establishing the new behaviour in a variety of settings, I have no doubt that Flinn and Angel have the potential to become model citizens!
Lucy and Leo
Lucy and Leo are brother and sister labradors. They are 9 months old and entered their new home at the age of 8 weeks. Their constant fighting between each other is driving their owners up the wall. They are also showing a little bit too much interest in the resident cats. They also both pull on their leashes when out on a walk, this is proving very difficult to manage them both at the same time. They had been spending time in a purpose built run outside until the weather deteriorated. Indoors, they spend longish periods of time in their crate, which they share. It was important to work with each dog individually, with the aim of reducing their unwanted behaviours and to spend much less time in their crate. This will only work if other ways of alleviating boredom are implemented. I have suggested some classic dog games to keep the dogs focussed on activities and demonstrated how to socialise the dogs with the cats through a desensitisation program. Teaching the dogs to walk calmly on the leash is another top priority. So far, so good and I look forward to my return visit. Keep up the good work!
Ruby
Ruby is a very intelligent 2 year old Parsons JRT. She currently patrols the garden, defense barking at children on the other side of the fence and birds flying over head. She also becomes aroused at passers by and other dogs outside of the window. She lunges at cyclists and joggers which can cause a state of alarm. Introducing clicker training to elicit "look at me", "leave it" and other obedience behaviour is the first step. Using the principles of operant conditioning to minimise her barking is the next step. Using tone modulation to capture attention and classically conditioning the external stimulus to become pleasant, whilst discouraging unwanted barking without punitive aversive measures will go a long way to rehabilitate Ruby.
The noise of the clicker was causing anxiety for Ruby, so we are taking steps to remedy this. Keep up the great work.
Tara
Tara is a lovely 3 year old Lurcher. Unfortunately due to her fear and anxiety of other dogs, she becomes leash aggressive demonstrated by lunging. Her anxiety is really quite extreme with her current comfort zone being around 70-80 feet between herself and another dog.Her owners, well aware of the hard work infront of them, are realistic about the challenges ahead. Small steps in Tara's counter conditioning program is what is required here. I am fairly positive that there will be some dramatic improvement in Tara's fear and anxiety if the owners follow my treatment plan. If you look at Tara's body language here in the picture you can see her level of anxiety with a camera. Ears drawn back, mouth closed, and ever so slight whale eye (head turned away but unable to take her eyes off the lens).
Harvey
Harvey is a lively 2 year old schnauzer. His barking at any stimulus is becoming a headache for his owners, especially after the recent birth of their beautiful daughter. Harvey becomes hyper aroused by the door bell, visitors, other dogs and movement. Whilst he can eventually settle down, he follows visitors when they move and barks at them. Time to train Harvey to relax in company. The owners were happy for Harvey to bark when the door bell rang but wanted him to stop on cue. The barking at visitors inside the house had to stop too. By the end of the evening, Harvey showed remarkable impulse control following my positive interventions.
Tanya
Tanya is a lovely red border collie who becomes aroused at the phone ringing, vacuum cleaner, printer and cameras, infact most novel objects. After implementing some management of the stimulus, it was now a process of desensitisation and counter conditioning her response to them. Tanya's owners report improvement already which is great but their work will be ongoing and rewarding.
Jess
Jess is an adorable eight year old Bearded Collie whose owners contacted me due to her compulsive spinning, barking, stealing and attacking the vacuum cleaner and sweeping brush. She also dislike being groomed and has an extreme sensitivity reaction to fireworks. The reasons for the spinning which started around 4 months of age are unknown and she has had a trial with Imiprimine in the past to no avail. There are many reasons for compulsive behaviour and identifying this will be the key. Increasing mental stimulation, teaching incompatible behaviours and possibility of introducing a different pharmaceutical intervention are all possibilities. The owners have already tried Bach's Rescue Remedy and DAP products without success. We have also introduced the use of a special dog relaxation cd.
The other issues are purely desensitising and counter conditioning her response to the various stimuli, through cd sound exposure and classical conditioning. By teaching new cues and reinforcing positive behaviour through clicker training, the owners have already noticed a decrease in her barking within a few days. This is terrific news. Keep up the hard work!