I have been seeing people, lots of people, but not in the flesh. Families have chatted with me over Zoom. I’ve been able to see their dogs and have even been walked around their houses so I can see the dog’s environment. I have now started a good number of Read more…
Noah suffers from separation panic whenever he’s left without human company. He’s most distressed when his young lady owner’s mother leaves him.
The whole family suffer too. Their two happy Standard Poodles are no substitute for human company.
Noah howls.Not only does it distress the family, it upsets the neighbour. (more…)
Everything came to a head the other day. Reggie, the little volcano, exploded. The house was full of visiting family – and someone brought a baby. The 14-month-old terrier, already stirred up, went mental. The curious thing about this is that his reaction to the visiting baby was very similar Read more…
Murphy
Update on two dogs I saw some weeks ago.
After a run of German Shepherds who are very reactive to anyone coming into their home, it was great to go to a Shepherd who welcomed me immediately. Murphy and Mastiff-type Bailey are well socialised, well-trained and gentle with their children.
The young couple adopted mix breed Buddy at five months old. He is now nearly two. They were told he had Beagle in him, though it’s hard to tell.
There really is nothing wrong with the young dog that a bit of motivation and consistency won’t solve – along with some systematic training exercises to get him to pay attention to them.
Not only does 9-month-old German Shepherd Max look beautiful, he has a wonderful personality. Like many teenagers he’s full of himself and this is a lot better than being the opposite –fearful. He’s confident and friendly.
Max also is a law unto himself! (more…)
Consequences drive behaviour.
Unwittingly the young couple have made a rod for their own backs.
They are first time dog owners and hadn’t realised that something only needs to be reinforced just the once to create a behaviour. If the dog barks in the night – that ‘come and talk to me’ bark …and if they go to her just once …she will very likely do the same thing the next night!
Now Freya has them up shortly after 5 am each morning. One of them comes down, maybe lets her out, gives her something nice to chew while they lie on the sofa trying to get a bit more sleep. If it’s a bit later she may immediately get a walk.
What very rewarding consequences for barking at 5 am!
It takes a lot more work to undo a behaviour that has been reinforced by enjoyable consequences than it does to cause it in the first place. (more…)
Just look at this dog! Isn’t she wonderful? Billie is a four-year-old Aylestone Bulldog and they have had her for six weeks. Previous to this she had been used as a breeding bitch and ended up in a shelter, so she probably didn’t have a very good life. She certainly Read more…
Jasper is a wonderful Border Collie. He is beautifully suited to life as a house pet in his particularly lovely home environment. They have a big garden with a stream running through it, lots of lawn with rougher areas, two alpacas and a couple of geese. As soon as I Read more…
Yesterday I visited a young couple with three dogs. All three were rescued from Bosnia and have come here from Italy where the couple used to live. One had been dumped from a car and the other two most likely had been strays on the streets. Before I arrived and Read more…