Behaviour and Training

Name: Puppy off to the best start
Rating: 5

Persistent Barking. Barks at Man While he Talks. Barks in the Car.

February 7, 2019
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Behaviour and Training
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If it weren’t for her persistent barking, Elsa would be the perfect pet.

The young Parson Terrier is friendly, enthusiastic and non-aggressive. She is great company for the disabled gentleman who spends all day with her while his wife is at work.

Some barking is welcome. Some simply too much.

Persistent barking Elsa has different barks for different things. Some of her barking is very welcome. With no teaching or prompting, the little dog alerts the man with a special short bark when his insulin levels are wrong.

Because the man feels unwell and is in pain a lot of the time, Elsa’s barking is a real issue. Continue reading…

Tension on Lead Can Result in Pulling.

January 1, 2019
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Behaviour and Training Walks
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A short story about two nine-month-old Labrador sisters. They are bouncy, enthusiastic and friendly, perfect given their breed and their age.

Tension off leads for happy walks The main problems are jumping up at people and pulling on lead. Walks are causing the gentleman considerable stress. For reasons not relevant here, he only took over walking them a week or so ago. Continue reading…

Hormones? Two Entire Females That Fight

Are hormones to blame?

Dylis

For nearly a year the two dogs had been the best of friends. They had their first spat around the first time when both had come into season but everything settled down again.

The family adopted Tibetan Terrier Dylis about a year ago to join Sybil, a Goldendoodle, age 4. Over the past six weeks the two dogs have become increasingly aggressive towards one another with the younger Dylis the instigator. Around the same time Sybil had another season but it’s unclear whether Dylis did also. Very possibly her hormones are troubling her. Continue reading…

Bouncy Puppy Too Much For Older Dog. Won’t Leave Him Alone.

The bouncy puppy, a twelve week Old English Sheepdog, is simply too much for their other dog, a little Poodle-Westie mix.

Both dogs individually are perfect for their relative ages and breeds. They are doing brilliantly with bouncy puppy Fergy and all the usual puppy things.

It’s when the two dogs are together that things aren’t going well for little Busby.

Terrorised Westiepoo

Before puppy Fergy arrived, Busby had an interference-free life. They took him everywhere. Now the ten-year-old has to put up with constant pestering from a bouncy puppy who just wants to play all the time. Continue reading…

Big Change in Poppy’s Life. Wary of People, Traffic and Dogs

December 6, 2018
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Behaviour and Training Fear
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What a big change in living style the mix-breed terrier has had.

It seems Poppy came from a fairly manic household with comings and goings, unpredictable young people and lots of noise. Judging by how she may now wince or recoil from hands, it’s very likely she wasn’t handled very kindly.

It’s possible a man treated her harshly, though it is common for nervous dogs to be more afraid of men than of women.

Not sorry to lose her

They asked one of the older children if they were sorry to see her go. The child said, ‘Not really’. Continue reading…

Consequences Drive Behaviour. Teaching Unwanted Behaviour

December 5, 2018
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Behaviour and Training
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Consequences drive behaviour.

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!

Behaviours harder to undo than to create

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. Continue reading…

Reduce Arousal. Over-Excitement. Barks at Dogs on TV

November 18, 2018
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Behaviour and Training
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Reduce arousal. Stress and excitement are at the root of their problems with Kevin and being alert, energetic and reactive is simply part of his basic nature, I’m sure.

Kevin is Kevin – and he’s wonderful! As an adolescent he will be at a difficult stage anyway.

One-year-old Kevin was born in kennels in Romania then had probably been adopted by someone over here who couldn’t cope with his boisterous nature. He ended up in rescue kennels again.

They found him online. The kennels simply brought him out and handed him over.

Rescued From Squalor. Living in Excrement. Starving

November 11, 2018
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Behaviour and Training
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Rescued from squalor I have just met Staffie Chester, featured on TV’s The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davis, rescued with two starving companions from squalor.

How do some of these dogs coming out of such a bad situation, come out of these situations and remain so sweet? Continue reading…

Management. Management. Management. Changing Routines

To address the problems the lady faces with Harry and Toto, management has to come first. Harry is an 8-year-old terrier, and Toto a Bichon Frise age three.

Over the years, Harry has bitten several times when out, including a child. Fortunately so far he has done little more than to break the skin.

Toto, a more recent rescue, is fine outside the house, but may go for the feet of anyone moving about indoors.

Toto bit a child

From Street Dog to House Dog. Outside World Overstimulating

November 3, 2018
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Behaviour and Training Walks
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Sasha finds the outside world overstimulating.

A street dog by birth, eighteen-month-old Sasha has adapted amazingly well to life in a house. This is a tribute to both her basic temperament and to her new family’s own efforts.

She finds the outside world overstimulating

She started life on the streets in India. They think she has Pointer in her. I see possibly Labrador and German Shepherd. A beautiful mix, she doesn’t look like the typical street dog.

At five months old, along with her brother, she was caught and placed in a pound where she stayed for another seven months until the couple adopted her six months ago. Continue reading…

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Puppy off to the best start

I just wanted to message you and say thanks for your help when Dizzy was a pup. She's turning out to be an amazing little thing!!! We literally couldn't have asked for a better dog, thank you so much for setting us off on the right track from the very beginning!

He is having fun, he is affectionate and more relaxed

We are really pleased with progress far. Your guidance has been invaluable. Within the first week, we were all just feeling relieved at the improvement in his behaviour (and probably ours!) and we felt we could at least live with him. Now, at the end of two weeks, I can honestly say it is a pleasure to be with him. He is having fun, he is affectionate and more relaxed.

Prompt, helpful and considerate

Very kind lady gave us the reassurance that we could give our dog a new start to life. He truly needed one. Theo was professional, approachable and extremely sensitive to our situation and our dogs terrible separation anxiety.

Very helpful and extremely easy to talk to

Was very impressed with Theo, she was very helpful and extremely easy to talk to. Theo explained everything very well to us both, making everything easier to understand

Both of us were very impressed with Theo

She was absolutely fantastic and explained everything well. All our questions were answered in great detail. We couldnt ask for more. Warm and friendly. She gave us back our optimism that Polo isn't a lot cause. I would have no hesitation in recommending Theo,already have!

Theo lived up to our expectations

Having had a trainer over previously to help with Dollys biting and obsessive behaviour who had very negative methods in my opinion, we did a lot of research to find Theo and she lived up to our expectations.

Theo has been very supportive

From her first phone call following my email enquiry, calling back with further suggestions even before she met us. Trudi has changed already, really calmed down, and we feel confident that with Theo’s support there is positive hope that we will get there.

Extremely prompt

Extremely prompt telephone call after my initial email. I felt empowered following the visit, and confident I will learn good leadership! Delighted with Theo. William (our Dalmation) is already calmer. I wont give up on him now Theos in his and our lives.

3 weeks ago I was at the end of my tether and it was me or the dogs

3 weeks ago I was at the end of my tether and it was me or the dogs (and I suspect my husband may have chosen the dogs!). I didn’t know how to stop all the barking, dreaded callers to the house and generally wondered why on earth I had dogs. It has been hard, the first 10 days or so was stressful trying to remember all the things to do, I lost my temper, I shouted, the dogs seemed worse than ever before but now I am seeing results, it feels good, I feel good. The dogs are brilliant, I love them again.

We really felt that you considered our emotions as much as the dog’s

Thank you for coming to meet us. Both Michael and I expected someone judgemental and you were nothing like that at all. and made sure that we understood why we were to behave in a different way and see it from the dogs’ point of view. We both thought you were lovely!

You gave me some incredibly helpful advice

when I was at a point of crisis with my two rescue dogs. My thanks alone would never be enough.

We were thinking of having her put down before you came

I always praise you for the way Jess has turned out considering we were thinking of having her put down before you came.

The service we received was prompt, informative, efficient and well explained.

We would have no hesitation in recommending Theo to any other family with similar problems, I now have a more relaxed dog and the family is more relaxed!

Theo gave me confidence with my dogs

which I very rarely feel with a stranger in the house. I was very impressed with the service received. My only regret is not asking for help months ago!!

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All stories are always published solely with the client’s permission. In some stories, images and identifying details may be changed.