Much of Blue’s early life was spent in a crate after he and his brother began to fight. He was rehomed. Next he was in another bad situation before being taken in by a rescue. Then he was fostered by someone with fifteen dogs.
Now introduced to a steady home life, it’s little wonder Blue is lacking impulse control. It must be a lot to get used to.
He is amazingly friendly and adaptable considering his life over the past three years.
I would sum Blue up as eager to please and biddable…
…and lacking in impulse control.
There is a good reason the photos are blurred! He was seldom still.
His new humans are incredibly tolerant, but when he becomes too much, they put Blue in the bathroom so they can have a break. He doesn’t make a fuss. He’s very accepting.
Jumping all over us
We had to put him away for a while because his jumping all over us meant he was such hard work that it was impossible to talk.
They want him to stop jumping all over friends and family who come to their house.
They are doing their best to ‘train’ him out of it, but commands arouse him even more and also give him the attention he is craving. Also consistency is key – not just sometimes with some people, but always with everyone – themselves included. It’s only fair for him to know what is expected of him.
Each time the dog jumped onto me I turned my head away and gently stood to tip him off. I then was nice to him when his feet were on the floor. He got the message. As he started to understand what was required of him, he began to show just a little impulse control.
They have now had Blue for four weeks and already he’s improved in some areas while maybe getting worse in others.
Blue is scared of the dark, particularly cars in the dark.
They can work on this fear in the safety of just outside their own front door, getting him used to being out at night time and the passing cars from a safe distance.
During the day he’s not too confident either. He will bark at other dogs when he’s on lead. This could well be made worse because when he barks, the lady holds him tightly on a chain lead, her own anxiety rippling down it.
Bit by bit they will help Blue to gain confidence and impulse control. Already he has been taught several cues. Now he needs to learn how to stop, listen and wait.
They will give him a good selection of things to work on and to wreck! Instead of chasing his tail, squirming noisily on his back on the floor, charging up the stairs, raiding surfaces, nibbling people and so on, they can give him alternatives to relieve his stress and frustrations.
A box of rubbish can give him something to attack!
Why throw the recycling rubbish away? Why not give it to the dog first! Milk or water bottles, toilet roll tubes and screwed up paper make a great free toy.
A marrow bone can give him something to literally get his teeth into and will calm him. He can hunt for his tea – see SprinklesTM. They will have tiny food rewards to hand to keep him motivated and to reinforce calm.
One of the first things I look at when a dog is so hyperactive is his diet. In this case the wonderful couple had beaten me to it – they have already put him on the best food they can find. His skin and coat have changed dramatically. When they first took him in four weeks ago his tummy was red and raw and his tail worn hairless. Now his coat is growing shiny and healthy.
Blue is at the start of a very good new life.
A message five weeks later from a couple who have worked very hard with their new dog – and this is just the beginning: He is getting so good he puts himself in the bathroom when the door knocks and on walks if we see or hear another dog he looks to me for a treat and calms down a lot quicker than at first.
