Why has Brio’s behaviour worsened during adolescence, and how can his defiance and biting be turned around? Adolescent Cocker Spaniel Brio was a bitey puppy. Then for several months he had stopped using his teeth on people, only to begin again when he became a teenager. He also became defiant Read more
What can you do when your dog seems constantly over-aroused, alarmed and unable to switch off? The Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund charged about barking, agitated whilst at the same time ecstatic to see me. He flew all over me. It was relentless. At my request we were all doing our best to Read more
At the sight or sound of an animal on TV Ben whines and runs about. He paces and crouches. He will then get into more of a frenzy and lunge and bark at the TV. I saw this for myself.
He barks in the night, he barks at TV, he barks at anything he hears. He goes mental when the post comes through the door. He barks at birds in the garden and he barks on walks from the moment they leave the house and all around the village.
If barking gets the gentleman to open the door in the morning, then barking is proved to work. If barking when something comes through the door drives the postman away (or so they think), then again, barking works. If barking at a neighbour when they are in the garden results in them being told BE QUIET and maybe chased around the garden, then barking is reinforced.
Because Pug-Jack Russell mix Freddie wasn’t being ‘controlled’, he was all over the place. He was waiting to be told what to do – or more what not to do. Like so many people, they do their best to control his behaviour by using NO and constant commands like ‘Get Read more
I have just visited little Pug, Franklyn, for a second time because they have reached a plateau with his barking – both barking at TV and also barking in the car.
They ha
ve worked hard and had made some great progress, but now seem to be stuck.
n order that I could see how he was with animals on TV, I asked them to turn TV on. Although there were no animals yet, within a couple of minutes he was no longer lying stretched out and relaxed. He was becoming increasingly agitated and beginning to chew himself.
Then he looked at the TV, saw an animal, crouched, growled and then launched himself at it.
The confrontational and controlling methods as used by a certain well know TV trainer are merely teaching Franklyn defiance and inciting aggression, so will be dropped. These are methods that appeal to people when they feel they are losing control – but the results are short-lived and using force of any kind amounts to bullying. Totally unnecessary and counter-productive when, by understanding how to use positive methods you ultimately end up with a cooperative, happy and calmer dog.
The two used to play together and get on famously until, strangely, a few weeks ago their diet was changed. It was changed to raw meat, chicken wings, cooked rice and what should be an excellent diet.
However, it brought out food aggression, especially over the chicken wings. Although they have been withdrawn, things have never been the same since.