Scared of hands. Snaps if touched. Resource guards.
Jack Russell Chihuahua mix Rollo is scared of hands. Until a couple of years ago he was a friendly little dog who enjoyed gentle petting from most people.
Then something happened. (more…)
Obedient? No, not disobedient. Unmotivated.
I always ask what people want of their dog when I first arrive. The gentleman said ‘an obedient dog’ and the lady said a dog that she could walk.
The two are part of the same thing. In my own words what they want is a fulfilled, happy and motivated dog.
The less compliant and obedient a dog is, the more a frustrated owner may intensify his or her approach. They repeat commands with a crescendo until they are shouting. This may intimidate some dogs into being obedient.
With adolescence came attitude
Insufficiently motivated. Why not work for his food?
I’ve just visited Jake, a delightful, friendly and clever young Cockerpoo. A real character.
What cheerful Jake lacks is self-control. They have given him basic training, but self-control is not about people controlling him or doing tricks. He’s simply not sufficiently motivated.
He eats well, so taking food from his daily quota will do.
The clever dog needs a lot of stimulation in order to receive the fulfilment his breed needs. Working Cocker mixed with Poodle. He generates his own attention and fun with his excited behaviour and demand barking. (more…)
Practise a different way of reacting. (Practice makes better, if not perfect).
They have had two-year-old Springer Spaniel Ben for one week now. He is a beauty; polite and friendly.
I sensed that some of his quietness is due to being a bit careful and still finding his feet. Ben may well be a bit different when he has properly settled in.
He could become more confident which may well work in their favour where his explosion into barking and lunging when getting too close to another dog is concerned. (more…)
Blind German Shepherd. Unable to read other dogs.
Today I met a blind dog, a wonderful thirteen-month-old German Shepherd called Bear. He lives with Stan, an equally lovely young Golden Retriever.
Both dogs are a real tribute to their owners. It was lovely to be greeted so happily and politely by both dogs.
Blind Bear occasionally but increasingly feels threatened by certain other dogs on walks. If this weren’t the case they wouldn’t need me at all.
Being blind, Bear feels more vulnerable
Working dog with no employment.
Bonnie is a working dog without a job.
She is a thirteen-month-old beautiful fox red Labrador.
I always ask my clients what their aim in having me would be if I had a magic wand. Which of course I don’t!
Bonnie’s owners said simply, ‘Happy walks with a happy dog’.
One would think that Bonnie had everything in life a dog could ask for. However, the most important thing, apart from food and keeping safe, is missing.
A job. (more…)
Click for Calm. Addicted to Ball Chasing
The young couple has a beautiful Border Collie pup called Sabre, soon to be sixth months old.
He greeted me outside the house, pulling hard to get to me. Most of the time I was with them he was flying all over the place or barking at the young man in particular. He barked for him to throw a toy.
The man always complies because the barking goes right through his head.
Wild Behaviour is Unwittingly Fuelled
Wild behaviour from a dog the size of the adolescent Newfoundland can be scary. When Beau leaped at the kitchen table she knocked the coffee mugs flying! Seven-month-old Beau was chosen from the litter as the most bold and pushy puppy. She organised the others, I am told, by barging Read more…
Bored, Over-excitable and Looking for Trouble
German Shepherd Kerry is bored.
Kerry
Although it’s natural for adult dogs to sleep for up to eighteen hours a day, this is only so if the rest of the time is filled with stuff natural to the dog – and its breed. Sleep probably won’t be in long blocks of enforced inaction during the day, but dozing between doing other things.
Young dogs in particular need action and fulfilment (just like young humans) or they get bored.
Kerry is a beautiful eighteen-month-old German Shepherd living with another GSD, Lemmy, aged four. They are both gorgeous dogs with lovely, friendly basic temperaments.
Young Kerry, unfortunately, probably isn’t getting enough action in her life and she’s very easily aroused. I saw this by how the smallest thing results in her leaping at someone, me in this case – grabbing my clothes and even hair with her teeth. (more…)
Persistent Barking. Barks at Man While he Talks. Barks in the Car.
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.
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. (more…)