Rango suddenly charges Rango lies where he can watch the doorway. When the children enter the room, he springs to his feet and charges at them, barking. He then uses his mouth with multiple ‘nibbles’. Fortunately no teeth (yet). It is the same when a child gets up from the Read more…
Connor’s will be a story in two parts. This first story is about Connor and his frantic agitation when two people get too close to each other.
He came to them a year ago, probably only weeks away from death. The dog, scarred with broken teeth, scared and skinny, had stopped eating. He had been in the kennels for two years and seemed to have lost the will to live.
From the moment the couple took him in, the Staffie Greyhound mix, now five, surrounded by patient love began to blossom.
From the start Connor became agitated when either the man moved too close to the lady, or when the lady approached the man. (more…)
Belle was found with her siblings, at just a few weeks old, by the roadside. From the beginning,, in her loving home, the Whippet mix was a scared and nervous puppy – in total contrast to their two Labradors.
When someone comes into the house the scared dog will leap onto the lady’s lap for reassurance.
Belle is now three years old and the behaviours her fear generates are hard for her family to deal with. She is extremely jumpy and scared of many everyday household things.
It’s easy to get cross with too much barking when one seems powerless to stop it.
The main message for helping Belle is for them to consider the emotions that cause her behaviours and deal with them instead of trying to stop the actions themselves. It can help to translate it into human terms. For instance, they wouldn’t scold a child who was crying due to fear. They would address the fear itself. (more…)
On walks the Deerhound Lurcher barks aggressively at other dogs. At home Daniel is a well-behaved, quite self-contained but friendly boy, four years of age. The gentleman has had him for two years. He lived on a narrow boat For the first two years of his life Daniel lived on Read more…
A campervan holiday – perfect for the dogs. Or so you might think. The holiday season is approaching and many people want to take their dogs. So they get a campervan. I have just been to a second couple with a campervan and dogs that bark at approaching people. The Read more…
Lurcher Rufus is a wonderful dog whose only problems are as a result of over-arousal. He then redirects frustration, using his teeth. The two-year-old had been picked up, abandoned, eight months ago and has settled into his new life beautifully. A lovely, friendly dog, he’s confident and curious. Rufus can get very excited Read more…
The couple both have full time jobs and two very young children. My own daughter can barely manage this and is exhausted a lot of the time. Imagine adding a young dog that needs his own time and attention too. This is the case of the young couple I have Read more…
Learned behaviour that needs to be un-learned. Four months ago a dishevelled, grey, skinny dog in dreadful condition stepped out in front of my client’s car. After a visit to the vet and a bath, he turned out to be a mostly white Lurcher. They traced his past from a microchip and were Read more…
The three Lurchers I have just been to live in Dog Heaven! In a fairly small environment they are allowed a great deal of enrichment in terms of things to chew and explore with no owner panic if they make a mess! I have to persuade many people to give their dogs things Read more…
It was no start in life for a puppy. Rose growling? It was hard to believe! Lurcher Rose, now four, came over from Ireland as a seven-week old puppy, already separated from mother and siblings and having been in one or even two shelters. She lives with Molly an elderly Read more…