Jango 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).
Why would a dog become frantic when two people stand close together or hug?
Connor’s is 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…)
Why would a dog that is friendly off lead become frantic and fearful on walks?
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…)
Why would a calm, friendly Lurcher at home bark aggressively at other dogs when out on walks? 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. Read more
But their home is their castle. Their campervan is their mini-castle, also to be guarded. Constantly proving at home that aggressive barking drives people away, Ruby does the same from the campervan, now joined by Mia.
Rufus redirects frustration using his teeth.
If he’s not getting attention, he will demand it using his mouth. If he is thwarted or ignored, he redirects frustration using his teeth.
Can too much running and ball throwing actually make some dogs more reactive and over-aroused? The couple each has a full time job and they have two very young children. My own daughter can barely manage this and is exhausted a lot of the time. Imagine adding a young dog Read more
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.
He has calmed down a lot since the lady adopted him two years ago. He used to regularly hump a huge stuffed tiger (dismembered yesterday by one of the dogs and not for the first time). Mostly unchecked, humping has become a well-rehearsed behaviour that has helped him to cope in some way.
Why was Rose growling at the other dogs in the evenings? 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 Read more