Quick Fixes & Happy Clients!

Susan made my day.  Actually, I think Susan made my whole month, and it's only the beginning of July! We met last Saturday to work with one of her dogs, a sweet adult Terrier mix, Marty, who has become quite "short fused" with other dogs, particularly puppies who get in his face.   This behavior was concerning to the owner as Marty has always been quite easy going and good with other dogs.  When I explained to her that many adult dogs become intolerant of the antics of puppies, feeling the need to correct those puppies before they get too wound up, she did feel a bit relieved, but still wanted to work on improving his behavior.  You see, they have a new neighbor with a puppy and Susan wants them to all be able to walk in the neighborhood, and eventually do neighborhood activities together, and have the dogs all get along. This is why I adore Susan; she's ready to work on the issue before it becomes a real problem.  Susan is a creative soul, so she sent this to me like a story.  Best story ever!

A funny thing happened on the way to the pandemic… my sweet, gentle 23 lb. therapy dog terrier mix, Marty McFly, decided a few months ago – as the COVID shelter in place began – that he wanted to act aggressively toward neighborhood dogs. It wasn’t pretty, as he stood on his hind legs, pawing frantically in the air in the general direction of the dog as it passed. It was difficult to control him and impossible to calm him down. Then came a new puppy arrival a few houses down – Audrey the shepherd mix, who couldn’t be more docile and friendly. Marty wasn’t having any of Audrey, and Audrey wanted to be Marty’s best pal. So his frantic air pawing transitioned into snapping at Audrey, when all she wanted was a backyard play date.
 
I reached out to Julie, because I just knew she would have answers, tools and suggestions. Just like every other time I have needed Julie, she did not disappoint. One hour-long visit with Julie, Marty, Audrey and Audrey’s parents was a game-changer. I gained tools for redirecting Marty when Audrey got too close and rewarding him for making the right choice to turn away, and Audrey’s owners got tools for distracting her from wanting to be too close to Marty and rewarding her for ignoring him. Julie also gave me a game plan for calming Marty by holding him in a specific way, with my back to the dog or whatever is stimulating Marty’s aggression, until he relaxes. Miraculous.
 
Thank you, Julie!

It isn't always the case that an issue can be solved in one hour or one visit, but honestly, it does happen, particularly when you have a motivated dog owner who is ready and willing to help their pet move through this issue and away from the anxiety that led to the behavior in the first place. Some people wait to long to address problems, hoping, I suppose, that they will resolve on their own.  When it comes to anxiety-based behavior problems, they won't resolve on their own and they can get much worse.  By teaching Marty alternate behaviors to do when he feels anxious and showing him that we understand his frustration with puppies was the first step.  Teaching Audrey the puppy that the best way to get Marty's attention wasn't jumping on him, but just hanging out near him sniffing and rolling around was also part of the solution.  Both of these dogs are well-socialized and responsive to treats, praise and redirection.  I couldn't be happier with how this all worked out and I was thrilled to see Marty back to his usual happy self.  

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Marty McFly is back to enjoying his walks and the other dogs who share his neighborhood!