Houston we have a problem

If there is one thing you can count on with your companion, it's that their behavior is always changing. That dog that was happy and easy going 6 months ago, may not be the same dog that is walking beside you today.

As your dog gets older, things that have become well rehearsed or have become a part of their behavioral repertoire, are likely to stay in place or intensify. So, what to do when your notice a mole hill is becoming a mountain?

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt
Behavior is behavior is behavior. Stop making excuses for what you're seeing. If you've been saying...."he must be tired or crabby today", "that other dog started it", "it wasn't his fault", it's time to give it up!

What behavior is your dog exhibiting that concerns you?
It's now time to get clear about what your dog is doing that you don't "agree" with. With my dog Tater, it's "posturing and growling at other dogs when greeting".

Is the behavior appropriate in context?
For example, if Tater as growling when a dog approached him frontally, barking lunging, then his response would be appropriate, in the context. However, if the context is the other dogs is soliciting social contact and he is growling and posturing- then, in my opinion, then it is not an appropriate response in the context.

What now?
Well, now that we are over the Denial stage, we're gathering our collective history in my memory.
Here's what it looks like thus far....
1. Tater was always cautious and tentative around dogs- with his older sister, it took about 2 weeks for him to begin to play.
2. His appropriate response when conflicted is/was to sit down- appropriate.
3. Greeted at least 5 dogs prior to 10 months that were not socially savvy and he was scared in response
4. On hikes- rarely had the opportunity to greet dogs, and has barked at dogs in the past
5. When greeting dogs in the past month- stops about 10 feet short, gets stiff, still, hackles up and unsure of how to proceed. With puppies (males in particular) he will freeze, hackles up and growl- this has happened about 5 times.


Next Steps- the most important part!
1. Management-
Limited opportunities to practice this behavior with dogs and only controlled greeting with Ghandhi dogs.
2. Remedial Socialization-
For the next two months were going to intensely work on his reaction to greeting dogs on leash- only ghadhi dogs- dogs that will do everything RIGHT and not respond or get hooked by any posturing/growling:
Leeloo, Yumi, Jean's dog and Acacia (tons of butt sniffing) and Denise Bash's Peanut- a true Ghadhi.
3. Practiced greetings with our fake dog (facing away, then sideways, then front facing greetings)
4. Consider or schedule neutering- as with any intact males response- their reactivity will be more intense due to hormones (according to K. Overall).

Houston, we have a problem!
If you have concerns, jump the gun! Really, don't wait for something nuclear to happen to then determine that your dog is now in the danger zone. The earlier you can manage and modify behavior, increases your odds of success long term!

no magic wands

Even as a trainer I think it's easy to want to tell people what to do, or to expect them to do what you recommend based on your authority. But, everybody will choose to do what they want. And it's really okay. The more I've been "in the game" the more convoluted things seem to be. We're all looking for that call from a owner of a 4 month old puppy that nips and jumps. And it seems those calls are farther and few between. I've been seeing several clients whose dogs who have anxiety issues, which almost always require medication. And it got me thinking, what percent of our dogs have now joined the pill popping nation?

Legitimately the medication IS what will make a difference for these dogs, so I don't question that as much as I wonder what would we have done with dogs that had these issues 20-50 years ago? Would they run off the farm not to be seen again?
Would we just accept that they'd rearrange our pillows and shred our garbage? I've heard several speakers say this and even a client the other day, "when I was a kid, all the dogs just ran and found a buddy in the neighborhood to run with, then they'd come home at night". Not with our fences- post and rail and underground. Our dogs stay within the confines of their rather boring back yards. Our leash laws have created a whole category of aggression too.

My friend Kevin came into town for a visit. When he's around, we make up corny songs, sign a lot, laugh while we rehash old times and eat too much. We did all that. And, he tells me about all the good music I've been missing. He's a funny character, and uprooted himself from Alexandria to move to Portland. With all of our assumed "busyness" we haven't seen each other since he moved. And that seems to be the "norm". For some it's kids to raise, geography or working. We're buried behind our laptops, blackberries and pda's- all "important" and unconnected.


When I was a kid the dogs would just roam the neighborhood and find their own dog friends. Somewhere along the way we are tethered to our own imaginary leashes.

Leave the yard.

dogs, foxes & insights

A few days ago, we heard a horrible, screeching noise in the woods- at the time I was looking for injured wildlife- but to no avail. Sweets has begun to go on her spring flings to the creek in the back, obsessing under a large rock across the creek and a newly dug burrow near a tree stump.

After a little googling, it seems that foxes seek habitats hear marshlands and wooded areas- near water- check.

They can make an array of sounds that can be mistook for birds or other wildlife- check.

And now a days, Sweets is leash walked (bummer) to the back pasture. This morning, I gave her a little leeway and she was off. Without a leash it's checkered flag for her to sprint to the back of the property and sniff around the burrow. So, plan to fence more of the back property and allow her life off leash, and the foxes, can do their thing.

On another note, I've been thinking about how this Serbian mudd puppy came into my life and how she's really become part of my identity and who I am (not to mention that there are lots of similarities between us lately), when she bulked up and I thought- I need to run her more, cut back on her food- guess who's pants were also feeling a little tight? When she wants to "eat" small puppies (how I affectionately refer to how she can over-correct and is less tolerant of young dogs), hum, I'd just have to say that I can feel her pain. Actually it was a major insight.

I introduced her to a young, obnoxious, balls to the wall, type puppy last week. With her usual lack of tolerance, she tried to eat him several times (lots of noise, snarling, NEVER any damage). By day 2, she was ignoring him. Day 3, she saddled up against me on the couch and here he comes.

I'm ready for the canine, nose wrinkling nuclear holocust....

She stiffens, growls and rah, rah, rah! Corrects him.

Then I notice something. She starts to stress yawn, whine and her teeth start to clatter as she looks at me (can you say anxiety?)


OK, so the insight.

No doubt, puppies grow on her and it takes time for her to solicit or even want to play. But here's the thing. The close proximity of annoying puppy increases the likelihood that she will "explode". Post explosion- what follows- the surley look from her mother (me) and sometimes yelling to interrupt whatever she's trying to communicate- that embarrasses me and has her look like a she's about to dine on young dogs.

In short, the proximity of annoying puppy = mom may yell. Thus- annoying puppy, stay away, to avoid the wrath.
And, there she is, anxious, conflicted- wanting to give the puppy the smack down, but afraid that her human (me) may become unpredictable.

Mind you, this is the same dog that is stress yawning when my husband is watching TV and yelling at the Eagles or the 76'ers.

She is SENSITIVE.

So, I read her cues, vowed to "let it roll" and for the past few days, sure, she's acclimated to the young male in the house AND there have been no over the top corrections.