It's a Scary World Out There

Gracie still refuses to take a walkie along her former route.  She prefers to stay within the boundaries of our property.

A few nights ago, she was intrigued by furiously barking dogs in our neighborhood.  She ventured outside the property line but retreated in fear not long afterwards.  Fortunately, I had a toy in my pocket.  As soon as we returned to our yard, I whipped out the toy and engaged her in a game of fetch.   (“Fetch” is a loose term.  She prefers to taunt me with the toy rather than politely relinquish it.)

I realize some trainers may say I reinforced the “happy place” quality of our yard.  My goal was to prevent her from “shutting down.”  When Gracie becomes truly afraid, she will not listen to anyone.  She retreats into her own little world, shaking and panting.  I could tell from her posture that we were moments away from that happening.  I decided it would be better to redirect her attention to the toy and use exercise to burn off the anxiety. 

It worked.  Her attention was fixed on the toy.  She forgot about her romp outside the property line and had a wonderful time chasing after the toy.

Fearful dogs are a challenge.  I encourage you to read books about positive training methods so you can help your dog.  As I said, my method may not have been 100 percent approved by a trainer.  It worked for my dog – and that’s what you must do.  Find something that works for your dog.  Just make sure it is positive training – no choke collars, no painful corrections. 

Good luck!

Rescue Mommy

Fear Reactive Dogs

A few days ago, I received a phone call from someone who adopted a pound-bound dog.  He has lived with his new family for several months now.  He is gained weight and blossomed into a very loving dog – toward the family and the family’s dog.  However, he has suddenly become aggressive toward anyone except the man and woman who adopted him. 

Let me preface this post by saying I am not a dog trainer.  I have no specialized training.  I just have many years of experience living with dogs.  My recent experiences with Gracie have taught me a great deal about fear’s power over dogs. 

I told her first to take the dog to the vet.  Pets are stoic.  In the wild, only the strong survive, so animals naturally hide weakness.  It is bred in the bone.  Also, our furry friends cannot talk.  The only way they have to communicate with us is by “acting out.”  What we see as bad behavior may be a cry for help.

If the visit to the vet did not uncover any underlying medical conditions as the culprit, I advised her to consider his history.  Her dog without question was not properly socialized.  I encouraged her to speak with a trainer.  In my non-professionally trained mind, it sounded as the dog had finally settled into a loving home and wanted to protect them.  Again, this is my gut instinct, not professional advice.

I also told her to check out the Internet.  You can find a wealth of information there.  As with anything you read on the Internet, you should carefully consider the source.  ALWAYS seek positive training methods.  Negative training never works and can be enormously detrimental with fearful dogs.  Think how you would feel if you were scared and someone tried to “show dominance” over you, yelled at you, or used a choke-chain on you.  You might do what that person told you, but you would not do it willingly and would most likely grow to hate that person, wouldn’t you?

I told the lady she would have to invest a lot of time and that she should not expect a quick fix.  She told me she really loves the dog and wants to do whatever it takes.  I commend her.  A lot of dogs and cats find themselves at shelters because their owners do not share the same attitude.  I wish her and her sweet rescue the best of luck.

Rescue Mommy

Progress, More Work Ahead

As you have read this week, the arrival of a new puppy in the neighborhood has caused quite a stir. Gracie’s reaction was quite shocking. Lately, I had noticed she did not like being around other dogs, yet nothing had happened like the first meeting with the new puppy.

The first time she saw the puppy, she lunged at it, barking and growling. She was clearly very upset. Her reaction was basically the same the second time. I do not think they are going to be best friends, particularly since the pup has decided to respond in kind.

I could be extremely upset and disappointed at Gracie reaction – and I am, to a certain degree. However, when I look at how far we have come, I realize there is a lot to celebrate.

As I may have mentioned in previous posts, Gracie has made a lot of progress in recent months. She finally trusts me fully. She is getting much better with recall (coming when I call), particularly in situations where she is highly focused on something other than me. Riding in cars is still not a favorite activity, but she is improving. Now, she does not bury her face; she raises her head and has even rolled over for a tummy rub. Sure, she still pants and trembles for awhile. It remains to be seen if she will ever truly love car rides.

After the incidents with the puppy, I reviewed notes and articles a trainer gave me for Gracie. The information dealt with fear-reactive dogs, which Gracie most likely is. The first thing you must do is have the dog look to you in uncertain situations. Until you can have the dog do that, it is difficult to do anything else. Well, she just started doing that over the last few months. Now, we can begin the serious work.

The whole point of this post is to tell you that training is never ending. It also can take a lot longer than you expect. Be patient. Celebrate the small victories. If you do not, then you can be easily discouraged and miss the whole point of what you are doing: creating a bond of love and trust with your furry buddy. Good luck!

Rescue Mommy