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

Training Continues

As I alluded on Monday, Gracie continues to have a deep fear of walking anywhere near the electric fence.  It is as if the zap has jumped started the fear machine in her. 

A few days ago, my mom lit a citronella candle while we were sitting on her front porch.  She shook the box of wooden matches.  Grace was terrified, shaking violently and jumping into my arms.  That was a new fear.

Adopting older shelter dogs can be a challenge.  I have no idea what has happened in her life to make her so afraid of the most bizarre things.  As I have said many times, it will take patience and time to resolve the issues.  In some cases, the fear never goes away.  You just try to manage it.

I purchased Victoria Stillwell’s new book, Train Your Dog Positively.  I hope to glean some tips for helping Gracie overcome her anxiety and fear.  You can expect a book review in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I welcome any advice you may have. 

Rescue Mommy

Progress Report

Last week, I mentioned that Gracie’s zap from the electric fence caused a setback in training.  While things are not back to normal, she is acting better.

She has taken a full walkie on the usual route a handful of times.  The last time, she walked at a brisk pace on the return trip but was not totally freaked out.  Believe it or not, that is progress.

What was the trick?  Patience.  I encouraged Gracie to take a few steps down the road, past the safety of our property.  I offered her treats.  When she came to me, I coaxed her to take a few more steps.  I could tell when she reached her limit and gave her lots of affection.  I then turned toward the house, much to her pleasure.

I also took her to my parents’ house.  She ran around their yard and played in the woods.  I knew nothing was physically wrong with her as I watched her race around the property.  As usual, it was all psychological.

She is still nervous, yet I can see the trust returning.  The last jolt has made quite an impression on her so I fear I have more work to do.  I am encouraged by her progress, though.

Oh – one more thing.  I also mentioned last week that I wanted to find a different wet food for her.  The Blue Buffalo food was even greasier than the Castor and Pollux food I usually buy.  The search continues.  Let me know if you have any recommendations.

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