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I’m seeing more and more problems with dogs that are reactive to other dogs. Aggression and fear/aggression are not a pleasant sight to watch especially as an owner. But more often than not, it is lack of positive direction & firm boundaries that allow a dog to become a bully or deepen an innate insecurity. In both Obedience Classes & Private sessions, I’ve had great success probably because I truly believe it is rare for an animal to be basically nasty!
Aggression is often the only way a dog feels it can express itself. Once allowed to get away with this behaviour, it becomes a learned habit. The owner gets more and more fearful of meeting other dogs and, as a result, avoids canine encounters, which leaves the problem unaddressed.
All dogs, as people, have a personal space, to a greater or lesser degree. If I violate a person’s space, he/she can walk away. But we owners tend to ignore it when another dog invades our pet’s personal space. If our dog barks, growls or shows unease, we tend to punish it when, in reality, we should be noting the reason for that negative reaction & then removing our pet from too close an encounter until it can cope with it. If our children were under threat, we would take immediate and evasive action to protect them. So why don’t we do it with our dogs?
Barking, growling, etc., are a form of reaction to a stressful situation. When we reduce the stress our pet can think, act & cope appropriately. Once that happens, it can then begin to react favourably to other animals & situations. Less stress means a relaxed dog &, consequently, a happier owner. Then the dog/owner relationship can blossom.
Sometimes it takes something additional to help a dog cope with meeting & greeting. If that is the case, then TTouch, Essential Oil Therapy, Reiki or Flower Essences can assist in reducing stress levels in those situations. I like to think that even overly stressed animals understand when we are trying to help them & they respond favourably to the therapies.
If you are experiencing dog-to-dog aggression with your pet, why not get in touch with me for help & advice. This problem is best dealt with sooner rather than later. |
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At my Dog Obedience Classes near Clonakilty, one of my clients was a young boy with a two-year-old terrier. When his terrier, Buster, entered the arena & first caught sight of the other members of the class, he emitted a high-pitched, hysterical screech, which persisted for most of that first lesson. His poor owner spent most of that hour in complete, red-faced embarrassment. During that time, I continued to teach the other owners and dogs as well as giving him the tools to deal with his pet.
What was significant was that nobody else bothered too much about the noise: the other owners were sympathetic to his plight and under careful guidance, their dogs became indifferent to the noise. It said a lot about the dogs and how much they listened to their owners. But it was a lesson for each person in how to deal with an over-reactive dog in the real world.
I thought that the young lad wouldn’t return for his next lesson with Buster. But, in fairness, there he was and the next week, there was a marked improvement in his pet’s behaviour. Buster and his owner completed their course of lessons and by the final one, all the dogs, including Buster, were able to sit quite happy and relaxed in close proximity to each other.
And Buster’s owner had gone from red-faced embarrassment to a shy smile of pure pleasure in their success! |