Dogfulness

27/11/2022

https://www.facebook.com/100064312410775/posts/510682364418840/

Sunny bit my Dad on the knee yesterday and made him bleed.

It wasn’t really a management fail, like someone leaving a gate open by accident - they’ve been fully integrated together for almost 2 years and this has been the only instance where she hasn’t greeted him warmly.
He had entered the house while she was sleeping, approached to walk past where she was laying, and she spooked as she woke up and took a flying leap at his leg as she ran past to get away.
Yes - ideally he should have made himself known to her before he was that close, but retrospect is 20/20 and my dad isn’t a dog trainer.

This post is really just a reminder that although we put lots and lots of love and effort and patience into helping these dogs IMPROVE, they will never be FIXED.

We cannot remove all the things they have previously learnt (both behaviours and associations) and get to a blank slate neutral state, it just simply doesn’t work like that. I wish it did. Humans are also human and are unlikely to behave perfectly 100% of the time. It’s an unfair expectation on both parties - humans to behave perfectly and dogs to never repeat years worth of learnt behaviour.

Our best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, and includes the ‘type’ and severity of bite. That’s part of the reason we opted to keep Sunny with us rather than euthanise her back at the start. When we assessed the situation we knew that the likelihood of her biting again in the future was high, but due to her breed and history - the likelihood of her doing major damage was low. So our only real worry was her quality of life. She’s a 13kg herding breed, a breed type that typically goes in for a quick nip, not a big grab and hold type bite. Her bite history has confirmed that, with her only ever doing little fast collie nips with a tiny bruise or graze. If she had been a larger breed like a German shepherd that’s likely to do more damage, or a bully type breed that’s likely to grab on and hold, or if her personal bite history was more severe - the risks of having her around would be much much higher and we probably would have made a different decision.

One of my biggest struggles with aggression related behaviour cases is clients (understandably) wanting their dogs 100% ‘fixed’, to the point where the dog can mingle with all humans or dogs unmanaged in any environment, and for the aggressive behaviour to never been seen again. Of course that’s what we all want. But unfortunately dogs are sentient beings, and their history/genetics/individuality cannot be completely wiped clean.
Can it get better? Absolutely!!!
Will they ever be 100% reliable? Unlikely.

It doesn’t mean your efforts are a waste of time. It doesn’t make them a bad dog. It just means they’re like us, not perfect.

If you live with a reactive, aggressive of fearful dog, our website has tonnes of resources to help you - www.Thinkdog.nz

22/10/2022

22/08/2022

Great poster from Canine Arthritis Management

23/02/2022

‘Touching a dog is a privilege not a right’
Dr Ian Dunbar

16/02/2022

Leaving them tied up outside a shop is one of the worst things to do to any dog. Even if it’s just for a couple of minutes the dangers well outweigh the convenience.

15/02/2022

So, you have done a wonderful thing and taken on a rescue dog that needed a home. Fantastic!! But how can you help them settle in to their new forever home? 🤔

Moving into a new home from a rescue environment can be a very stressful situation for a dog, not only will they have no idea what is going on they won't recognise your place as 'home' straight away, so they will likely be a flight risk, it will take some time for them to truly settle in. Here are a few things you can do to help you be prepared...

🔹 Make sure your home and garden are escape-proof as much as possible. Stair gates and routines are an excellent way of minimising mistakes happening.
🔹 Have a quiet area where they can feel safe and sleep. This will help them to settle quicker; the more they can sleep undisturbed, the better….
🔹 Don’t invite lots of people to come and see the new family member - they need time to settle into their new home before meeting lots of people and dogs etc.
🔹 Give them things to occupy their brains. Sniffing, licking and chewing will all help to reduce stress, but make sure you supervise any dog with a chew.
🔹 Don’t give lots and lots of food at once, smaller amounts more often are better. Stress will affect their digestive system. Food that is nutritious and easily-digested is best; make sure it’s good quality.
🔹 Avoid giving them lots of new things too, this may well overwhelm them and cause them to start to ‘guard’ them. A couple of toys is a good start, and you can build their collection as they settle-in and relax.
🔹 Invest in a good-quality tracking system, these can be invaluable if things go wrong.
🔹 Use a good-quality harness, a three point ‘Y’ shaped harness is the best for dogs that may be a flight risk.
🔹 If they are happy to go for a walk, then only go to quiet areas first, and allow them to sniff as much as they want to. This will help them to assess their new environment.
🔹 Time is your friend; take it easy with them. Their whole world has changed, and they need time to settle-in and relax into their new life with you.
🔹 Have short and frequent training sessions, just basic things to help to work their brain and relax them.
🔹 Be consistent. Routine and consistency are really important, and it will give them a structure that they will learn and recognise.

These are just a few things that can help make your new friend's transition to your home easier, it may not be perfect straight away but remember, by rescuing a dog, you have just saved two lives… the one you take home, and the one you made space for…..

24/12/2021

The holidays are here and it's important to make sure you and your reactive or fearful dog are able to have a safe holiday season.

If you plan on having people over for holiday festivities there are certain steps you should take to help everyone stay happy and safe.

06/10/2021

Re-sharing this gem by Pawsome Manners as for some reason with self distancing brings extra dog poo everywhere! People please note that bending down to pick up after your dog will NOT make you get the Corona virus...seriously- use a bit of respect and pick up after your dog.