Changing People Changing Dogs Positive Solutions for Difficult Dogs by Ganley Dee

Author:Ganley, Dee [Ganley, Dee]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9781617810312
Publisher: Dogwise
Published: 2008-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

MANAGEMENT PLAN

I met with Maggie's family 4 times in 6 months. Each time, I taught the family a few more exercises. The family was advised to follow this management plan:

Ensure that Charlie doesn't have the opportunity to rehearse the aggressive behavior.

No more sleeping on humans' beds.

Move the dog's crate to a quiet corner so people don't walk past it.

Keep container of treats nearby so family members can toss treats to the dog while he is in his crate.

Hand feed all meals.

Condition the dog to a head halter or muzzle.

Keep a leash on the dog at all times (See Tag Line Use.)

Supervise heavily around children. If necessary, board the dog while the daughter visits with her kids.

FIRST CONSULTATION: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

During our first consultation, we talked about behavior modification. I gave the family a manual of mine to read and to refresh their knowledge of the exercises I have asked them to do with Charlie.

Charlie doesn't seem very sociable to the husband or son so the following exercises were set up to improve the dog's relationship with everyone in the family:

Follow the “No Free Lunch" (NFL) program for the next few months. (See Strategies and Techniques.)

Practice and reward basic obedience exercises such as sit and down.

Play the biscuit-toss game: Walk toward the dog while tossing biscuits.

Have Maggie, her husband, and her son take turns hand feeding Charlie and playing the Food Bowl Game with him. (See Food Bowl Game .)

Play Attention Games. Voluntary Look Back. (See Exercise VOLUNTARY (UNCUED) LOOK BACK.)

Perform On-Off (Placement) exercises. (See Exercise ON-OFF (PLACEMENT).)

Play Gotcha games. (See Exercise GOTCHA GAME.)

Lots of physical praise associated with food.

2ND CONSULTATION: YIELDING EXERCISES

Perform “Wait at Doorways" and “Body Blocking". (See Exercises BODY BLOCK FOR CONTROL & WAIT AT DOORWAYS.)

Teach Charlie to turn and sit, once on the other side of the doorway. (See Exercise WAIT AT DOORWAYS.)

Practice “Leave It". (See Exercise LEAVE IT.)

Begin Grooming and Veterinary Preparation exercises (in particular, have Maggie move her hands gently around Charlie's head and muzzle, to desensitise handling) he should be muzzled when starting to do the head and shoulder handling and gotcha games. See Exercises GROOMING & PREPARING FOR VET VISIT)

Desensitise the dog to the eye contact of unfamiliar people through Attention Games. (See Exercise ACTIVE ATTENTION & PASSIVE ATTENTION.)

3RD CONSULTATION: INTERACTIVE PLAY

Play Fetch Games, starting with the Two-Toy Game. (See Exercise RETRIEVE GAMES.)

Practice puppy push-ups: Quick sits and downs.

Practice stays and recalls.

OUTCOME

Today Charlie is 3 yrs of age. Resource guarding behavior is under control. He eats two meals a day in the kitchen, and anyone can walk past with no issues. He is not allowed on human beds unless invited. He is walked on a flat collar.

Charlie is social to all family members and guests. He is still supervised around children, although he seems to like them.

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