Recently, in my work at a doggy daycare, I had an interesting experience with a little terrier who was about 5 years old and a bit of a mess. This pampered house pet looked like a dog you would find roaming the streets. She was covered in thick, matted fur, smelled like an old couch, and clearly had no grooming at home. When I inquired about the state of her fur, being that I knew her owners loved her very much, I was told that she would attack her owners if they tried to brush or trim her coat.
Not surprisingly, this wasn't her only issue. Each day when coming into and leaving daycare she would screech at the top of her little lungs and attack her leash. By all accounts she was a hot mess. This dog's bad behavior had gotten to a point that her skin and coat health were completely deteriorated and she could not be walked on a leash by her owners.
My issue with this scenario was this: I saw none of those behaviors while I had her in my group. I could leash her, walk her, brush her, and clean her tear stains without any issue while she was in the daycare room. The reason for this was not that daycare transformed her behavior, but that I did not expect the bad behaviors nor did I ask her permission. If I wanted to brush her, I simply picked up a brush and got to work. If she began to get tense or wiggly I would stop, ask her to relax and give a brief massage before continuing. Her problems were actually so mild that I could easily instruct my coworkers on how I approached her and they would have the same results: a relaxed and willing dog. In the months that I worked with this dog I saw results whenever she was in my care, and in the care of a few of my coworkers, but without the unified work of the entire staff and the owners, her problems continue whenever her handler is not exhibiting balanced leadership.
This story is important because it highlights the importance of a calm manner when dealing with dogs, and how unhealthy it becomes for the dog when the owner is not the one in control. As soon as this little dog was handled by a leader she was balanced and could be helped, but in the hands of a weak leader she can be both neurotic and dangerous. Anyone can be a strong leader, but not everyone comes by it naturally. In general, its good to practice being very confidence, because confidence is neither frantic nor insecure. Dogs become unsure if you are unsure, so if you want your dog to trust, just relax and be sure of your actions.
Not surprisingly, this wasn't her only issue. Each day when coming into and leaving daycare she would screech at the top of her little lungs and attack her leash. By all accounts she was a hot mess. This dog's bad behavior had gotten to a point that her skin and coat health were completely deteriorated and she could not be walked on a leash by her owners.
My issue with this scenario was this: I saw none of those behaviors while I had her in my group. I could leash her, walk her, brush her, and clean her tear stains without any issue while she was in the daycare room. The reason for this was not that daycare transformed her behavior, but that I did not expect the bad behaviors nor did I ask her permission. If I wanted to brush her, I simply picked up a brush and got to work. If she began to get tense or wiggly I would stop, ask her to relax and give a brief massage before continuing. Her problems were actually so mild that I could easily instruct my coworkers on how I approached her and they would have the same results: a relaxed and willing dog. In the months that I worked with this dog I saw results whenever she was in my care, and in the care of a few of my coworkers, but without the unified work of the entire staff and the owners, her problems continue whenever her handler is not exhibiting balanced leadership.
This story is important because it highlights the importance of a calm manner when dealing with dogs, and how unhealthy it becomes for the dog when the owner is not the one in control. As soon as this little dog was handled by a leader she was balanced and could be helped, but in the hands of a weak leader she can be both neurotic and dangerous. Anyone can be a strong leader, but not everyone comes by it naturally. In general, its good to practice being very confidence, because confidence is neither frantic nor insecure. Dogs become unsure if you are unsure, so if you want your dog to trust, just relax and be sure of your actions.
