Lance and H: Case Study of Two Anxious, Hyperactive Dogs
A surprising number of dog owners believe they only need the help of a trainer for severe behavioral issues like aggression, separation anxiety, or housebreaking. There are plenty of group obedience courses to help with commands, and everything else is manageable. But most dog owners don’t want a “manageable” relationship with their dog—they want a loving relationship built on trust and respect.
Group obedience courses can help dogs excel in basic obedience training, and in fact we just started a group training program of our own, Practical Pet Protocol. For behavioral imbalances, it is best to seek one-on-one training to avoid distractions that could make it more difficult to hone in on your dog’s behaviors. Our in-home training programs are great for helping aggressive dogs, dogs with separation anxiety, and even puppies that are too young for most obedience courses.
Our in-home training programs are also effective for dogs exhibiting behaviors that may not be dangerous or outright destructive but that are aggravating. The aggravating behaviors cause you, the owner, more stress than necessary. Jumping, barking, chewing, counter surfing, general hyperactivity, and leash pulling all fall into the category of anxious behaviors.
I recently worked with two dogs named Lance and H that had some minor anxiety and hyperactivity issues, barked excessively, and didn’t recognize their names. None of these problems were likely to create a situation in which their lives or the lives of others were at risk and none of these problems were likely to destroy the home. However, they were causing stress on the owners and creating an unhappy family experience for the dogs. Because of this, they decided to give me a call.
During the in-home consultation, Lance and H were overly-excited and displaying signs of nervousness through barking, having minor accidents on the floor and excessively licking inanimate objects. It took until the end of the consultation for them to finally calm down. It was easy to see why the owners might be having less fun and more headaches, but with my help and the owners’ commitment, the behaviors were relatively simple to solve.
The first step was to establish a routine and eliminate the dogs’ ability to roam freely, offering structure, stability, and establishing their trust in the owners. Then we implemented a basic obedience training regimen and designated a spot just for them in the home, giving them a place to retreat to when their environment became too stressful. This “place” command is a great way to set Lance and H up for success when guests come to the home in the future. They will slowly start to associate their new calm behavior with these previously over-stimulating experiences.
We also worked extensively with the owners on leash techniques. This way they can feel comfortable and confident that they can take their dogs anywhere and maintain strong leadership.
Lance and H didn’t learn calm behavior overnight. It look lots of time and patience on their owner’s part, but together we reached the desired end result – two calm, well mannered members of the family. Not only do Lance and H have new, positive behavior, but they also have more respect and trust in their owner. Training is not just about creating behaviorally balanced dogs, but increasing the bond between owners and dogs. When these two things are achieved, my job is successful!