Email Consultation -
Sample
Following are a few
excerpts from some "Ask The Trainer" emails. Please note that the
advice below may not be applicable to your individual situation and the
following excerpts represent only a small sample of advice or suggestions
exchanged during an "Ask The Trainer" email session.
" ...Let me run down your email bit by bit. I’ve included pieces
from your email in bold with my response following. Below each
piece are additional questions I have for you about the situation.
Lucy
used to attack Buddy for no reason
–
There is rarely an
instance where a dog will growl at another dog for no reason. It
sounds like you were able to come to your own conclusion that it was
food/possession based. This is not unusual and you’ve dealt with it
very nicely by not allowing bones out in the open, but instead, in
their own separate areas.
-
After separating
“bone time” have there been any further instances or scuffles
between Lucy and Buddy?
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Have they ever
shown possessiveness or protectiveness over people?
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Where are the
dogs fed?
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Are they fed at
the same time?
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What are they
fed? Brand of food?... "
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" ...She does have an ear infection and has medicine
– Any time a dog has an injury or they are sick/not feeling well, they
can get a bit crabby, just like we do. If I sprain an ankle, that’s
the last place I’d want someone touching me... "
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"Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
-
Exercise is
always a great idea. You and Sarah (if she is comfortable) should
continue to engage Cuddles in play and new games to keep her
stimulated. If you need some suggestions, I’d encourage you to
visit
www.dogwise.com and search “games” or “tricks”.
-
Always being
wary of Cuddles’s posture is essential. By doing this, we can
usually pick up on the signs that the dog may not be completely
comfortable, giving us the opportunity to back off before she
needs to growl. The less she practices that, the better. Things
to watch for include, ears back; tense body; “shivers” of the skin
when you’re touching/petting her; tail held low, between her legs,
and/or tense with no movement; furrowed brow; lips quivering;
hackles raised (hair on back standing up). These are a few things
to be aware of. I would encourage you to spend a couple of
minutes watching Cuddles’s “normal” posture and stance so you know
what you’re comparing to. Should you see any of the
indicators I’ve just listed... "
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"Then
why is [another trainer] taking dogs down to the ground to make them
submissive when they attack or growl or show teeth. Not a good thing
to have people learn:
There are as many training techniques as there are trainers. My
thought is this… if we are trying to come to some sort of agreement
with our animals (ex., no more barking, growling, jumping, etc.) and
we work from a place of communication, cooperation and respect, we
will get much better results than if we are causing stress to the
animal or putting them in a fearful situation. I like to imaging
replacing myself for the dog I’m working with… how would I feel? What
would be the best way to get me to stop doing what it is I’m doing?
How would I react in a certain situation?... "
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Client comment: "... you got back to
me very quickly and I felt that you understood the situation and
knew I needed a quick response to handle what was going on."
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