Case Study: Shiloh Part 2

In my last article I talked about different things I do during a behvaiour consultation. This week I want to give a more specific example using a real case.

Going back to my example of the family member whose dog was barking at other dogs, we decided to meet for a behaviour consultation.

First, we met in person with the dog and I asked a few more questions. I asked about the tools they were using, such as different leashes or harnesses, and discovered the harness was being worn upside down and the owners were using a 10ft long line for walks. They mentioned that when there was a distraction they would tighten the leash so the dog had to walk beside them. This can signal to the dog that something is wrong.

We got the harness turned around to fit properly and I asked them when walking on sidewalks to use a 6 foot leash.  Only one of the parents were bringing treats on walks so we discussed why it is important for both to be consistent and bring treats to reward attention, and to revisit some of the basic skills of walking and reward the behaviour.  

The dog parents did notice some warning signs that Shiloh was uncomfortable when she saw a dog. She would focus on the dog and her hackles would go up and they had trouble getting her attention. They would try to calm her by talking to her or giving her a treat which the dog will not usually take if they are already reacting.  We discussed the benefits of turning around (which the owners were not doing) to break your dog’s focus on the other dog, and to get back their attention instead of continuing toward the trigger. The parents had been switching the dog to different sides of themselves based on the distraction which was helpful but creating distance would have helped as well.  

W also discussed that Shiloh has been attacked by other dogs twice; once while she was on leash, and once while she was off leash. Shiloh exhibits the behaviour listed above as she is self protecting, trying to scare the dog away on her own as she is worried about it approaching.  I advised the dog parents to turn around and go the other way if they saw an off-leash dog or a dog barking and lunging at them.  We want Shiloh to have positive interactions with seeing dogs on walks.

Sometimes in first consults I will use what I call a decoy dog for the client's dog to practice with.  Since Shiloh knows my dogs and would be excited to see them I used Molly, my fake stuffed black lab.  This allows me to coach and be with the owner helping them navigate the situation. I remind them to watch body language, which side to have their dog on and when to turn and regroup.

After switching sides of the road – creating distance, switching Shiloh to the left side closer to the house and turning a few times we were able to calmly walk past the decoy dog.  The more we worked with Molly the more comfortable Shiloh got. The desensitization process was working.

Next article we are going to have Shiloh practising with other dogs. It is important to plan this, as you only want to work with calm friendly dogs at the beginning to build her confidence.