Every dog has a story to tell, and sometimes those stories involve overcoming behavioral challenges with the power of positive reinforcement. In this heartwarming blog post, we'll dive into real-life success stories that we have been directly involved in, to highlight the incredible transformations that can occur when patience, dedication, and positive training techniques are employed.
đ¶ Case Study 1: From Fearful to Fearless - Coco's Journey
Coco, a timid cockapoo, met me with a history of severe fear-based behaviours. She would tremble during walks, shy away from human touch and bolt home even away from her owners, when spooked. This was occurring on a daily basis, only a lead prevented Coco from running across roads. We started with solo dog walks, just me and Coco, and then bringing in my own dog, Nova, with a personalised training plan, Coco's transformation began. Through gradual exposure, solid support and understanding and rewarding small instances of bravery, Coco learned to associate positive outcomes with the things that used to trigger her fear. Over time, her tail started wagging, her walks grew confident, and her trust in humans blossomed. Coco will always be a shy girl, but she is now able to enjoy her walks so much more and Coco has more freedom now that her owners no longer have to worry about her running home when things get a bit scary.
đŸ Case Study 2: Overcoming A Fear of Dogs - Lottie's Triumph
Lottie came to our day care as a young Cocker Spaniel, excitable and busy! As is common for Cocker Spaniels, Lottie would panic and, honestly, scream, when she got overwhelmed by other dogs. If they sniffed her for too long or just walked over too quickly. This is a dangerous situation, a screaming, writhing smaller dog can prompt the predatory drive in bigger dogs, and even if it doesn't, the excitement of the situation can cause the other dogs around her to behave impulsively; like when one dog starts a fight the others join in without assessing the situation fully. We approach this from both sides - teach the bigger dogs to move away upon hearing a screech or scream, and teach Lottie that we will protect her, she can come to the humans for help, and to be still and calm. Through praise, reassurance and careful management of the dogs around her, Lottie has become a confident dog who wrestles with even the biggest of dogs once she gets to know them! We don't get any panicking from her anymore, she comes straight to us for reassurance and help and we make sure no dogs are over-whelming her. Just knowing that we will help her, that she can trust us, results in Lottie being overwhelmed much less often; it's not as scary when others have your back. Lottie is just one example of a number of Cocker Spaniels we have helped in this way.
đ© Case Study 3: Leash Reactivity to Canine Confidence - Machair's Journey
Machair, a strong and reactive working Labrador Retriever, used to bark and lunge at other dogs during walks. He would be on his back legs trying desperately to get at them, and his bark is so deep, it really is intimidating. Using positive reinforcement and counter-conditioning, his owners employed treats and praise to shift his focus away from other dogs and onto them. Along with training walks with myself, progressing to walks alongside my own dog, Nova, and finally attending our Doggy Day Care, Machair learned that calm behaviour around other dogs resulted in rewards and that he can trust the humans to help him when worried, that he didn't need to go to such lengths to feel safe and comfortable, he could just move away. What was once a stressful walk turned into a pleasurable experience for both Machair and his owners, as they strolled past other dogs with confidence. Machair has a tough day every so often, and he will likely always be a nervous boy, but he can settle much more quickly, and ignore dogs that he doesn't like rather than being so preoccupied with getting at them. He has many friends at the doggy day care and is one of our easier dogs these days! He's an absolute sweetheart, super affectionate under all that bravado!
đ© Case Study 4: Intact Male Reactivity to Cool Cucumber - Rudy's Journey
Rudy is a standard Poodle, in the photo at the bottom, who became reactive towards other intact males when he hit his teenage stage at about 9 months old. Rudy was already settled in with our group walks by then so we knew it was not his normal behaviour. Rudy was worried, he would stop upon seeing another dog, stiff and tail held high, and if it turned out to be another male, he would run at him, barking and jumping. A personalised training plan involving going back to the long-line, praise, disengagement practice and reassurance resulted in a much happier Rudy within just a few months! Rudy is now 3 years old, still intact but has no problems with other dogs at all! He has been able to go back to the friendly, happy boy that he was before becoming a teenager through just some management and positive reinforcement. We see many boys go through similar stages, don't panic if your boy is doing this too, certainly don't get them castrated, get in touch for a personalised training plan and we can help your boy grow into a well-balanced adult.
đ The Common Thread: Positive Reinforcement's Power
These stories showcase a common thread - positive reinforcement's remarkable ability to transform even the most challenging behaviors. Through patience, consistent training, and a deep understanding of each dog's unique needs, trainers and owners have witnessed incredible shifts in behavior and overall well-being.
By sharing these success stories, we hope to inspire others to embrace positive reinforcement training and understand that change is possible, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. With the right techniques and a whole lot of love, every dog can have their own success story to tell. <3
Rudy (Case 3) and Nova, my husky who helped me work with Coco (Case 1) and Machair (Case 4).
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