During these dog days of summer, I am often asked to care for my client’s dogs when they go away on vacation. Today is my last day to spend with a remarkable 8-month-old bulldog named George. The week I have spent with him has left me feeling mentally pushed and pulled, physically exhausted, and yet totally in love. Ahhh, the blissful trials and tribulations that come with the responsibility of caring for and training a new rescue pup!
Little George was found abandoned in a garbage dumpster in a back alley on the streets of Los Angeles when he was approximately four months old. He was then turned in to a rescue organization where they cleaned him up, gave him his shots, and neutered him. Finally, a lovely couple that fell in love with him the minute they saw his beautiful, little smushed-up face, adopted him. During the first 24-hours in his new home, adorable, little Baby George managed to totally throw off and disrupt the balance and peaceful existence of two people, two dogs, and one cat that already resided in the house.
He immediately began bulldozing through the house, knocking things over, tackling and angering the two Golden Retrievers, peeing and pooping everywhere, chewing on anything and everything and exhibiting severe obsessive-compulsive behavior. George would become obsessed with all kinds of random objects. He would randomly fixate on anything from dog beds, brooms and hairbrushes, to walls, chairs and plastic bags. He would fixate on the object, bark at it furiously, and then attempt to grab hold of it with his powerful bulldog jaws. If he was successful, it became a massive struggle to get him to release. The owners, horrified and not knowing what to do, helplessly tried to wrestle the object away, while hollering “NO, NO, NO!” Unwittingly, as the people’s energy became unbalanced and their frustrations surmounted, they only intensified the situation and aggravated George’s behavior even more. If they tried to grab him, he would wince, cower, and run for the hills, which was usually under the bed.
Baby George attacks the couch on his first day at home.
George’s new parents called me the very next day and over the phone I could hear the, “Oh no, what have we gotten ourselves into and are we going to have to give him back?” tone of their voice.
Through a temperament test during our first lesson, I assessed a few important things about George. The good news was that he was not aggressive toward people or other dogs. He did not necessarily always exhibit appropriate behavior with people and other dogs, but still, it was non-aggressive inappropriateness! Furthermore, his aggression towards inanimate objects stemmed solely from fear. Obviously, some pretty bad stuff went down before and after George was dumped. Who knows what he saw and heard in that alley and who knows what kind of abuse he suffered at the hands of the people who abandoned him. As a result, George became extremely fearful of unusual noises and objects and he dealt with his fear by attacking the object that frightened him and/or cowering and running from the people that scared him. Even with all that being said, I still felt the prognosis was good. He had a naturally sweet and playful temperament and he was responsive and motivated by verbal praise and treats. I believed that with hard work, patience, and dedication, George could be rehabilitated. The bad news was that it was not going to be easy or fast. Dogs are living, breathing, and learning beings. They are not robots that can be instantly programmed and fixed. As their pack leader, we must teach them how we expect them to behave in our homes. Furthermore, it was highly possible that the aggression issue would never completely extinguish. George learned and used aggression as a survival technique during the most impressionable months of his life. However, what we could do was manage the behavior and with plenty of consistency and reinforcement, the aggressive behavior could become a fuzzy, distant picture in George’s brain. Our plan of action was as follows:
1. Plenty of physical stimulation. Three daily walks and treadmill training to supplement the walks.
2. Plenty of mental stimulation. Daily training sessions and interactive toys.
3. Communication. Teach commands that George will understand.
4. Basic obedience training utilizing positive reinforcement and a clicker.
5. Potty train by following specific daily instructions.
6. Crate train by following specific daily instructions.
7. Provide chew toys, bully sticks, etc. to satiate chewing and teething desires.
8. Utilize the Nothing In Life Is Free system.
9. Establish rules, boundaries and limitations and stay 100% consistent.
10. Utilize desensitization and/or redirection methods to manage obsession towards inanimate objects.
11. Focus on success and the positive. Constantly praise and reward for calm behavior and anytime George is “caught” doing something good.
12. Never coddle or soothe fearful behavior.
13. Always remain calm, patient, and assertive!
We proceeded to tackle this plan during seven 90 minute, weekly sessions. We set realistic goals and priorities for each session. After each lesson, I provided homework for the week. George’s owners truly dedicated themselves and followed every direction precisely. They stayed consistent and practiced every day. The progress was almost immediate. George was on his way to becoming a happy, healthy, sound, and balanced dog. After our last lesson, George’s parents felt confident that they had learned enough to keep training on their own. I reminded them that it was a forever process. It would not always need to be so intense, and it would eventually evolve into just another part of their every day life. However, if they stopped practicing, everything they worked so hard for would be in danger of disappearing. They promised they would continue and I believed them. I gave them all, especially George, a big smooch and said goodbye for now.
Two months passed and then I got the “we are going on vacation!” call. “Would I stay with George in their home for a week and maybe do a little refresher training? “ Would I? I would love to!
I am happy to report that Baby George has made tremendous progress. Potty training, crate training, basic obedience, etc., all spot on! He is much more appropriate with humans and other dogs and he now loves and seeks out human touch. George’s owners have worked hard and followed direction well. Still, George has a very unique and strong personality. He is a clown and makes me laugh constantly. He will push his limits and test his boundaries if given the slightest opportunity. Every situation, sight, and sound is a new adventure for George. Talk about living in the moment! He now hops around with joy and glee as opposed to constant fear. Of course, he still has his moments. Even as I type these words, I have had to redirect George’s attention away from the paper shredder three times. Each time he notices it again, it is as if for the first time. Yesterday, the object of his obsession was the metal chair on the patio. He was furious with that chair all day long! As a result, we worked on desensitization in small increments all through out the day. This morning, I sat and had coffee in that chair, and George could have cared less. The day before it was his crate, and the day before that… well you get the idea. Progress, not perfection! The wonderful thing is that he now listens to and understands commands. 90% of the time one simple command will stop the obsession. As a result of the proper training, his behavior is totally manageable.
George offers a beautiful Sit-Stay.
Now, I love what I do and I believe I am good at teaching people how to train their dogs. My dogs are very well trained and we are well past the puppy stage. It is very easy to forget just how much time and energy must be put into a new puppy or new rescue dog! Each time I go through it, I gain more respect for the people who dedicate themselves to the process. I imagine one could equate it somewhat to the enormous responsibility of having a real baby. It is a seemingly never-ending and sometimes overwhelming job. Of course that is one of the reasons we have so many dogs filling the shelters. Many people just can’t handle the job. I suppose they imagine every dog will be just like Lassie and it will be nothing but fun times, butterflies, and rainbows. Even as a professional dog trainer, I still find it trying and difficult at times. But just like anything in life, when you start to see your hard work pay off, it is unbelievably satisfying. Not only that, but through the process, a special bond is developed that is like no other. And just like any relationship, you take the good with the bad.
This silly little baby bulldog, with all his idiosyncrasies, has reminded me how lucky I am to do what I do and has stolen my heart. The very sight of him makes me chuckle and I will miss him terribly when I go home tomorrow.
l"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened"
- Anatole France