My senior dog Murphy is 13 years old next month. When he lost his hearing some months ago he lost his confidence around other dogs and became very nervous of traffic.
Without help Murphy would have lived the rest of his life in stress. As his leader it was my job to give him confidence and not become as stressed as he was by his predicament.
We worked on a number of hand signals that Murphy now relies on to take instructions from me and I supervise closely his interactions with unknown dogs and take control if I hear growling.
With these few adjustments Murphy is back to his old self and takes full part in our morning training sessions using his deafness as an excuse for to stealing retrieves not meant for him.
As owners and Leaders we have a responsibility to ensure our dogs can cope with the world they inhabit. I can't stop the traffic or guarantee that Murphy won't meet an unstable dog but I can show him how to deal with it. Avoidance is not an option it would condemn him to a life of fear.
If you have a dog that shows nervousness, dominance or struggles to cope with the world around him/her or maybe you struggle to cope with your dog? It must be addressed or your problems will never be resolved. Living with anxiety and despair is a very poor option.
Worry ye not. On Saturday August 13 my Behaviour Clinic is coming to Astbury Mere Visitor Centre in Congleton between 10 am and 3pm. For a £10 donation to a local animal charity I will work one on one with your dog to demonstrate just how good he/she can be with a few changes in his/her routine.
It's not magic... anyone can do it once they have the knowledge. Email me for a fixed appointment or just turn up on the day and I'll see you ASAP.
You can also text me at 07590-560012.
