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Large ankle biter
Baby trainer here – not certified yet. Not sure what I’m seeing. I try to help out my neighbor when they go out of town with their dog – yellow lab mix. They can’t have company over and haven’t tried to find a sitter because they can’t trust her. I believe (but not certain) there is a level of fear aggression going on. She can be bought with her favorite toy (disarms her during her barking response – ears and eyes relax a little. Her body is still tense), then followed with high reward treats (body relaxes a little, she doesn’t stand as tall but tail still high with short wags) she will let me move freely as long as I don’t go too long without dispensing payment. I’ve heard some demand grumbles from her, but didn’t get the impression I was in danger. From there she is alert and keeps an eye on me. It’s whenever I come in or out of the gate that triggers the biggest reactions. Full on attack mode. She has made contact with me in the past and other guests as well – broken skin once. I haven’t been able to get video because I’m juggling toys and treats to keep my ankles intact, but if I throw a toy or scatter feed treats away – I can sneak in and out, no problem. What does it sound like I’m managing with her here? I assume barrier frustration of some kind?? Appreciate any insight or thoughts!
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15 Replies
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Hi @Brenna , I’m not sure what is driving the dog’s behavior without seeing it (and even if I saw it, perhaps it would still be a guess), and you have enough on your hands that you should NOT try to film. (A second person could do it, but their presence may exacerbate the dog’s discomfort. Despite that, a second person who keeps eyes on your safety is probably a very good idea indeed.)
Ideally, regular visits that include those food scatters prior to, during, and post-entry would help soften the dog to your presence bit by bit, perhaps combined with toy play. I’d have multiple toys ready so you don’t have to ‘compete’ for one that she brings back — if she even does that.
You are also wise to use food scatters when you’re preparing to exit as that can be another trigger for dogs.
When you can, multiple rehearsals of entries and exits would just help you solidify a positive association (i.e., gate activity = food scatter) a bit more quickly.
Is she worse when a person enters through a gate vs a front door vs another house door?
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@virginiad Thank you for the share! She is equally amped when you enter or exit and it does not matter the entrance pathway. She has a dog door and has access to go in and out as she pleases. Both the front door and the backyard gate give her a clear view of the cul de sac. Part of me thinks she is guarding and part of me feels like the guarding has compounded into overstimulation and a trigger. I don’t know if that’s the right phrasing, but those are my hunches. She was already was already skiddish of new people before it got this bad.
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Does she regularly get to bark, uninterrupted, at people she sees in the cul-de-sac?
If so, that will continue to increase the difficulty of getting people to be able to come onto the property. A dog whose behavior is based in fearfulness can find the barking to be a successful strategy because it makes the people she sees go away. Of course, they intended to continue walking and thus go out of her view, but a dog may feel like her barking is what’s making them go away.
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I wouldn’t say any and all activity in the cul de sac gets a reaction from her, but if someone crosses her comfort threshold of what she considers too close to the house – yes, she has free reign for reaction. I’m wondering if when their daughter has friends stop by the house, they have her friends do a treat scatter as they leave? Build on some of that positive assosciation? The Amazon delivery guy is going to be a different challenge and it’s own setbacks as I have a similar problem with my own dog, but she seems easily persuaded with high reward treats. My dog gets so far past his threshold that he doesn’t even care about treats. Behavior is SO interesting!
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“They can’t have company over…” tells me everything I need to know about how risky this is for your safety. If the dog cannot be controlled when the people are home, then it seems a very high risk that her behavior will not be better when they are gone.
This seems a very unsafe situation, unless I’m missing something? @Brenna since you said you are a “baby trainer” I caution you that there are absolutely some dogs who will bite, and bite to harm. This sounds like one of them. There have been situations where pet sitters have been killed by such dogs, especially the size of a Lab. Please be careful and consider recommending they board this dog in a secure facility where she can be tended to, hands-off.
I know that’s really direct… but I can’t think of another way to say this. Please be careful.
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Hi Catherine! Thank you for the message. I’m not quite sure how to explain it. Firstly, all of the things you said are valid. She can and will draw blood if provoked enough. If you say “no” or move too fast when she’s activated – game over. But it’s also quite intriguing to me how easily disarmed she is by seeing a toy or scatter feeding. Her humans and I did several test runs to make sure I wasn’t going to be eaten and we came up with a secondary plan where I could have zero physical contact while still making sure she ate and had water. Confession: I already petsat last weekend ????????️ I posted this after the fact because all the behavior I observed is fascinating to me. I have a b-mod case of my own and this is where my brain gets hung up in trying to dissect what is going on. I’m a seasoned petsitter and know a lot of tricks to stay safe, but a trainer… not so experienced. I’m not even trying to train her – I just want to desensitize her to me enough to help them out. They haven’t gone on vacation in six years because of this. They did use a trainer once and he used an e-collar which shut her down. Now that they don’t use it, she is back in full force. Her history is interesting, too. They found her as a very sick puppy on the street (their vet said 6weeks old). She was infested with parasites and her immune system was severely compromised for her entire first year. The vet advised she not be exposed to anyone until she became well. She missed out on all the normal experiences she should have been privy to and it definitely plays a role in her reactivity. Right?
I hear the caution and alarm in your message that I don’t take it lightly. I truly appreciate it! It’s just driving me nuts to not fully understand what is going on and what I’m seeing. This kind of “case” really fuels me.
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Thanks for these additional details.They do a lot to calm my fears for you.I’m glad to hear that you have a plan in place for zero contact, should that be necessary. And they are so lucky to have you in their circle!
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Appreciate you! Grateful for the kind words and thoughtful insight!
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I’m glad you brought this case to our community and I hope you’ll keep us posted on her progress with the work you are doing. Thanks for sharing all the extra details again!
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First off all, kudos for wanting to help your neighbors have a vacation. What a kind gesture to help with their dog! @brenna @catherine @virginiad
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They are some of the BEST humans I’ve ever encountered. They deserve it! ???? They know she’s a risk to others and it mortifies them. I respect that they won’t give up on her though because of it. It’s just that no one knows how to help her – she is the love of their lives and would give anything to help her if they knew how.
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This is one lucky dog!! Is there a veterinary behaviorist in your area to give your team further support?
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Good idea! I didn’t even think about that! Yes, she stays booked out but I’ll suggest it to them!
I agree, she’s a very lucky dog
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Some veterinary behaviorists work remotely or can do a vet-to-vet consult, so if your local one doesn’t offer those services and can’t see them soon, perhaps consider casting a wider net. I know Dr. Chris Pachel personally and he’s not only a top-notch doctor who offers remote help, but an amazing human being. https://animalbehaviorclinic.net/services/
In any case, if they are willing and you are able, shadow the consultation… you’ll learn a TON! 🙂
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Shoooooott! I may take you up on that for my own nervous guy! Thank you for sharing! ????
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