Dog show success for Shadow
Much like their owners, the emotions and feelings of our dogs can often be deep rooted and complex.
At our dog behaviour therapy sessions, one of the most common reasons for attendance is dog to dog aggression. However, rather than it simply being in their nature to be aggressive towards others, we regularly find that feelings of fear and anxiety are the root cause.
Often a dog will bark at a human or another dog because they fear them. They think if they bark loudly maybe the dog or human will leave them alone. If they do this once and it works then they will repeat this action again in the future.
Here at WitsEnd we teach owners to modify the behaviour of their pets so that the success from barking or being aggressive towards others is removed and they no longer see this as the best reaction in a scary situation.
A story of success using this method of behaviour therapy was highlighted to us recently when one of our clients, Dawn, wrote in to say thank you for our work with her dog, Shadow aged 2 and ½.
Shadow’s story
Shadow is a Germany Shepherd/Husky cross. After being castrated aged around 12 months, Shadow became very nervous and developed dog to dog aggression. Shadow’s aggression towards other dogs meant that dog walks became rather difficult. Shadow would lunge at other dogs which resulted in Dawn being knocked off her feet and also having to stop her daughter from taking him for walks as he was so hard to control.
Seeking a solution, Dawn brought Shadow to Sara Whittaker, our Pet Behaviour Counsellor at WitsEnd.
Sara developed an individualised plan for Shadow and Dawn, teaching new strategies to help correct Shadow’s behaviour.
“Sara was very supportive and educated me so that my response and handling of Shadow was more appropriate. I was letting him dictate to me. She said that he’s a clever dog but was choosing not to be,” commented Dawn.
Since attending classes Shadow’s behaviour has changed phenomenally, culminating in him being able to attend Knighton Park dog show. Not only did Shadow place third as the ‘Most Handsome Dog’ but he also remained calm and obedient in the company of 30 other dogs and two judges – something that would have been almost unthinkable before training began. Needless to say we are very proud of Shadow, and wish him and Dawn continued success.
WitsEnd has been heralded as the most successful behaviour and dog obedience practice in the UK. With over 2000 cases, our behaviour practice is at the forefront of its industry and is respected by both the clients it has helped and the veterinary practices it closely works with.
At WitsEnd we give you on-going support as well as practical help and rehabilitation for your pet. In our behaviour consultations we aim to explain your pet’s behaviour in a manner you can readily understand, and to give you tailored practical and usable solutions to modify behaviour. All dog behaviour therapy is conducted at our Centre on Harold Street in Leicester as we have found this to be by far the most successful approach.
For more information about booking dog behaviour therapy sessions, please visit https://www.witsend4pets.co.uk/behaviour.php or call us on 0116 244 2455.