Suzy's Blog

How often do we assume that when our dog has a certain behavior there will be no chance to change it? Can't teach an old dog new tricks? But is it really the dog we have to change, or is it the person? How often is the dog willing to drop the issue immediately, once redirected and the person has the point of view that it can’t be that easy?

I was working with a family this past weekend and their dog had an issue of being touched on the back with the had going over the dog's head. The response was a bite, or nip, depending on the situation. So the discomfort was shown by a strong reaction. It took a few minutes to desensitize the area and to let the dog know that there is no problem with being touched there.

So what was really the great part, is that the whole family did not hold on to this issue either. They saw the dog change and they did not have to keep checking if it was gone, testing the dog’s reaction. It was clear that it was easy now to have the hand come over the top to touch the back and there had to be no fuss made over that! How great it was to see them all move forward and not hang on to the past at all. The family made it possible for the dog to change for good! And he was willing to move on!

The next day we worked with him on the beach with other dogs, since that behavior was also triggered by a playful dog putting the paw on the back, often causing a scuffle. Fourty-five minutes later he was not raising his hackles anymore and was not put off by a high energy dog approaching. Again, the willingness of the owner to not hold on to the old pattern either had a huge effect! So is teaching the dog easier than the person? Not always, but it sure helps if everybody is willing to move forward and not be stuck in the past. What would it take for more of that to show up in our lives??