I hesitate to post this video because it’s a dog I didn’t get the chance to work with. The owners chose to go with an electronic shock collar and I really don’t want to work with a scared dog using tools. Nothing says I trust you like zapping a dog from a distance.
I have no fear of dogs, you cannot have fear working with a dog like this. They can read us like a book. Show fear and you’re done.
This video was part of the assessment, the initial meet and greet. When I got to the clients home, the dog was in the garage – and I chose to meet the dog one on one without the owners present. The dog was terrified of me when I walked into the garage, stood in place and peed on the floor, full flight mode. It saddens me to see a dog in this kind of shape.
The video below showed the complete change in the dog when the owner was brought in. This scared dog needed to grow a pair, and protect the owner from the scary thing – me. Yes, aggression is a symptom – and one can clearly see in the video why the dog is showing aggression.
I’m not wearing any gear, just jeans and a t-shirt. Watch the dog’s body, look at where the tail is – watch the dog look to its’ owner – almost asking “am I doing a good job”. At one point, I lifted my leg to block him.
This is not true aggression – this is aggression in the moment caused by fear, nothing more. I don’t classify this as an aggressive type dog. Can it be bad? Oh yes, for sure – Kane is 120 pounds, if he was really gunning for me, he would have had me on the ground bleeding.
How should this dog be changed? It has no trust of me, it’s afraid of me, it’s trying to attack me when the owner is there.