Many dog owners call me to ask about training, and I’m seeing much of the same. Dogs needs aren’t being met and most times, it’s not a training thing. Understanding what the dog needs, understand what the dog is trying to tell you. Dogs are very intelligent but they don’t speak english or any other language. It’s humans that need to learn to listen, learn to communicate with the dog – you won’t get that through the use of tools — but you can by building a proper relationship.
Case in point, latest client is a Olde English Bulldog, about 90 pounds and he’s getting aggressive. During assessment he nipped me on the nose, could have torn my nose off if I was any slower. I didn’t see it coming til the last second, my bad, my fault entirely. The dog has a history of going after the father of the family aggressively. And alot of it is simply affection at the wrong time. He kept coming for me, 8 or 9 times in the course of the hour I was there.
I had a long talk with the family, suggested the dog be on CBD oil for at least a few weeks to ensure there isn’t an issue with cortisol – the fight or flight hormone. CBD if you don’t know directly counteracts cortisol – this is why many dogs calm down after taking it. My own dog is on CBD for a bit of arthritis, and I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t know the results. Also explained to the family that calm is everything, be the change you want in the dog – be calm around the dog, don’t raise your voices. Well low and behold, the owners contacted me today, no incidents in the last 48 hours. Now they are ready for the change.
Will this dog need training? Likely not. He needs to lose some weight, he needs a calmer environment – and the family needs to learn to trust and respect the dog. They can take him off the CBD in a few weeks and see what the outcome is – if he stays calm, then CBD won’t be needed. They can feel free to keep him on the CBD, it’s not going to hurt anything.
CBD by the way is a great diagnostic tool for dogs that are getting aggressive or fearful – and it should be bought from a cannabis dispensary – not a pet store. The stuff you buy from a pet store is made from commercial hemp, takes many chemicals to get the CBD. Dogs are like people, they can become addicted to cortisol. And I’m sorry to say, some training techniques actually promote the production of cortisol. What is the result? That treat training you’re doing could be forcing the dog to stress eat and produce cortisol.