This is just one example. We need to understand why a problem is happening in the first place in order to solve it. I’ve got a picture of the dogs somewhere, need to dig it out.
A few years ago, I met a young couple, he owned a male Ridgeback cross and she owned a female Pitbull. We had a long talk on the phone and were seriously reconsidering rehoming the Ridgeback because he was getting grumpy with the pit and their young son got nipped in the process.
When we met, the dogs were running around off leash beside the house, they met Monty with no issues and went off to do their thing. I’m just watching the dogs and the owners. Didn’t take long to see what was going on.
Asked the wife to take the pit home and come back. Told the husband that his dog isn’t the issue here, the pit is. He had the biggest smirk on his face because the Ridgeback wasn’t the issue and it was the wife that wanted to rehome.
When the wife came back I didn’t say anything just yet. There is a hockey rink close with a few dogs in it, lets take the Ridgeback there and see how he does. I leashed him, had the owners hide around the corner, he did fine with the dogs. The dog is calm and friendly around strange dogs and people, he’s dragging the leash.
I think that was the moment the wife realized that her pit was the issue. The female pit is running on overdrive all the time and driving the Ridgeback nuts. They realize now that he was correcting the pit, and their son was collateral damage, just in the way. The nip wasn’t intentional.
I recommended a treadmill, especially for winter and these aren’t winter dogs. And each of them take a dog every day and do something separately with them, give them that time away from each other. Dogs can get sick of each other too. Take them to separate dog parks and let them burn it off.
I got a call a week later, dogs were doing amazing because the owners put in place what I suggested. He had a treadmill, learned to get the dogs on it and they love it. He’s an electrical engineer, so he rewired the treadmill for the dogs. Sheet of wood at the foot of the mill, when the dog steps on it and gets on the mill, it triggers a timer and the treadmill gains speed to a maximum. After a time, it shuts off. The dogs choose to get on it of their own accord, it allows them to go for a workout when they want.
Step back and try to understand the problem, and you’ll be amazed at how easy it can be to fix it. They didn’t need a trainer, just a second set of eyes. They are the ones that fixed all the issues, they just needed to know how.