Dog Name: Rooney
Dog Age: 1 yr. 6 mos.
Dog Breed: Old English Bulldog
Behaviour issues:
Location: London, Ontario
Jumping up, barking, demanding attention, pulling on walks.
Rooney was (and still is) a very charismatic and friendly dog, with a look and style that draws attention. Rooney began to demand attention from his male and female owners, and from visitors as well by barking, humping, nipping, mouthing and crowding. When the female owner attempted to ignore this behaviour, Rooney became a bit more aggressive with his scratching and humping, and would get up on the couch and demand attention. In addition, Rooney began to control the front door, not allowing visitors to enter without bending to attend to him, stealing their shoes, running and crashing into them, barking, and being very bossy.
Dog training required!
Outcome Descriptions:
I explained to the owners why Rooney was demanding, and that his pack standing had to change so that they were in control of his behaviour. As pack leaders, they must arrange the flow of attention, the manner in which guests were greeted and invited in, and Rooney’s focus on walks. Most of all, they must understand the signs of aggression and eliminate these opportunities in an instinctive, humane manner.
Our first lesson went very well and Rooney responded with a significant behavioural change immediately. All remained well until April, 2010, when I was asked to return because Rooney’s bad behaviour had returned. We revisited the techniques that were established during my original visit, and good behaviour was immediately restored and remains so to this day.
Client Comment / Review:
Things are going well. Rooney is behaving and stops anything bad when our leadership is used. We have been ignoring him as we return home and he is now sitting and waiting for permission before coming over for a scratch. We’ll let you know how things are in a few weeks, but as of now there is a vast improvement.