Can We Give Some Help Here and Keep This Dog At Home?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/need-some-objective-opinion

Jac, I agree with your suggestion on the thyroid test, but after that, they need some Beth Line style training suggestions. Anyone? This is a nice lady, can we help?

[Adina P]

I hope so! I think it's fixable (of course I'm saying this with NO experience in this area...) but perhaps she hasn't found the 'right' trainer/behaviorist. There are a lot of incompetent trainers out there and I say this solely based on the number of people who go through class after class and still have dogs that don't walk nicely on leash, who jump on people, etc. So I advised her to find someone who can say they have a successful track record with THIS issue and can give references of clients who he/she has helped resolve this issue.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There is a behaviorist at the specialty clinic where Jack's allergist practices...I have read the literature for his practice, and the first thing done in every case is a full medical work-up and review. I don't think Lucy's problem is physical, but it makes me have doubts about the behaviorist Edith is using that: A.) She didn't recommend a thyroid test, etc., and B.) She is so quick to say "Give up the dog." Most behaviorists and trainers that I have heard about seem to feel that they can help every dog & owner. While that may be ego on the part of the professional, this is far from the worst case of aggressive/dominant behavior I ever heard of, and I am suspicious of someone who would say "give up the dog" without even trying or making any suggestions for keeping her. She's 10 months old!

[Adina P]

I agree! Isn't this what 'behaviorists' are supposed to help people fix? If they can't help in a non-severe case such as this...what are they good for? But my bias is still for a kick ass trainer. Because I'm willing to bet that if she set up the situation where she thought doggy might growl/nip but had doggy in a down stay he would break the down stay to do his growl/nip thing. That would not happen with a dog that is fully trained.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

After re-reading what I just wrote, I remembered something. When I first adopted Jack, I became very panicky when he wouldn't eat or eliminate after almost 2 days here. The people at the shelter were no help when I called them. I started looking through the phonebook for behaviorists. I found one woman who seemed to have good credentials and called her. After I had rambled on for a few minutes about all of my concerns, she told me that she was getting shooting pains in her neck just listening to the tension in my voice. She explained how my tension was working against me with Jack, asked some questions, and then she said something I have never forgotten...she said "Maybe this isn't the right dog for you."
I don't know what it was about that sentence, but by the time she came over for a consultation 2 days later, I was able to tell her honestly, "This is the right dog for me. He's my dog." And her response was, "Good. Then let's get to work."
Looking back, I think she wanted my commitment to Jack in place before she would try to help us. Because without that, I don't think anything could, with any dog.