*All names have been changed and the pictures are random
Mini Aussies keep me in business. Something about the miniaturization of Australian Shepherds makes them a huge draw for people who ordinarily wouldn’t get a herding breed.
They’re tiny balls of energy, insanely smart, and usually a little bit socially unsure: making them the perfect candidates for reactivity and aggression.
I decided to write about these particular cases because it is a perfect example that you -the dog owner- is ultimately in charge of the outcome of your dog.
Meet the Dogs
Beau
Age: 1 Year
Problems: Extremely reactive at the sight of other dogs and nippy with guests and strangers who get within leash distance.
Previous Training: Lessons with a different trainer
Todd
Age: 5 Years
Problems: Extremely reactive at the sight of other dogs and nippy with guests and strangers who get within leash distance.
Previous Training: Lessons with a different trainer
Both Beau and Todd’s owners came to me looking for help with their dog’s reactivity and aggression. I determined that both dogs were acting out due to not feeling their owners would be able to keep them safe around other dogs. They learned that if they went to the end of their leashes, lunged and barked and just threw an absolute fit, that their owners would turn around and leave the situation that made them uncomfortable. On top of that, they learned that their owners didn’t advocate for them with strangers, as puppies and adolescent dogs they were expected to allow anyone and everyone to handle them. So as herding dogs do, they learned to control the situation by biting.
This is the unfortunate reality when it comes to these very common problems. Often, dogs act out when they don’t feel safe, when they’ve been approached too many times by off leash dogs, when random strangers are allowed to squeal over top of them and scoop them up.
Back to my point, both of these families were given the same recommendation: Day Training- where I (a professional trainer with over 10 years of experience) do 2 sessions a week with the dog and 1 lesson where we all work together. This particular training style takes at least 4 weeks to be really effective but the longer they do it, the better it works, but each week they have to choose to keep going.
Both families agreed.
Beau’s family did Day Training for 8 weeks, weekly Outings for 3 months, and then bi-weekly outings for another 3 months.
Beau can walk past other dogs on a loose leash happily, goes on regular adventures with his family where other dogs and people are present, and his people have a tried and true routine for introducing him to new people and dogs. The world is their oyster.
Todd’s family did Day Training for 2 weeks and then had 1 follow up lesson.
Todd was doing so well after the first week of Day Training they decided they could do it themselves after week 2 and we would continue with lessons.
Week 4 I got a message that Todd had been approached by an off leash dog during one of his walks and (appropriately IMO) freaked out and the training wasn’t working.
I sent the link to schedule another lesson, explained that with 5ish years of reactivity under his belt he would need more time, and that under no circumstances could they allow an off leash dog to approach him and shatter his brand new sense of security.
I didn’t hear back.
Final Thoughts
I loved working with both Beau and Todd. Both dogs were incredibly smart and made huge strides right away.
I still see Beau from time to time and talk to his family and I couldn’t be more proud of all the work they’ve put in. It wasn’t easy, cheap, or immediate and when they had setbacks they reached out to me immediately or were prepared for them. They understand that dogs have bad days too and give Beau grace when he does, though it’s less and less often these days.
Todd’s story makes me sad and angry, but is an unfortunate part of doing what I do. I am very upfront about the work it takes to overcome certain issues and I think some owners go into it with so much hope and excitement that when things go well, they think they can stop or get disheartened when things go wrong. I truly hope that they found a trainer that fits in better with their expectations and Todd is able to live a life that is as big as his personality.
We never expect to get a dog with issues. Some are genetic and some are unknowingly created by us. The faster you catch these problems, the easier it is to fix or work around them. There is help, but it may not be easy or fast. There will be setbacks.
If you’re dealing with issues, find a trainer who fits you and stick to it. It gets better.