When Your Well-Trained Dog Turns Aggressive – Act Fast!
I first met Lucy at my local monthly “My Dog Can Do That” competition in January of 1998, at the SPCA in Monterey, California. She was easy to spot – a merle Great Dane with lovely natural ears, who literally towered above the competition. Lucy was attentive, responsive, performed even the most advanced MDCDT behaviors with ease, and consistently placed in the ribbons. It surprised me, then, when a few months later I heard Lucy had started threatening humans, and her aggression was escalating. This was not appropriate behavior for any dog, but particularly disturbing in one of Lucy’s size, with her potential for causing serious harm.
Trying To Ease Your Dog’s Stress
Stress. Everyone knows what it feels like. Tight shoulders. Headache. Insomnia. Upset stomach. Everyone knows what can trigger it. Rush hour traffic. Deadlines. An insensitive boss. A toddler having a day of tantrums, unexpected bills, or taxes. We also know that too much stress can actually make us ill. Ulcers and high blood pressure are prime examples. A recent study noted that 19 percent of employees who call in sick on any particular day do so because they simply felt they needed a day off.
Latest Blog
In the Aftermath of a Dog Attack
Whenever there is a high-profile dog attack, it seems everyone with a dog weighs in with their opinions about the dog, the dog’s origin, the owners, the specific situation, and the resolution of the event. We were just presented with an opportunity to use an upsetting high-profile incident as an educational tool. Someone sent us a link to a March 17 Instagram post by Sean Lowe, an American TV reality show personality. In the post, Lowe sat with his wife by his side and described two incidents involving their dog Moose, a 7-year-old Boxer the family adopted three months prior.