“You are our last resort,” said the owner to Dan Rossignol of Dan Trains Dogs during a recent doggie intervention. “Our vet said we really need to consider putting him down if we can’t get him to change his behavior.”
That revelation had come during Chewie’s last veterinarian visit for a bladder infection. The small 10 pound canine decided he did not like the vet trying to treat him and had turned violently aggressive toward her, snapping and biting her during the routine examination.
The chocolate-colored dog had not always been that way. When they had purchased him three years before, he had been a sweet addition to the household. The family thought they were doing everything correctly. They brought the puppy a large crate, took him on long daily walks, fed him the best dog food available.
“We treated him like a member of the family,” she said. “But he only got worse. He just took over.”
In spite of the love they showered on him, Chewie became increasingly aggressive. His wire crate became off-limits, his behavior more unpredictable, his outbursts unmanageable. Even something as simple as trying to pick up a pair of shoes left by the doorway sent the dog into a frenzy.
“We just do not know what to do,” she said. “I feel bad that our love may have resulted in his having to lose his life because of something we are doing wrong.”
Known as the Adirondack Dog Whisperer, Dan said it is the type of love we show to dogs nowadays that is creating many of the problems.
“Today we give them people love instead of dog love,” he noted, adding that in spite of how we feel about our canine family members, they still carry the instincts of wolves and those innate predispositions create confusion in today’s domestic world.
Many canines feel a need to protect the entire household and act like Alpha dogs, but the majority of the dogs are not meant for those high stress roles. Most, he said, like Chewie, are beta or omega dogs and need to be just a pet. That is one of the reason Dan travels to the family’s home to work one on one with both the owners and the dogs.
“I am the trouble-shooter,” said Dan, who traded an executive position to work with dogs. “I don’t leave until all your issues are resolved.”
Passionate about dogs and his life’s calling, Dan also studied with master trainer Judy Sherman and has trained dogs for police and sheriff departments before opening his own business, specializing in aggressive canines.
Resolving the dog’s issues is not the only solution to the problem, said Dan. The owners have to learn how to treat their dogs so that the canine understands their place in the household.
“They need to know who the head of the pack is,” said Dan, pointing out that the owners needed training as well.
“I do an intervention with dogs and their owners,” explained Dan, who has a 90 percent success rate. “People wait until they have a foot out the door before they call or wait until the dog has bitten more than once. Mostly the dog is confused and so are the owners. The first thing you have to teach is the pack leadership walk. Until the dog walks by your side, they are the leader.”
Dogs naturally have a prey-mode mentality placing the dog in a state of mind where he does not think, he just acts and reacts to the sights, sounds, and smells surrounding them.
“Once a dog realizes who the leader is, over all, obedience opens up and he begins thinking with his brain,” said Dan. “They are now no longer in prey-drive.”
And in today’s urban landscape, having a dog that knows how to behave at the end of a leash is necessary, even for those who live in the country. And it is that leash that will aid in the training.
“Discipline cannot be done with the hands,” he added. “And it is the timing – it must be done within two seconds of the deed or the dog does not know what the discipline is for.”
The leash, he said, allows for gaining control over the dog in the household if he reverts to unacceptable behaviors, as well as establishes leadership when on walks.
Using short, one word strong commands, a special collar, and unwavering confidence, Dan said the key was consistency and quick response to the bad action.
“We use a citrus and water based spray,” said Dan, showing a small, palm-sized can. He explained that the spray does not hurt the animal, but causes enough discomfort that they do not want to repeat the bad act after a couple of douses in the mouth.
Chewie’s behaviors, Dan said, were learned behaviors and could be rectified with constant attention over the next 30 days.
“The dogs will pick up on our fears and frustrations and relay those fears and frustrations into bad behavior,” said Dan, adding that the owners’ actions inadvertently end up teaching dogs how to behave badly.
As for Chewie, by the end of the session he was learning his place in the family pack and seemed content with his new, less stressful role as family dog and not family protector.
Sitting quietly next to Dan, Chewie did not try to hide beneath the dining room table as he had done earlier or retreat into his room off the kitchen. Instead, he waited at the end of his leash for his next cue as the family and Dan outlined the course of action for the next four weeks.
“You have to consistent and you have to pay attention,” said Dan. “If you are busy and off doing this or doing that, it won’t work. Leave the leash on him while you are home for the next 30 days and if you see behavior you do not want, simply step on the leash or give it a slight tug. He will learn what you want.”
He added every case is different and may need slightly different tactics or approaches, depending on the dog, its reasons for its aggression and the home it is in.
“People want immediate results,” said Dan. “While the owners will see some immediate differences in their pet’s behavior, they will have a strict policy to follow for the next 30 days. The dog loves you more and will pay attention to you more and thinks you are better than sliced bread if you do what you need to do.”
Midway through the season, Chewie’s owner looked at her dog and said she could not believe just the change in the one day’s session.
“He is not the same dog,” she said. “He is almost normal again. I can’t believe the difference in Chewie.”
For information on Dan Trains Dogs, call (518) 232-8106 or visit his website at www.dantrainsdogs.com
