Name- Bullwinkle
Breed- English Mastiff (175 lbs)
Age- 1.5 yrs
Primary issue- Guarding Mom against Dad, nipping at the kids when they rough house.
Yesterday was the third time I have worked with Bullwinkle, the first time it was just Mom, the second time was at the MCS Canine Academy, and yesterday Dan and the two kids were at the house.
1st appointment- Most of the normal stuff, he tried to intimidate at the door by blocking and barking. I walked past him, and we got along fabulously after that. Mom was able to consistently walk him on one finger and he did great. We covered the normal stuff such as feeding ritual, door work, focus drills etc.
2nd time at group class- it was like we didn’t know he was there. Almost no barking, he ignored the other dogs and people.
3rd appointment- It was only yesterday that I was able to see the whole dynamic of what was going on. In his own home with Dad and kids present he was a butthead. Dad was very standoffish with me and Bullwinkle at first. I would discover that was because Bullwinkle had driven a wedge between Dad and Mom. He had claimed Mom as his and did not want Dad to come near her, no hugging or coming up to her in the bed. He had nipped Dad a few times and like any sane person this caused him to fear the dog and what he might do.
Mom was sitting on the couch with Bullwinkle right in front of her, challenging anyone to come close with barks and growls. Mom handed me the lead and I took him for a focus drill. While doing so I attempted to pet him on a loose leash, and he reacted with a nip. One tooth broke skin. I kindly asked for a paper towel so as not to get blood on the carpet. Outside of that I had no response and Bullwinkle hated that.
This dog needed to be pressure tested. He is huge, loud, and overall, just a terrifying sight, but should not be to his family or to others based on his own decision. The only one with the power to fix this was Mom by showing him that access to everything in life had to come through her and that she would be making all decisions. I put on my bite sleeve and on the other hand a raptor handling glove. Mom was instructed to perform a focus drill and stand with him on a fixed lead as I did whatever I could do to press and provoke him. No matter what I did I could not get him to bite the sleeve or my glove. I gave him every opportunity. Then I told Mom to begin correcting every time there was tension on the lead in response to me or he attempted to place himself between me and Mom. Eventually no matter how load I yelled or how fast I lunged he would only bark without any movement, now concentrating on Mom who was having no reaction. Then when he would bark, I would immediately have Mom step in front of him and walk into him until he stopped and then reset. Bullwinkle accepted reality and calmly laid down, and when the lead was dropped actually went to Dad for attention. The lead is not used for control, but rather safety and communication. When not in use it is relaxed. This is how dogs must be socialized and exposed to anything they can see, smell, or hear. They naturally want to run away or move forward in response to a distraction. The goal is to have them stand their ground next to you, not forward, or behind. Now Dad, who was pretty disgusted in the whole thing is smiling and invested in developing a relationship with the dog.
For those who think that you should not pressure test a dog or put them in uncomfortable situations I say this. The strain that Bullwinkle’s very natural behavior put on this family was immense. Without intervention and modification, it would have gotten much worse. The dog would have nipped again and that would have been the last straw. Attempting to rehome with a history of aggression would likely have ended up with euthanasia. If you would have seen him at the group training (area out of his control) you would never have thought that he would act that way at home. Changes in environments drive behaviors. Most people have a very small comfort zone so the same is true of your dogs. If you want a dog that is predictable, and you can trust you must take responsibility for that dog and exposed them to different environments with you in the lead. If you don’t condition their responses, they will respond naturally, and this is often with their teeth. The bigger the dog the bigger the bite. Early training is key. In this case Mom really stepped up to the plate and took responsibility for the dog and showed him that he was well beneath Dad and the kids or anyone else that entered the home.