Client Cases

Many years ago when I still volunteered at my local humane society, I was asked by the K9 staff to coach a new volunteer, David, who apparently had pestered them with requests for additional training. For several months, I coached David on handling the more challenging shelter residents, and with the keenness and capacity he was showing, I encouraged him to grow his learning by fostering. A year or so later, he was ready to foster now that he’d secured a rental home with a small yard. He brought home Snickers, an American foxhound who was found as a stray and taken in by a local shelter before being transferred to ours.

David is one of the people I coached the most intensely, speaking to him once a day on average for the first year that he had Snickers. Snickers had already been returned after two failed adoptions that included multiple bite incidents. He developed severe anxiety, was fitted into a ThunderShirt, and put on antidepressants. Sadly, but not surprisingly, nothing seemed to help.

When David brought Snickers home, he immediately started the decompression process, which meant weaning him off the medication under the supervision of a vet. It also meant several hours in the crate alternating with outings in the yard, mostly alone but always under David’s watchful eye. Snickers tried escaping several times, from the crate and from the yard. He also had eye problems and did not particularly welcome David giving him his eye drops.

David understood that Snickers would stop trying to escape once he felt safe in the daily structure, so he stuck to his guns. David didn’t talk nor expect much in those early days. He simply worked to establish a predictable routine and met the dog’s basic needs. He located a park for vigorous exercise sessions and a quiet alley near the house where they spent many weeks doing their exercises, hanging out, and eventually playing.

As expected, Snickers began calming down, and David noted fewer episodes of barking in the crate or escaping from the yard, signaling that it was time to do more. For a while, every change of environment caused Snickers to regress and revert to the anxious ways of the past. David had to learn patience and not pile unfair expectations on him.

In about six months, he got the dog ready for adoption but, unfortunately, was not allowed to participate in Snickers’s adoption process. So David decided to keep Snickers, whom he renamed Doug, as he wasn’t about to let months of hard work fall into the wrong hands.

Adopting Doug gave him the opportunity to finish his training and integrate him into his life as a mature, bonded, and fully off-leash capable animal. Thanks to this “failed” foster experience, David was able to learn the entire process of working with a dog from early decompression days to Foundations and Integration, applying the process almost to perfection. He was able to finish Doug’s rearing, turning the once-medicated hound into a sound, strong, and spirited dog that lived free until his last breath.

Boxer-Shepherd mixes Dixie and Pixie were found behind a restaurant in the city and taken to a shelter. These sisters were estimated to be about ten months old but weren’t considered bonded enough to be adopted out together. Thus, Dixie went to my client, an active woman who loved fitness and being out with her dogs. 

A few months later, my client got wind of the fact that Pixie was still at the shelter. She turned up with Dixie in tow only to lose her a few moments later, as Dixie had taken off to the kennel where she and Pixie had been, looking for her sister. It was clear to my client then that she had to keep the sisters together and so Pixie came home with them. 

Adopting siblings isn’t normally considered a good idea, as sibs raised together can display dysfunctions commonly referred to as “littermate syndrome.” These issues are believed to occur because fraternal bonds hinder the formation of healthy connections with humans and deter the development of skills to deal in a human world. The siblings can be inseparable or they can be in an all-out war, sometimes requiring that one of be rehomed.

In her message to Way of Life Dog Training, my client explained that the sisters’ “prey drive is starting to become a huge problem.” The girls had issues, not with each other but with anything smaller including other dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, as well as little kids. My client said she found it nearly impossible to go anywhere with the girls and missed her days of being active with them. I came to find out later that the sisters had ganged up on a few neighborhood critters, with unfortunate consequences. 

“I really need help,” my client said.

The problem with raising siblings is very much the same as raising dogs in a multi-dog household. The dogs do not need to be related for their fears of being apart to be dysfunctional, for their fights to be violent, or for the stress they feel from being codependent to manifest as reactivity and aggression. 

As a society, we seem to think that dogs need each other when in fact they don’t. Of course, some dogs thrive on the company of other dogs and model dogs are essential to healthy rearing. But we also know from both science and experience that dogs aren’t oriented to cooperation and sharing as their wild cousins are. The hunting among wolf packs is a collaborative effort; the scavenging of dogs isn’t. Problems start to emerge in multi-dog households when we assume that dogs can fulfill each other’s needs, can solve each other’s problems, and that they’re enough for each other.

So we went to work on the Twisted Sisters. We set separate schedules for them, including dedicated exercise and bonding time, crating, and hangouts in designated parts of the house. It was weeks before the girls left the property but when they went out into the world again, they did so with a different mindset. They were calm, relieved that someone finally understood how they needed to be managed. Their fence running ceased, and they became indifferent to dogs on the street. They showed little to no interest in the animals they would have once been happy to chase. Too often we think this behavior means we have “too much prey drive.” Sometimes it is a healthy prey drive that needs channeling and sometimes it is but a symptom of frustration and redirected anxiety. 

At seven years old, the girls were entering that stage of becoming more mature. They still put up a good bit of resistance – after all, it had been years of living constantly together, being treated as one, and not being allowed to individuate and mature on their own. So that needed some time to get undone. But I could tell from their eyes and greying faces that they were ready for some peace, that they wanted someone to make the decisions for them, and that they while they wanted to be challenged and engaged with, they also needed time to rest and recuperate in private. 

When my client left to travel overseas, we had established a way of life that worked for the sisters whereby my client’s aging parents were able to keep them during my client’s absence. Maintaining a schedule and hiring a seasoned walker who was given specific instructions, Pixie and Dixie were able to sustain a long absence from their owner. Their behavior not only didn’t regress… it only continued to improve.

Molly’s owners came to Way of Life Dog Training concerned with a range of issues displayed by their four-year-old Cockapoo. These issues had become increasingly hard to deal with, as they attempted to balance managing Molly’s behavior with the needs of their two very young children. Molly did like the kids and was excellent with them, thankfully. But much else was problematic: 

1. Molly was reactive to the noises that are typical of a home, especially one with children – TV sights and noises, and rings and whistles from various kitchen appliances.

2. She barked ceaselessly at the door and the living room bay window, which my clients thought she’d enjoy looking out of when they bought their house. This would wake up the kids and garnered my clients an anonymous note from a neighbor.

3. Molly also reacted to people and dogs on the streets, pulled on the leash, and despite her petite size, was impossible to walk, much less walk alongside the stroller.

The Way of Life Dog Training approach to working with issues of sensitivity to sound is not to desensitize and counter-condition the dogs to these sounds, as behaviorists do. In fact, my clients had worked with a trainer who used this approach, and just as I expected, the behavior modification strategy made Molly that much more aware of, and obsessed with, these sounds.

Regarding barking at windows and doors, this is a common issue because we allow the dogs to patrol our homes and yards, we allow them near these boundaries, not realizing that their inner territorial nature, plus any underlying stress that’s building up because of a messy way of life, will make them reactive to anything near these boundaries. Dogs are not cats; they do not need windows looking out into the world for entertainment. They need to be taken out into the world, stimulated, and brought back home and regulated, until a certain level of maturity is reached.

With reactivity to dogs and people on the street, a dog that’s stressed because it’s not handled properly is bound to redirect that stress onto something. Moreover, dogs change when they’re taken from one familiar space (the house) to an unfamiliar space (the outside), and with that change, any kind of underlying stress will show up more honestly and find something to beat up on. 

It’s normal for dogs to be sensitive to some of our noises. It’s also natural for dogs to be protective of their space and to not necessarily welcome interactions with all dogs and people. That’s all legit. Still, I know for sure that extreme versions of otherwise normal or natural behavior have a lot to do with a dog’s way of life. That is precisely what we work on.

Ultimately, a dog that’s composed will deal with things differently than one that isn’t. A calm dog is a thoughtful dog who is better able to modulate emotions and better judge what’s worth reacting to and what’s not. I ask my clients to look at these issues as symptoms and to reflect on why their dog is so easily triggered. 

Our job with Molly was to bring down the agitation by regulating her access to things such as doors and windows, structuring her time, supervising her more carefully, and challenging her innate talents. 

With the changes we introduced, Molly has settled down a great deal and everyone in the family is happier, the two kids included. When the family moved again, I was thrilled to hear that Molly adjusted seamlessly. She’s better able to deal with the various sounds of the house and take in stride the children’s ruckus. She and her mom look forward to the end of the day for their girls’ night out, leaving dad and the kids at home for a while to head out for a run or walk. 

Watch a video featuring Molly on our YouTube page to see her progress!

Desiree, a puppy mill mom rescued from Newfoundland, was a pug that reacted to people, dogs, and children. My client realized she must have done things a little too fast with Desi, as she liked calling her, and proceeded to go back to basics. She wanted to be able to take Desi with her to visit her daughter and grandchildren, who were four and six years old. So, Desi came to board with me for a few days at a time.

Of course, boarding dogs allows them to be looked after when their people need to travel or deal with personal matters. However, boarding is also an opportunity to challenge dogs and the bonds they’ve developed with their owners. Before boarding, dogs should be comfortable crated and be stable enough to be transferred to another handler in an unfamiliar environment.

When I board dogs, I do with them what I tell people to do with a new dog or a dog they’re just getting started with—decompression. Because this dog is new here, we go back to basics with that dog instead of thinking we can pick up where its owners left off. This means extended periods crated, some solo time, and not much exposure to anyone or anything for a few days. This allows me to accurately evaluate the dogs and coach their owners better, as I can see how the dogs take to the challenge.

Moreover, the structured and challenging manner of boarding this way also helps stabilize and strengthen client dogs because it ensures that the handler transference is safe and successful. Once over the stressful experience, back home, and rested, clients tell me their dogs appear to have taken a jump in maturity, which was exactly the case for Desi. Her reactivity to people and dogs eased considerably because of boarding this way and my client felt encouraged about trying to have her around the children.

She worked up a plan of taking Desi for visits to her daughter’s house and, initially, worked solely on getting Desi adjusted to the new space without engaging with the kids. She went for short visits, keeping the dog crated or leashed up—in other words, carefully managed.

Over time, Desiree began to adjust and could be trusted with finding her way to the mat with the kids around. The experience not only boosted her self-confidence but also made her feel included and part of the family. In turn, I could see that rise in self-esteem when she boarded with us again because she was even better with the dogs this time. It was almost like boarding with us was nothing after she’d successfully dealt with the out-of-town visits and two rambunctious children! With the right foundations in place, we shouldn’t be afraid to push and challenge our dogs. Otherwise, we will never know what they’re capable of.

What does it take to cheer up a puppy mill mom? How can we help a depressed dog get past years of abuse and neglect?

Katie is a doodle puppy mill mom who was finally able to catch a break from breeding and looking after one litter of puppies after another. She came with many health issues, some minor and others persistent. She also came with psychological issues but we could not really call these “behavior issues” in the traditional sense, meaning Katie is not reactive. She does not guard anything. She does not bark in her crate. She does not pull on a leash. She is not anxious. She does not suffer from separation anxiety. 

She was just happy to not be seen or heard. She was depressed, lacking in self-esteem, and not displaying enthusiasm for anything. My clients had her for a couple of months before she came to board with us. It was originally supposed to be a two-week boarding and it ended up being more than a month, and in that month, we were able to notice an incredible change. We shared with our clients the work we did, and which we know they have continued with zeal, as Katie would not be who is she today otherwise. Here are a few things we did with Katie: 

~ Rev up her desire for food: Dogs that are depressed like Katie are not necessarily gobbling food down and yet food is such a valuable tool in our feel-better toolbox. So we took several avenues to rev up her food drive including physically exerting her and waking up her senses to different smells. I often had her with me while I cooked in the kitchen and put meals together. Making her smell things, see the dogs get excited as dinner was being prepared, being around sights and smells – all helped wake up her senses. Even though she is on a restricted diet, we were able to add a few fresh foods to make her kibble more appealing.

~ Strengthen the body: Years in a puppy mill took their toll. She could barely walk without quickly running out of steam, having so little muscle tone. By the time she was ready to go home, she’d lost a few pounds, gained considerably in fitness, and was enjoying the benefits of physical exertion – eating fully and resting deeply.

~ Provide structure and crate/kennel time: As with any dog, and regardless of what we’re working on, keeping the dog on a schedule with copious amounts of time in the crate is crucial. This helps the dog on many different levels. The crate was easy for Katie and I thought the outdoor kennel would be too until I heard her bark in there. Believe me, we want this kind of barking from a dog that until that point had been mute. The kennel outside, as opposed to the crate inside, was enough to get her a little nervous, barking and kicking the bowls around, until she conquered and adjusted. She enjoyed the outdoor kennel greatly, frequently seeking it out whenever I’d have her outside.

~ Keep a heavy presence of the other dogs: I don’t normally include boarding and foster dogs with my other dogs except in short spurts, as needed, and as appropriate. But in this case, Katie needed the presence of other sound and healthy dogs. Their attitude towards her, and generally their attitudes towards many of the dogs I bring home, informs my own attitude towards that dog. The main attitude of all my guys was a far cry from feeling sorry or sad for her. Their attitude of polite indifference did wonders to motivate her to feel better so that she could be accepted. It was Bob who was most influential for her because she genuinely liked him, drawn to his swagger and confidence, while he was the most dismissive of her. “Look lady,” he seemed to say, “Toughen up and I’ll talk to you.” By the time we were nearing the end of her stay, it was clear that Bob liked her, as she instigated him to chase after pigeons and squirrels with her. He rubbed off on her.

~ Display the right attitude: This can be the hardest thing for many people to do and that is display the right attitude towards the dog. Simply put, we need to be careful about the affection and inclusion shown a dog with this kind of psychology, a dog that is this low on self-esteem and confidence. The attitude of my dogs around Katie is the attitude I embodied and it was basically: “Katie, nobody cares.” No one feels sorry and no one feels bad. All my dogs were aware of the dark place she was in, but that did not change their joy and serenity. I too kept an upbeat attitude around her and paid attention to her proportional to her effort to step up her game. 

As a result of these efforts, we saw many improvements including: 

~ An almost immediate willingness to do her business with us around, which she’d never done with her owners prior to that. This was later followed by a willingness to eat and drink in our presence. 

~ She had started off by hiding in the garden until her hiding area got closer to the house, until she no longer needed that hiding space and could just hang out at a distance from the others. 

~ She began to show interest in food, finishing her meals and taking treats, and closer to the end, she showed interest in toys as well. 

Most importantly, I could see it in the body language – the smiles, relaxed body, and wagging tails that we’d done our job and turned the page. Of course, much work remains to be done and healing will take time, but as I told my clients, “there is no turning back.” 

Katie has been back home for several weeks now and continues to improve psychologically, despite the persistence of her medical issues. We wish her and her family continued healing and happiness. You can watch a video on sweet Katie here.