Aggression in dogs seems to be an increasingly common
problem. Whilst it is not always possible to determine the root of the problem, fear and
pain in the body are the common denominators in the majority of cases that I see. This
applies to aggression towards both people and dogs.
I have worked with a range of dogs with fear related issues
and unfortunately they include puppies as well as older dogs. Rough handling,
inappropriate games, inconsistency, noise sensitivity, and aversive training techniques
are just some of the reasons that puppies can become defensive around humans.
The puppy that will always stand out in my mind is Denzil,
a Rottweiler that found his way to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home at ten weeks of age. He
could not be touched anywhere on his body, and was so stressed he would fly at peoples
hands, arms, legs, feet and faces growling and snapping at every opportunity. He pinned
other dogs he came into contact with and when contained would throw himself to the floor
with his lips and gums going blue in colour. It was very distressing to see and I did
wonder whether this poor little mite had any future at all.
I brought him back to Tilley Farm and TTouch body work and
ground work combined perfectly with clicker training. Denzil learnt how to engage with
dogs in an appropriate way, worked with our top Practitioners Marie Miller and Maria
Johnston and has matured into a spectacular, gentle giant of a dog who lives with another
dog, two cats and an assortment of rehabilitating wildlife that he baby sits on a regular
basis. When a young duckling fell out of the box that it was living in Denzil picked it up
and placed it carefully in a nearby bucket. He could not put it back in the box as the lid
had shut firmly behind the escapee.
The mature dog that will always stand out in my mind has to
be Nemo. A large, mature, entire guarding breed. The first four years of this dog's life
are a little unclear but Nemo's owner knows that the dog was trained with aversive
techniques and handled by someone who believed that they had to assert their power over
the dog in order to get the dog to toe the line.
He had been in his new home for a few months when the
attack occurred. His new owner asked the dog to move out of the way, and the dog went for
him. Nemo dragged his owner around the garden by his arm for several minutes, then got him
on the floor and went in for the leg. The owner remembers the noise of the teeth sinking
into his flesh and he is scarred for life. It took another person to get the dog off his
owner and had the owner not been hospitalized for a couple of days the dog would have been
destroyed that afternoon.
I was asked if I was prepared to work with Nemo and I have
to confess that I did not exactly leap at the chance to take him on as a client. I
reluctantly agreed to look at the dog to see if there was anything I could see in the
posture of the dog that might give the owner some clue as to how he could maybe, just
maybe, start to rebuild a relationship with Nemo. I knew what he would look like before I
ever laid eyes on this dog. Dogs with a bite history are usually tight in the back, stiff
and choppy in the gait, fixed in the neck, hard eyed, and aloof. There are other patterns
to look for in the coat texture, body temperature and colour of the gums, eyes and skin
and all these observations have served me well in my fourteen years of working with
animals and kept me safe.
Tension in the lower back triggers the flight/reflex and
dogs that dislike being touched or approached by people and/or dogs are often carrying
tension through the lumbar area and hindquarters. They may have hip problems or be dropped
in the pelvis. If the owner is happy to handle their dog I ask them to feel for hot spots
on the top of the head and the middle of the back. These are often present in dogs that
will bite when alternative behaviours are unavailable to them either because they are on a
lead, feel threatened and have no means of escape or their early warning signals are being
ignored or misunderstood.
Nemo was a classic, classic case. He couldn't bear contact
on any part of his body but the work that would transform his life began the day he first
set foot on Tilley Farm. TTouch can be a life saver for dogs with these issues. The work
is so gentle and respectful and the education is not limited to the dog. The owner learns
how to approach their dog and to handle him in a more appropriate way, to understand his
body language and to recognise early signs of stress. The ground work exercises can be an
invaluable start for dogs that cannot tolerate body contact. The sessions are kept short
with plenty of variety in the way we interact with these dogs so that they remain calm and
as free of stress as possible. We work well below the threshold and use every tool at our
disposal to help the dogs develop confidence and self control. The work starts in an
environment where the animal feels safe and the owner learns skills that can be taken into
day to day life and a variety of situations.
Nemo has become one of my all time favourite clients. He is
a puppy in a four year old body. His eyes are soft, his tail now wags and his owner can do
anything he wants with this dog, such is the level of the trust and communication between
them. His coat is just glorious and his movement alive and more balanced. The
understanding that the owner has for this dog is incredible. When he first came to me he
told me his dog was dominant. Now he can see that his dog is desperately insecure. I can
touch Nemo all over his body, his eyes are bright and his future secure. He is meeting new
acquaintances and making new friends. I adore him.
The principles of TTouch are the same whether we are
working with a dog that is fearful and reactive towards people or other dogs. We will vary
the work to suit the individual needs of the dog and take things one simple step at a
time. Sometimes a body work session is all that it takes to liberate the dog from his
concerns and enable him to enjoy the company of others; sometimes the sessions may start
with or include the groundwork too. It just depends on the dog.
The dog reactive dog that I think of most often when
lecturing and teaching is Scrumpy. A Border Terrier with an unpleasant penchant for
throats. She had already felled the village Pug, two Labradors and an assortment of others
and came to visit the farm on our Practitioner Training Programme whilst holidaying in the
area. She was the type of dog that worries me the most. Silent and with a focus that would
rival an exocet missile. Her posture would change the moment she saw a dog. Even if that
dog were three fields away. She would lower her body, extend her neck and take her body
weight forward over her fore quarters.
The groundwork showed Scrumpy an alternative way of moving
when in the company of our big fake dog that we use when starting the rehabilitation
process. Working over poles softened her top line, and began to shift her focus; a little.
I used the clicker to mark any softening in her posture, and used my hands to work on her
body to give her a new experience of well being when in the company of what she assumed
was another dog. Did Robyn and I end the session with Scrumpy wanting to play with the
Stuffie (as opposed to a Staffie!)? Far from it. But here perhaps is where the magic of
TTouch lies. I had spotted some nice changes, not many, but enough for me to suggest that
Scrumpy come back to the farm the following day.
The next morning I thought I might bring her into the
training barn for a few moments so that she could sit in the company of the real dogs
participating in the clinic. At first she was reluctant to enter the room. Then slowly
became braver and sat by the door. I had thought I would probably be there for a few
moments but Scrumpy had other plans. She braced momentarily when she saw the other dogs,
but Ear Slides and more bodywork kept her calm. She spent the morning lying quietly
watching other dogs move around and the participants thought I had actually brought in a
different dog as they could not believe the change that had happened overnight.
We went out to the arena and dogs moved in figures of eight
around her as she walked through the labyrinth and over the poles. Her owner could not
believe what she was seeing. And the great thing about TTouch is that its effect on the
nervous system enables the dog to take that experience with them when they leave the farm.
Scrumpy stayed in Bath for a week on her holiday and walks were pleasant and calm
regardless of the size or shape of the canine residents that Scrumpy met when trotting
through the park.
I do use the clicker as I have mentioned when working with
reactive dogs but am clear to mark the changes in the body posture, any sign of
relaxation, a turn of the head, a softening of the ears perhaps rather than simply using
it as a lure to get the dog to focus on the handler instead of the dog/person that is
causing concern. Could I work without the clicker? Perhaps. Could I work without TTouch?
Absolutely not. TTouch teaches the dog to respond rather than simply react. The owner
learns, as does the dog. Without a doubt TTouch is the ultimate forward thinking approach
to handling, training and rehabilitation.
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