Raine :-)

Raine came to me on Dec 29th, Soli's 4th gotcha day (she was not impressed....).  She's 1/4 malinois, 3/4 lab but takes so strongly after the mali - similar build, lean, nutter lol!  Only 14 months old too.

I've known her since August when the woman I was then helping out did some training with her.  She bolted out of the house across to me and another customer I was doing behavioural work with - for severe FA so it was a heart-in-mouth moment!  Fortunately the woman was with us that day so ran over to stop her before she could get hurt.  She threw herself on her back :-( Transpired that the owners had had enough of this crazy, disobedient dog and were taking her to the local rescue the next day - no you're not, says the woman, we'll sort her out.

First training session I was present at (to assess if it is just training or more behavioural) - Ray was mucking about trying to avoid her harness.  The owners got told to spray her in the face with water or even lemon juice :-( Needless to say i stepped in and stopped them straight away, and she doesn't advise that any more now she understands the behavioural ramifications of it.  I had a serious go at her after that session.  But she is a very "do what i say or else" type trainer - not really bad but everything has to be enforced.

Because Ray is such a sensitive girl - and has a chronic digestive problem - this did not end well.  We got called on the 29th to say she'd gone for the husband big style, and with young kids in the house 3 days a week she had to go.

She'd been spayed a week before, and was in the middle of the worst bout of illness she's had - she was in a lot of pain, very unhappy, hadn't eaten in a week and with a history of being forced to do whatever she didn't want to, she was starting to lash out :-( Particularly with her harness/collar - I had to use a slip lead in the end as I just couldn't get anything else on her.

Fast forward 2 days: steroids from my vet and some cheese and warm chicken from me, she was eating nicely again and recovering; well-placed treats and I can put her harness on anytime and she will walk into it willingly.

She is now the happy girl she used to be, has filled out again nicely - thank dog she was overweight before because she'd lost a LOT in that last bout of illness.  But she's fighting fit and starting agility this year :-)

It never ceases to amaze me how there are still trainers out there that advocate these methods. Good luck with Raine, she has certainly landed on her feet now.

Raine sounds very lucky have found you.

I hope she continues to thrive x

It's very much a case of what she's seen being done growing up and what she's seen other trainers/behaviourists doing, and it worked then, so it must be ok (she's 41 so you can imagine what she's seen growing up....).  What she's slowly grasping is that every dog is different and some are just too sensitive - including one of her own and he is now finally slowly improving (worries about other dogs and serious resource guarding of her).

I am just glad I was present at the water spray episode and I've been able to sneak a few bits in here and there since, with other dogs as well. :-)