Puppy Class Case Study
Puppy Class
A puppy class will never be perfect – filled with the most well behaved pups and understanding clients who believe and follow your every word flawlessly. If this was possible, you wouldn’t be having them in your class. Clients join your class because, at a minimum, they want to learn what’s best for their puppies and teach them ‘dog manners’ so they can live a harmonious life with them. Puppies are there so they can be socialised, learn the ‘dog manners’ their owners want them to learn and, of course, because their owners brought them to the class.
In the case of a puppy class with three Labradors, one German Shepherd, one Border Collie and one Border Terrier, we can see there are several issues with both owners and dogs that …show more content…
Due to Jane’s opinion that the aggression is due to the dog trying to dominate her and reducing his status, she is probably taking his food bowl away during meals, so it might be resource guarding around humans only. In this case, and in regards to his dislike of being handled, it would be best if, like with the Border Collie, other clients did not interact with the dog during the class and especially during appropriate greeting exercises. In case the food aggression is also directed towards dogs, placing him farther from the Labs means that the Labradors, a notorious food-motivated breed, are not eating the Border Terrier’s treats or jumping into his space to access the …show more content…
The most obvious sign of conflict would be a bite. Less obvious signs will probably start with yawning, lip licking and/or ears back and escalate to growling and showing teeth. The showing of teeth will differ from an appeasement smile in that the corners of the mouth do not pull up but instead, the vertical retraction of lips. Failure to recognise these signs will usually end in a snap or bite. It is best to make sure you have assistants on hand watching any interactions that may occur, even if you have asked other clients in class to make sure they and their puppies do not go too close to the Border Collie. The Border Collie puppy may also start snapping at the owner’s hands because it is most likely going to have its anxiety heightened due to the new environment, dogs and people. They also will also struggle to focus on training as they may feel the need to keep an eye out for any potential dogs or people coming near. This will most likely frustrate the owner as they will feel the puppy is not listening to them, being ‘naughty’ or ‘disobeying them on purpose’. It would be worth suggesting a barrier in this case, or taking the Border Collie to a separate corner of the venue or maybe outside if it is safe and getting an assistant to work with them 1-to-1, if the Collie is comfortable with
A puppy class will never be perfect – filled with the most well behaved pups and understanding clients who believe and follow your every word flawlessly. If this was possible, you wouldn’t be having them in your class. Clients join your class because, at a minimum, they want to learn what’s best for their puppies and teach them ‘dog manners’ so they can live a harmonious life with them. Puppies are there so they can be socialised, learn the ‘dog manners’ their owners want them to learn and, of course, because their owners brought them to the class.
In the case of a puppy class with three Labradors, one German Shepherd, one Border Collie and one Border Terrier, we can see there are several issues with both owners and dogs that …show more content…
Due to Jane’s opinion that the aggression is due to the dog trying to dominate her and reducing his status, she is probably taking his food bowl away during meals, so it might be resource guarding around humans only. In this case, and in regards to his dislike of being handled, it would be best if, like with the Border Collie, other clients did not interact with the dog during the class and especially during appropriate greeting exercises. In case the food aggression is also directed towards dogs, placing him farther from the Labs means that the Labradors, a notorious food-motivated breed, are not eating the Border Terrier’s treats or jumping into his space to access the …show more content…
The most obvious sign of conflict would be a bite. Less obvious signs will probably start with yawning, lip licking and/or ears back and escalate to growling and showing teeth. The showing of teeth will differ from an appeasement smile in that the corners of the mouth do not pull up but instead, the vertical retraction of lips. Failure to recognise these signs will usually end in a snap or bite. It is best to make sure you have assistants on hand watching any interactions that may occur, even if you have asked other clients in class to make sure they and their puppies do not go too close to the Border Collie. The Border Collie puppy may also start snapping at the owner’s hands because it is most likely going to have its anxiety heightened due to the new environment, dogs and people. They also will also struggle to focus on training as they may feel the need to keep an eye out for any potential dogs or people coming near. This will most likely frustrate the owner as they will feel the puppy is not listening to them, being ‘naughty’ or ‘disobeying them on purpose’. It would be worth suggesting a barrier in this case, or taking the Border Collie to a separate corner of the venue or maybe outside if it is safe and getting an assistant to work with them 1-to-1, if the Collie is comfortable with