25/07/2024
Last week, I met this young guy and his owners. His name is Boris and he's a 3-year-old Labradoodle. Boris always had another dog to look up to and follow. Unfortunately, she is no longer around.
Since her passing, Boris has developed some severe separation anxiety and is showing signs that he's not comfortable with guests in the house especially if they try to approach him. When his owners leave him, he paces around the house salivating, jumps up at the high glass windows and doors, and destroys what he can.
When strangers come to the house to do work, Boris is weary but will still approach them. This is often misinterpreted by the guests as a happy greeting so they approach which causes Boris to react.
It's quite common for dogs to exhibit some slight behaviour issues or insecurities when they suddenly find themselves dealing with life without the reliable direction of the other dog to get them through times of pressure and uncertainty.
When I met Boris and his owners at their house, Boris approached me but I ignored him as I do every dog I work with. His owners were surprised that he just left me alone and wasn't scared of me or unsure. Where people go wrong with dogs like Boris is they think if the dog approaches them without barking, the dog is comfortable with being touched. They unknowingly put pressure on the dog, thinking they are being friendly. Putting your hand out to the dog, giving loads of eye contact, going over the dog's head, and going down to the dog's level whilst staring directly into their eyes.
All of this is pressure people unknowingly put on dogs and they don't like it. Some dogs don't perceive a lot of these things as pressure or, are conditioned to deal with necessary pressure which is what you should do when you are raising a puppy to make them confident and comfortable with the world they are living in. ( I'll make another post soon about necessary and unnecessary pressure ). This is exactly why dogs are comfortable with me when I go into their living spaces, I don't put pressure on the dog but in that same conversation, I'm making sure they respect my space. This way, trust and respect are achieved in the first meeting which is a great start with any dog.
I know that with the knowledge and tools I've given Boris's owners, they will be able to get him back to feeling comfortable again with the world around him.
