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Troubled dogs, do you say anything?

Frances M.'s profile image

I am in this business because I absolutely love dogs. I enjoy what I do but I have one problem. I get dogs that have problems, whether its anxiety, whining, markers, etc. Let me make this clear, I am not complaining. My question is, do you refrain from giving the owners advice. I keep wanting to mention something. For example, I had a dog that was afraid of her own shadow (rescue dog.) She was so scared that she couldn't even walk, she would rather drag herself on the floor or if she did walk it was with her head completely down. Poor baby I felt so sorry for her but it was clear to me that her owner needed to work on her self esteem. I took her for a walk, we ran, her tail wagged and she was a different dog. Then she clamed up again when we went in the house. The owner says she is that way in her own house and she's had her for 3 years. I just want to give the owners some advice but my husband tells me to mind my business and that everyone deal with their pets in different ways. Ugh, I really want to say something. Has anyone gone through this? Do you say something or just ignore it? Thanks.

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Laura R.'s profile image

I think it depends on the case. If you think this dog is truly suffering in her current conditions (and that the owners aren't already doing everything in their power to help her), I think there's a moral obligation to be that dog's advocate. In a case like you've described, I might begin by asking the owners what they have tried in the past to help her, and what their current stress control regimen is. Chances are, the owners have tried a variety of things in the past with varying levels of success. As a pet care professional, you may be in a good position to recommend techniques or trainers, and to mention anything that you may have tried during her stay that seemed to help.

Ultimately desensitization and counter-conditioning is the goal, but it's nearly impossible to help a dog while they are under such acute stress that they have shut down (which is what it sounds like from your description). In the interim, something like a thundershirt or hormone diffuser, or even anti-anxiety medication may be helpful in some combination to allow her to become more receptive to the process of changing her current responses.

There's always the risk of offending the owners, but I think if you come at it from the perspective of genuinely caring for their dog and make it clear that you and the owners are on the same side in working toward her improvement, they'll appreciate your input.

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I always appreciate your answers Laura. I will give the owner suggestions hopefully without offending her, but I do feel she has tried to do everything she can for her or at least everything she knows how. Tthe owner is in her 70's I'm sure it is hard for her.

Frances M.'s profile image Frances M.

Thank you! I think in a lot of instances people wouldn't even think to consult with a vet for their dog's anxiety, but if a person were dealing with that amount of constant, overwhelming stress, they wouldn't hesitate to consult with their doctor. For reference, a lot of my info comes from this blog, Paws Abilities, written by a very talented trainer who has worked with some really difficult cases. I highly recommend scanning through the archives, but this post in particular seems relevant if the owners have been working on this issue for so long: https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/myth-anxiety-medication-should-only-be-used-as-a-last-resort/

Laura R.'s profile image Laura R.
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Leighann H.'s profile image

Good question! Up until recently, most of my experiences were with poor manners/behavior, rather than what you're describing. However, I'll offer my two cents:

I try to look at the dog's time with me as an opportunity to give the owner a glimpse of their pet's potential, and I tend to have higher expectations for behavior than owners have. On the other hand, as another trainer once told me, "it's not a problem unless it's a problem." So if the owner doesn't care that their dog snatches food off the counter, they aren't going to care about your discussion of solutions. The stickler is finding out if they think it's a problem.

I have a client that bragged about their dog's love of people food during the meet and greet, and then sent a bunch of bananas (his favorite!) and carrots, plus his dog food and multiple bags of dog treats for the stay. Clearly, they didn't have a problem with any of this! The poor dog's waistline spoke for itself, so when they mentioned all the people food, I just smiled, nodded, and wound up doing it my way anyway. I didn't discuss the matter with the owners. Maybe all the leftover food was enough of a hint. :)

I have another client, who's dog displayed some odd behavior during his first night. I texted her, and she said, "oh, that's totally normal for him." During their second stay, the dog started displaying the same behavior, so I did some research. Turns out, the behavior is actually indicative of a mini seizure. In this case, I felt like I couldn't NOT say something. I told them my research indicated he was Fly Biting, and casually asked if they'd discussed it with their vet. They said they hadn't, and I encouraged them to do so. I refrained from saying, "seizure", and knew as soon as she Googled "Fly Biting", she'd find it on her own.

I agree with Laura: it really depends on the owner and problem. If you build a really solid history with the client, and establish yourself as an expert, hopefully, they'll be more willing to listen. The other thing I've thought about is doing a monthly newsletter. You could write an article on whatever problem you've noticed, and include it in the newsletter. That way, the owner might not feel like you're pointing the finger at her directly. Some people are just innocently oblivious to the issues their dog is having.

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Ooh, I like the newsletter idea. I use my Facebook page to highlight common behavioral/training/medical issues and I always invite my clients to like the page. I feel like this gives them an even better idea of my philosophies and methods than I can do in my Rover profile as well as provide some useful tips.

Laura R.'s profile image Laura R.
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