Phobias and Anxiety in Dogs

This adorable beagle is Boomer.  I was blessed to have him live
with me for about 15 years. He had a severe phobia of children.

Dogs sometimes experience psychological  issues.

The term "Dog Psychology" should not infer that we analyze a dog based upon his reaction to pictures of ink blots. It does not work like that, However, dogs do occasionally suffer from psychological issues.

In this blog post, I attempt to address the psychological issues associated with anxiety and phobias in dogs. Anxiety in dogs factors into a lot of behavioral issues. In order to help the dog experiencing these issues, it is important that we understand a little about dog psychology.

I work with a lot of dogs that have aggression and anxiety issues. Most of the time, these issues can be traced to some sort of trauma in earlier life. However, this is not always the case. 

Genetics

So called, "inherited" fear is sometimes seen in entire litters of puppies. This type of fear is very difficult to address with training. The fear is persistent and tends to be generalized. In other words, the pups are generally fearful and reactive. This particular abnormality is generally observable in puppy-hood . It tends to begin around two to ten months of age and never completely goes away.

Some breeds are generally highly reactive and tend to have this inherited fear. Some examples of affected breeds are German Shepherds and Pointers. However, even in the affected breeds, this does not affect every individual dog in the breed.

Early life experiences

Sometimes experiences in puppy-hood imprint on the dog and have a long lasting effect. Nervous mothers or litter mates can influence lasting anxiety on a pup. Poor nutrition in puppy-hood  can have a negative effect on early mental development. Dogs that are isolated as pups tend to be reactive and very anxious as adults. Pups need stimuli at an early age. Their emotional development is negatively impacted when they are isolated from other dogs and/or  people.

Previous Trauma

Phobias, or irrational fears, in dogs can, in many cases, be traced to some early trauma. This happens because the dog associates a seemingly benign stimulus with a traumatic event. 

For example, a dog that is abused by a child may associate the pain of the abuse with all children. This dog may become extremely fearful of children. I suspect this is what happened in the earlier life of a beagle named Boomer that I adopted many years ago. Boomer was highly fearful of and aggressive toward young children. I did not live with any children so, it was safe for me to adopt him and work with him to address the issue. He was my loyal companion from the time he was nine months old until he died as a very happy senior dog at fifteen years of age. He was really a great beagle and I was somewhat successful in my attempts to help him with the phobia in regard to children. He got much better. It took many years, but he was eventually capable of being around children without growling, snapping, whimpering or getting physically ill. However, he never really became comfortable around children. He always showed subtle signs of stress when children were present. The point is that there was hope for Boomer. In the proper environment, he thrived. He would never have been suited for a home with young children but he was a great companion for me! It is important that we not set the dog up for failure. It would have been unrealistic to have expected Boomer to ever be a good dog for a child. That is something for which he was simply not emotionally nor psychologically capable.

Yes, Boomer's fear was irrational. Not all children would hurt him. In fact many of them distributed tasty treats to him over the years, which he loved. But, he was always, at least slightly, stressed around children. Whether or not the fear is rational makes it no more or less real. Boomer's fear was very real for him. It was important that I understand that and not force him to do more than he could do.

This is Cody relaxing with me.

Dogs also frequently develop a phobia of the veterinarian. This is understandable. The dog is quite likely linking a trauma that the vet was treating with the veterinarian. For instance, shots hurt. I hate needles. Our little Cody also hates needles. He once cried loudly when the vet simply removed the cap from the end of the needle. He associated the sound with the pain. Cody now loves the vet because the nice people at the vets office are always giving him tasty treats. He knows where the treat jar is kept in the exam room and he keeps sharp focus on it the whole time he is in the room. He now associates the vets office with really good, fun, and tasty stuff! 

Effect of the owner's fear/anxiety/phobia

As I frequently mention, dogs take their cues from us. They can sense when we are stressed and this can impact them greatly. This is why it is important that we control our emotions when working with our dogs. If we get overly excited, they in turn, become stressed.

For instance, when working with a dog that is scared of thunder, it is important that during a thunderstorm that you not react to the thunder. If you make a big deal out of the thunder, the dog's fear will be reinforced. You need to remain calm to help your dog remain calm. It really makes sense if you think about it. If the dog sees you reacting he thinks something like, "the person is upset too thunder must be really bad". The best thing to do is to act like you did not hear the thunder. Don't say, "poor baby" or something like that to the dog.  Just let the dog see that the thunder has no effect on you. I do not mean to suggest that this is the magic bullet to correct fear of thunder. However, it will help. There are other techniques that you can use as well. I will be happy to discuss this with you in a training session.

I hope this has been of some help for you.

If you have issues with an anxious dog or a dog that has some sort of phobia, please contact me. I am happy to help you!

-Till Next Time

This is our former foster, Dr. Phil McBeagle after his welcome to the
pack bath. When Dr. Phil first joined our pack he had a phobia of
doorways. We were able to help him get over that fear. He is now
happy in his forever home with an entire pack of beagles.

William

William Moore

Professional Dog Trainer

Co-Owner

Moore Services for Your Money

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

mooreservicesforyourmoney@gmail.com

678-702-4791

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What to do with a dog who is malnourished or underweight.

If you look closely in this picture, you can see
that Foster Girl Penny the Tiny Beagle was
underweight when we first brought her to the Dog
Training/Foster Shack

All too often, we , as dog lovers we have to care for malnourished or underweight dogs. Sometimes it is a result of some sort of illness. Sometimes we take in a stray or adopt/foster a little guy or girl who has simply not eaten regularly in quite some time.

Boomer the Beagle in his later years

As many of you know, in the early 1990s I adopted a sweet beagle from the Dekalb County (GA) Shelter. He was a 9 month old anxious little guy named Boomer. Boomer was my companion until he died of renal failure at the age of 15 years. We had lots of fun together and I learned a great deal about anxiety issues in dogs from working with him.

When he was about eight years old, I was working as a Computer Network Engineer/Consultant at a now defunct company in Sandy Springs, GA called Consultec. Boomer got sick. I do not remember exactly what the health issue was now but a nasty side effect was that he lost a lot of weight very quickly. I could see all his ribs and some of his backbone. His normally extremely healthy appetite had disappeared. He would not touch any of his favorite foods. This was very unusual for him and just not at all beagle-like.

At the time, I lived in Marietta, GA. Dr. Tyler Huhman and Dr. David Lawless at Tritt Animal Hospital in Marietta, GA were the veterinarians that helped me to care for Boomer and a few cats that lived with me at the time (or maybe I lived with them.... you know how cats are ).

The guys a Tritt did an excellent job treating Boomer's illness! However, the home care was my responsibility.  I think it was Tyler who told me that the most important goal I needed to have was putting weight on Boomer quickly. I believe it was at his suggestion that I used Nutri-Cal in an attempt to stimulate his appetite and to load him up on the calories and nutrients that he desperately needed. I think Tyler gave me (or sold me, I don't recall) some prescription food that was formulated to help him gain weight (if I could get him to eat it).

You can't really tell now but, our little Cody was also
malnourished when he got to the Shack.

I worked from my small home office for about a week (we used to call that telecommuting). During that time I cared for Boomer almost 24/7. I gave him medication for his illness and almost constantly tried to get him to eat. He would eat some canned food and I slowly began getting him to eat the Nuti-Cal. Slowly he started to eating peanut butter that I offered him and eventually he began eating his dry food. It was a long week but he finally began eating well. After a couple of more weeks he was almost back to his healthy weight. And I seem to remember that after he put the weight on ,I spent a month in Minnesota on business over the next three days (at least that is what it felt like :) )

I did not just share that story with you so that you can see how cool my life was in those days (that is just an added bonus :) ) . I shared that story with you to make a few points about caring for a dog who is underweight or malnourished:

• If you notice a rapid weight loss, please, consult a really good veterinarian. There is generally an underling cause that probably needs to be treated.
• If your dog is not eating foods that he normally loves, if it lasts more than a day or so, you should really strongly consider taking him to a veterinarian.
• Once you have any health issues treated, it is your responsibility to care for the little guy or girl. You must be diligent about it! Always remember that your veterinarian will be more than happy to talk to you about methods that you can use to get him/her to eat. If your dog is not making progress, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for guidance!

I mentioned Nutri-Cal earlier in my work with Boomer. Nutri-Cal is a high calorie vitamin paste. There are other similar products on the market. Most large pet stores (i.e. Petco, Petsmart, etc.) have their own store brand products that are labeled for the same use. When I worked at Petco, I found that our vitamin paste was good but some really picky dogs seemed to prefer the taste of the Nuti-Cal product and the price difference is not huge either way.

In many cases the dogs will eat this stuff right out of the tube. However, in many cases you have to put it on the food. In Boomer's case, I put some of the stuff on my finger and sort of stuck it to the roof of the mouth to get him started. It is really sticky and he had to lick it off the roof of his mouth. He did not really like this but it worked.

Foster Boy Sammy

I decided to write about this subject today because, The Lovely and Awesome Shane and I are working with our new foster boy, Sammy on the same issue. He is very thin. His ribs and backbone are clearly visible. I am happy to report that he is beginning to get his appetite back! This morning he actually finished his entire bowl of food for the first time since he got here three days ago!

If you have a dog who needs to gain weight, it is not a hopeless problem! It can be very frustrating but, there is hope and it feels really good to see a little guy or girl finally eat and gain weight!

Our foster girl Penny the Tiny Beagle had the same issue. She gained a little weight we she was with us. I saw her with her adopted family recently and she looks great!!

If you have questions about getting your dog to eat please contact me! Also contact me if you need help teaching your little guy or girl to be a polite dog. I always tell you: " Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

The snow starts at the Dog Training/Foster Shack

Dr. Phil Mc Beagle  bravely fights the
winter weather to explore the many wonders
of the back yard. He chased a pesky squirrel away!

Cody with his favorite blanket getting love from Mommy.

Well, the snow is beginning to accumulate this afternoon at the Dog Training/Foster shack. The whole pack is happy that the Lovely and Awesome Shane made it home safely from work today! The roads are really slick here in north Fayette County, Georgia.  This is quite an event for us here in North and Central Georgia! It is actually pretty dangerous. I grew up in this area. Our winter frozen precipitation is much different than it is up in the northern parts of the USA. It is more dangerous because we do not have the snow removal gear that you folks up north have. It is also typically a different sort of mix than I used to see when I traveled up north on business.

Dog Training/Foster Shack 

There is generally more ice than snow on the roads here. It is really slick. I used to drive on the roads in snow and ice when I traveled to places like Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, Chicago, etc. However, I stay off the roads as much as possible here during snow and ice!

Trigger in the snowy backyard.

The dogs here have thus far had mixed reactions to this weather. Phil and Trigger love it! They run around and play. Phil even dug out one his outside balls from under the snow and played with it a while. The rest of the pack is not quite as thrilled with this weather. Some of them have ventured out to take care of certain unavoidable bodily functions but they are not playing like Dr. Phil and Trigger.

Those of you in North and Central Georgia, have fun with your dogs in the snow but please be careful. Remember my cautions about your dogs in this cold weather.

Stay inside, stay warm  and have fun!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Some of my Ham Radio Antennas. Top is VHF Yagi. Underneath that is loop for Television.
The wire near the bottom is my HF longwire. No ice forming on the elements yet.... I suppose SWR
should be okay for now. Yagi is sort of leaning toward Aunt Maggie's house :)

Side Yard at Dog Training/Foster Shack

Looking toward Grandma and Grandpa's house from
Dog Training/Foster Shack

The senior pack members on the back porch observing the snow

It is cold outside..... bring your canine buddies inside!

Cody the little beagle relaxing on one of the dog
pillow beds at the dog training/foster shack.

We are getting some cold weather here in north Georgia (USA). According to WSB Radio ( a very reliable source for forecasts) the low tonight is going to be 13 degrees (F). I know this is not terribly cold to my friends in the northeastern USA but here in the southeast, it feels pretty cold to me! After spending 10 years of my adult life in Southern Florida (USA) I am still not acclimated to cold weather (even after 3 years or so of time back in North Georgia).

The forecast here also calls for "gusty winds". That makes it feel even colder. It is not just us humans who feel cold in this weather. Our canine friends are not used to it either!

These extreme temperatures and gusty winds are dangerous for them as well!

I understand that some of my readers (unlike myself and the Lovely Shane) do not keep their dogs in the house. I ask you all to please bring your little buddies in on nights like tonight!

Also, a word of caution to those of you who, like the Lovely Shane and I, have fenced back yards and let your dogs out from time to time: Please make sure all of your little buddies come back in the house when you open the door and let them in! I know this sounds like a no-brainer but it is easy to forget one of them!

Cody and some of the pack exploring the back yard
in much milder weather.

Our little beagle Cody loves to roam around in the backyard! He has a great time out there! Yesterday afternoon, I let our pack out in the backyard to play. I kept my eye on them checking on them frequently. After about twenty minutes of playtime, I let them back in the house making them wait at the door until I gave them the "okay" phrase to come across the doorway. Somehow, I neglected to let Cody back in the house. The Lovely Shane and I went out to run an errand and did not return for about an hour. It was then that I realized that little Cody was still outside. I felt terrible! I had missed him altogether at the door. He was shivering all over. I let him back in and The Lovely Shane and I put him on our bed and covered him in blankets. He was okay shortly after that. But, had the weather been colder or the time he was outside longer, he could have been hurt.

Now we have begun doing a dog count after they all come in to make certain that all of the pack is safe inside the shack! I urge you to do the same thing! I know that not all of you have as many dogs as we do here (right now , counting fosters we are at 5... sometimes we have 6) but please make sure the whole pack is safe!

It could be worse... this is a snow plow in Denver.
I got caught in a storm like this between Denver and
Cheyenne once when I was a business traveler (many
years ago )

Stay warm and remember if you need help making your little guy or girl a polite dog, please contact me! I always tell you, "Polite Dogs = Happy People", let me help you get happy today!

Till next time

-William

More Adventures of Dr. Phil McBeagle

Who could not love that face!

The Lovely Shane and I are happy to report that Dr. Phil is progressing nicely here at the Dog Training/Foster Shack!

He is now current on all his vaccinations. He has been heart worm tested and is heart worm negative. He has a cool new microchip. He has been neutered. It has been an eventful couple of weeks for this handsome Beagle.

As I mentioned earlier, he is now on the Copper Whopper diet and exercise plan. I think he is starting to lose a little weight and he is looking good.

He has been to the Saturday afternoon adoption events at Petco in Peachtree City, Georgia a couple of times now. He does very well there. He does not like to be in a crate or a x-pen though. He barks and howls in an attempt to get people to pet him. He stays with me on the leash and loves it! He loves all the attention from people in the store.

Dr. Phil is making good progress in his training as well. He is no longer afraid of doorways. He has learned the sit and down commands. We are now working on the leave it command and on waiting at doorways. He is getting much better at walking on the leash as well!

Dr. Phil enjoying some quality time with Cody and Trigger

As is common with Beagles and Hounds in general, Dr. Phil is very much ruled by his nose. Feeding times seem to be his favorite times of the day! We feed him twice a day as we do with the rest of our pack. He tends to guard his food. We are working with him to address this negative behavior. I think his previous people may have been feeding him three times a day. When he first got here, he followed be around giving me expectant looks around lunch time :) . 

Dr. Phil is a sweet little guy and would make a great addition to your pack! He is very quickly becoming a well behaved and polite little guy. As I tell you frequently, polite dogs = happy people. Dr. Phil will make someone very happy :).

Dr. Phil and his new buddy Copper the Whopper Beagle

If your dog is not as polite as you would like, please contact me at any time! There is hope!

Also, if you would like to add a dog to your pack, please consider adoption! Contact me for more information on Dr. Phil or for the names of some great rescue groups!

Till next time

-William-

Cody the little beagle's Thanksgiving message

Me resting at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Hello-

I am Cody the little beagle. Copper was bragging about his post on Daddy's blog so I thought I should write one as well.

In May 2013, I was at the Coweta County (Georgia)  animal shelter. I had lots of buddies there. There were nice people who walked me and fed me. It was a sad place though. I did not have a pack of my own and I spent a lot of time in a small cage. I did have a nice little bed that I liked but, it was not home. It was quite noisy most of the time. There was also an odor that I didn't like.

In June, my future adopted Mommy and Daddy came to see me. They were both really nice! I wagged my tail the whole time they were there! Daddy gave me a treat. It was good! I had to stay at the shelter for a couple of more days  because I had to go to the vet to get shots and a microchip.

Me at the shelter

It was a really happy day when Mommy and Daddy came to get me! I am a senior dog and was running out of time at the shelter. I was scheduled to be euthanized the day after Mommy and Daddy took me home. I am very thankful that they took me home!

As I mentioned, I am a senior dog. I have some senior health problems. I have a couple of benign cysts. One is fairly large and on my back. I think some people that saw me
at the shelter were afraid of my cyst. I am thankful that Mommy and Daddy loved me in spite of my problems. I also broke my leg when I was a younger dog. It is one of my hind legs and it was never set properly. Because of that, I can no longer jump and I have some difficulty doing a sit and can not do a down.

When I got home, I met my new pack. Copper the Whopper Beagle was very nice to me! He is younger than me although we are both adults. Cuddles the Corgi mix is about my age. She tolerates Copper and me but is not really friendly. We love her anyway! I am really thankful to be part of this pack!

Me roaming around the backyard with my foster brothers
Tiny and Gracy.

Shortly after adopting me, Mommy and Daddy began fostering dogs. It has been great to have foster members in our pack! I have really enjoyed helping Copper to teach them things. It is also fun to watch them play. I am really thankful to be in this pack!

A while ago, I was roaming around in our backyard and somehow I got a big splinter in my ear. I am not sure how I did it but it really hurt. Daddy tried to remove it but it hurt too bad. Daddy took me to the veterinarian to have it removed. I had to take some pain pills and antibiotics after that. Daddy and Mommy took care of me. I am really Thankful that they love me so much and take care of me!

Me in my basket bed at the Dog Trainer Shack

I really like spending time with my Daddy. Sometimes we go for rides in the truck. Occasionally I go to work with him. Every night I sleep in the bed next to Daddy. Sometimes we watch television together in bed with Mommy and Trigger the Dapple Dachshund. Trigger was recently adopted into our pack. I really like Trigger! I am really thankful that Daddy and Mommy spend so much time with me and love me!

Daddy and Copper have taught me all sorts of things that I can do to get treats. Things like sit, stay and leave it. Daddy and Copper also taught me how to walk properly on a leash. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? My Daddy and Copper taught me! If you have a senior dog who needs to learn new tricks, please contact my Daddy. Daddy always says "polite dogs = happy people". Let my Daddy make you happy today!

Copper and I , often go on walks together with Daddy. We have a special two dog yoke that we use. We really love walking around the pasture and to Grandma and Grandpa's house with Daddy!

Me in the truck after working with Daddy

I am really thankful for my Mommy and Daddy. They literally saved my life! If you are looking for another dog to add to your pack or for a first dog to start a pack, please consider adoption. There are a lot of dogs who need forever homes. Many of them will be perfect for you! I am so thankful that I now have a forever home! You can make a dog thankful too! If you need information about adoption, please contact my Daddy at anytime! Remember, you can save a dog's life!

I not only have a great new Mommy, Daddy, and pack but I also have really nice grandparents. They live next door and we visit them often. They love to pet me and give me treats. I am really thankful for Grandma and Grandpa!

Well that is a very small sample of the things for which I am thankful.

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving!

-Cody the little beagle

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com