Dealing with doggy Confidence after an Injuries
Did you know that when our pups suffer from an injury they can experience a bruising to their confidence just like humans do when they suffer a fall, accident or unexpected injury? At Barkers we can work with dogs who have experienced such an event and help them as a rehabilitation therapy to get them back on their feet, get their confidence back and on the right path to recovery. Here are a couple of our stories from some of the pups we have helped who have had injuries or bad experiences in the last couple of years. We hope you enjoy.
HI, MY NAME IS HARVEY.
I’m a Labrador and I’m 4 years old. I want to tell you my story. When I was a puppy I went to Barkers in Balance puppy school and did very well. When I started to grow up I went to the Good Manners course and I did very well. My life was chugging along and things were great. I was a happy dog when out and about on the lead. Sadly, when I was two years old I was attacked and seriously injured by another dog. Since then I’ve been anxious and reactive in the lead around other dogs. Today was the my third lesson in a series of three that has been working on changing my emotional response when on the lead around other dogs. I worked with a spunky gal called Lakota and practised staying calm even as I got quite close to her. Later I practised staying calm and focused while I watched a class of Good Manners students. I think I made everyone very, very proud. Feeling a bit proud of myself, actually! PS Head to our facebook and read the comments on our posts for updates
MY NAME IS NELSON. I’m in recovery after being attacked in a dog park. (Some say that the confinement of dog parks is not the ideal way to “socialise” a dog. Socialisation is really about coping and accepting the presence of other dogs in the environment. Even just walking past them on the lead and not reacting is called “socialisation”.) For me my lessons are all about learning to trust again; to trust that not all dogs are going to try to attack me, to trust that I’ll be safe on the lead and to trust that my human has my back and can direct me in ways that keep me feeling safe. This was me after my second lesson. I did a lot of practice with Lakota the Labrador. We walked and focused and followed directions. We both felt safe and we were both pooped after all that mental and physical effort!
HI MY NAME IS SOPHIE. You can check out the video of me training here
I’m a Spookalier and I’m 12 months old. I’m a very loyal student with Barkers in Balance, starting in puppy school and graduating up to “Good Manners” for adolescents. I’ve always been a little “flighty” but my human has worked hard at her lessons and I’ve made good progress. What I didn’t need was to be bowled over by a Staffie in an off-leash area, sustaining quite a serious leg injury. It’s set back my confidence and made me very defensive around dogs who have a certain “look”. Recently we did a private session to help build my confidence back up again and to helps me face my fears knowing my human will always keep me safe and happy with some fun strategies. I reckon I’ll be good to get back on the horse pretty soon!
MY NAME IS TED the Mini Dachshund, 2.5 years old. Sadly I’ve joined the ranks of anxious, reactive dogs, due to unprovoked dog attacks. When will people learn:
1) that there is only one place for off-leash dogs and that is in a designated off-leash area?
2) that “Don’t worry; my dog’s friendly” just doesn’t cut it?
3) that “under adequate control of the owner” means exactly that?
4) that a bomb-proof recall is essential?
Anyway, back to me….I had a lesson this week so my human and I could practise exercises to engage my focus, make me feel better about seeing other dogs and work towards making me more confident on the street again
If you know a dog that has been injured or attacked, please get in touch. We would love to work with them, and you as the owner to get them back on track and help them build up their confidence.