Last night my boyfriend and I went to a local petstore we are fond of here in Madison. While there we met a woman who had a 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Jackson. My boyfriend was facinated because that's the kind of dog he eventually wants to get when he feels ready to take on a dog of his own.
As we were standing talking to her, another woman came up with her 1 year old female lab mix who was SOOOO excited to meet Jackson that she was wheezing around her prong collar. I flinched at the use of the prong because it did not appear that the owners were using it correctly. The dog was sort of trained she would sit on command but she couldn't hold it. The woman looked absolutely frazzled by her dog.
While we watched the two dogs meet, Jackson, the Cavalier started to reverse sneeze repeatedly. His owner just said "Oh he does that when he gets excited, he will settle down eventually...."
I frowned and asked "Do you mind if I try something?"
She said "okay," as I was in the process of stepping over the lab and squatted down next to Jackson. I very gently began to rub his back and pat him lightly. He wheezed one or two more times, then stopped... attack resolved.
Right then the lab was about to choke herself on her prong, so i immediately got up and went to that dog owner. I guess as I did so, Jackson's owner was staring at me in wonder and asked my boyfriend "What is she? Some kind of Dog Whisperer?!" He shook his head and said "Lady you don't even know the half of it.... If it's about dogs she knows something about it."
I didn't hear about that exchange until after we left the dogs but anyway...
Again I asked as i squatted down next to the lab to check on her the dog owner "it was okay I handled her?" Owner said, "yes, anything you can do to help would be appreciated!"
I slipped my hand under the prong, and started to pet her lab, getting her to focus her attention on me and away from Jackson. As i did so, the dog stopped straining against her prong collar. That woman looked at me in amazement "Do you have any suggestions as to what i can do with her? SHe won't respond to the prong, and she's so excitable. I just don't know what to do anymore!"
I smiled at her and said "Keep working with her. She's a year old? She will settle down in another year or so - she's a teenager. I'd also suggest trying to get a dog body harness to help with her pulling and use the prong for training sessions only. It's not good for her to be strangling herself on it simply trying to walk. It defeats the purpose of the tool."
The lab owner took note of what I was saying, and said she'd give it a try. Anything to keep her dog from strangling herself. Now i cautioned her to know that I am not a licensed trainer, but it was one of the things that has helped me not only with my pit mix now, but also when I had a teenage lab mix ten years ago. "Just keep working on her training. She's going to grow up to be a beautiful and friendly dog."
That owner thanked me for my suggestions and went to see if there was a harness that would fit her bouncy dog.
As i turned back to my boyfriend and Jackson's owner, i discovered they had been watching me the entire time. Jackson's owner asked me why i had stroked her wheezing dog's back? And why is it stopped the attack so quickly?
I blushed. I told her that when I had been growing up I had a dog who we discovered much too late that he had allergies and possibly asthma his entire life. He had spent a good portion wheezing and I had foudn through experimentation that if i rubbed his back or patted him gently it could jar him out of the reverse sneezing/wheezing. I never knew why exactly but I guessed it stopped the pattern he was caught up in.
Jackson's owner thanked me and said she'd try that from now on, since she had seen it worked.
By then we had to go, but i have to admit the entire experience made me feel good inside. I know I am not a licensed professional, i just have a lot of theory stuck inside of my head from reading everything i can get my hands on and having had several dogs in my life... but helping even one person just feels good.
I just thought I'd share..
As we were standing talking to her, another woman came up with her 1 year old female lab mix who was SOOOO excited to meet Jackson that she was wheezing around her prong collar. I flinched at the use of the prong because it did not appear that the owners were using it correctly. The dog was sort of trained she would sit on command but she couldn't hold it. The woman looked absolutely frazzled by her dog.
While we watched the two dogs meet, Jackson, the Cavalier started to reverse sneeze repeatedly. His owner just said "Oh he does that when he gets excited, he will settle down eventually...."
I frowned and asked "Do you mind if I try something?"
She said "okay," as I was in the process of stepping over the lab and squatted down next to Jackson. I very gently began to rub his back and pat him lightly. He wheezed one or two more times, then stopped... attack resolved.
Right then the lab was about to choke herself on her prong, so i immediately got up and went to that dog owner. I guess as I did so, Jackson's owner was staring at me in wonder and asked my boyfriend "What is she? Some kind of Dog Whisperer?!" He shook his head and said "Lady you don't even know the half of it.... If it's about dogs she knows something about it."
I didn't hear about that exchange until after we left the dogs but anyway...
Again I asked as i squatted down next to the lab to check on her the dog owner "it was okay I handled her?" Owner said, "yes, anything you can do to help would be appreciated!"
I slipped my hand under the prong, and started to pet her lab, getting her to focus her attention on me and away from Jackson. As i did so, the dog stopped straining against her prong collar. That woman looked at me in amazement "Do you have any suggestions as to what i can do with her? SHe won't respond to the prong, and she's so excitable. I just don't know what to do anymore!"
I smiled at her and said "Keep working with her. She's a year old? She will settle down in another year or so - she's a teenager. I'd also suggest trying to get a dog body harness to help with her pulling and use the prong for training sessions only. It's not good for her to be strangling herself on it simply trying to walk. It defeats the purpose of the tool."
The lab owner took note of what I was saying, and said she'd give it a try. Anything to keep her dog from strangling herself. Now i cautioned her to know that I am not a licensed trainer, but it was one of the things that has helped me not only with my pit mix now, but also when I had a teenage lab mix ten years ago. "Just keep working on her training. She's going to grow up to be a beautiful and friendly dog."
That owner thanked me for my suggestions and went to see if there was a harness that would fit her bouncy dog.
As i turned back to my boyfriend and Jackson's owner, i discovered they had been watching me the entire time. Jackson's owner asked me why i had stroked her wheezing dog's back? And why is it stopped the attack so quickly?
I blushed. I told her that when I had been growing up I had a dog who we discovered much too late that he had allergies and possibly asthma his entire life. He had spent a good portion wheezing and I had foudn through experimentation that if i rubbed his back or patted him gently it could jar him out of the reverse sneezing/wheezing. I never knew why exactly but I guessed it stopped the pattern he was caught up in.
Jackson's owner thanked me and said she'd try that from now on, since she had seen it worked.
By then we had to go, but i have to admit the entire experience made me feel good inside. I know I am not a licensed professional, i just have a lot of theory stuck inside of my head from reading everything i can get my hands on and having had several dogs in my life... but helping even one person just feels good.
I just thought I'd share..
