Kona
Kona was severely mauled as a puppy leaving the right side of her face disfigured. Although she was delightfully sweet around people, her aggression had an unusual trigger around dogs
Kona’s transformation from scared and angry to playing on the beach with her friends took just over a month.
When I get a phone call requesting help with a dog who is aggressive towards other dogs the problem is rarely as bad as the story suggests. But that was not the case with Kona. I was actually caught off guard by the level of aggression Kona exhibited.
The strange thing about Kona's aggression trigger is that she didn't get agitated at the approach of another dog coming from the front. She couldn't tolerate a dog coming up beside her and meeting Eye to Eye.
1) Eye to Eye
The muzzle might be the most underused tool in pet dog training. If we let go of the stigma of seeing our dog in a muzzle, we can give him an opportunity to try out new skills without bad decision decisions, getting him into trouble
2) Working with a Muzzle
Knowing when to give your dog additional freedom, takes both sensitivity and experience. After wearing the muzzle for a short time, I noticed that Kona was not very upset, even though she still had some snap.
3) Reading the upgrade
Getting out of the real world is a key to our transformation strategy. Usually that means out in the woods hopping over rocks. But Kona just needed to be bumping shoulders with her buddies.
4) The Real World
I cannot say enough about the healing properties of managed play once the muzzle comes off. Even though Kona was still a little nervous, she got the opportunity to truly enjoy the company of other dogs.
5) Play Heals
It felt like magic when Kona could finally play in her own yard. Even this rough and tumble game didn't set her off.
She is truly free.