My Pom Chloe
Chloe is a 10 pound 7 or 8 yr old beige/cream Pom. I got her on Good Friday of 2014 (April something).
I knew a woman that occasionally went to the east side group meeting and she had said at one time she was thinking of getting rid of the dog that used to be her daughter's who didn't want it. She said she needed to think about it though. Then I saw her at a meeting months later and she said she wanted to move forward. I went and checked out the dog at her house, then she brought the dog to my house and then then she let the dog stay overnight. The overnight turned into permanent. Though at first there were some problems with the dog not eating and they were going to come and get the dog. I persuaded them that wouldn't help in getting the dog used to being with me. Supposedly the dog was well house-trained, knew tricks, and the biggest problem was the dog barking and wanting to chase after cars. The dog was often running to the front door and barking like crazy at every little thing. The dog was a bit of a maniac on a leash. Every car it tried to chase and it would bark at the car.
We learned quickly not to give the dog free reign of the house. I and my mom on separate occasions found the dog using the chair to get on the table. We found the dog standing on the kitchen helping herself to leftovers.
Mom paid for a professional dog trainer. Eight plus lessons of on leash and off leash training using commands like sit, stay, down, come, heel. We progressed from a choke chain to a pinch collar to an electronic collar. The corrections had no impact until the electronic collar. Even then at first though it didn't seem to make enough of an impact. The trainer, Lorenzo sometimes had us come to the training facility and used Chloe as a teaching tool to his helpers, showing how tough she was to train, how dominant, and how much of a major pain tolerance she has. In other words, he had trouble training her too and it wasn't just me.
Part of her training meant using a heavy leather leash, not letting her loose i.e. she doesn't go anywhere or do anything without my say so, keeping her in a kennel/crate at night and when I go somewhere.
And then there's the growling. If I or my mother picked her up she growled at us. When my mom comes into my room then Chloe growls at her and sometimes it escalates to snarling. Chloe is protective of me? Possessive?
So... it's been 4 and a half months and Chloe is much calmer and does not race to the door all the time at every little sound though she does have the tendency to hear things and bark. Not as bad as it used to be. Also, she doesn't get on the table, any table, anymore. But that's because we don't give her the opportunity.
She walks on the leash now and doesn't try to chase a car except every now and then and it's only half heartedly if that. She doesn't stay in the heel position but she doesn't pull. I don't let her smell every lawn, though she used to want to. She does her business before and after the walk and then on two particular houses and I don't let her smell others even when she wants to.
She now eats regularly though she didn't before and I was afraid she was going hungry.
She likes to play, will bring the toy to me AND mom. And she is better when I pick her up, she doesn't growl much if at all but she still growls at mom when mom picks her up. Also, Chloe growling at mom when I'm holding her and mom approaches us and touches me. That's still an issue. And Chloe growling at mom when mom comes into the room with us. Chloe usually settles down once mom is in the room though not always. So... still working on some issues but Chloe is making good progress I think. I think she was used to doing whatever she wanted for years and for her to have changed so much in just 4 and half months is good progress. On my down days though I feel less optimistic, more discouraged, just wishing the bad behaviours had been completely wiped out and not just partly.
I knew a woman that occasionally went to the east side group meeting and she had said at one time she was thinking of getting rid of the dog that used to be her daughter's who didn't want it. She said she needed to think about it though. Then I saw her at a meeting months later and she said she wanted to move forward. I went and checked out the dog at her house, then she brought the dog to my house and then then she let the dog stay overnight. The overnight turned into permanent. Though at first there were some problems with the dog not eating and they were going to come and get the dog. I persuaded them that wouldn't help in getting the dog used to being with me. Supposedly the dog was well house-trained, knew tricks, and the biggest problem was the dog barking and wanting to chase after cars. The dog was often running to the front door and barking like crazy at every little thing. The dog was a bit of a maniac on a leash. Every car it tried to chase and it would bark at the car.
We learned quickly not to give the dog free reign of the house. I and my mom on separate occasions found the dog using the chair to get on the table. We found the dog standing on the kitchen helping herself to leftovers.
Mom paid for a professional dog trainer. Eight plus lessons of on leash and off leash training using commands like sit, stay, down, come, heel. We progressed from a choke chain to a pinch collar to an electronic collar. The corrections had no impact until the electronic collar. Even then at first though it didn't seem to make enough of an impact. The trainer, Lorenzo sometimes had us come to the training facility and used Chloe as a teaching tool to his helpers, showing how tough she was to train, how dominant, and how much of a major pain tolerance she has. In other words, he had trouble training her too and it wasn't just me.
Part of her training meant using a heavy leather leash, not letting her loose i.e. she doesn't go anywhere or do anything without my say so, keeping her in a kennel/crate at night and when I go somewhere.
And then there's the growling. If I or my mother picked her up she growled at us. When my mom comes into my room then Chloe growls at her and sometimes it escalates to snarling. Chloe is protective of me? Possessive?
So... it's been 4 and a half months and Chloe is much calmer and does not race to the door all the time at every little sound though she does have the tendency to hear things and bark. Not as bad as it used to be. Also, she doesn't get on the table, any table, anymore. But that's because we don't give her the opportunity.
She walks on the leash now and doesn't try to chase a car except every now and then and it's only half heartedly if that. She doesn't stay in the heel position but she doesn't pull. I don't let her smell every lawn, though she used to want to. She does her business before and after the walk and then on two particular houses and I don't let her smell others even when she wants to.
She now eats regularly though she didn't before and I was afraid she was going hungry.
She likes to play, will bring the toy to me AND mom. And she is better when I pick her up, she doesn't growl much if at all but she still growls at mom when mom picks her up. Also, Chloe growling at mom when I'm holding her and mom approaches us and touches me. That's still an issue. And Chloe growling at mom when mom comes into the room with us. Chloe usually settles down once mom is in the room though not always. So... still working on some issues but Chloe is making good progress I think. I think she was used to doing whatever she wanted for years and for her to have changed so much in just 4 and half months is good progress. On my down days though I feel less optimistic, more discouraged, just wishing the bad behaviours had been completely wiped out and not just partly.