Pet rivalries are real, and sometimes it can get out of hand. If the owner doesn’t do well in addressing hostile behavior, things can get worse. When two dogs cannot get along, the most rational solution is to rehome one of them. What if the owner is too attached to let go? Can the situation be fixed?
Victoria Stilwell has taken on another challenge. This time she’s visiting a couple to see what she can do for them. She sees two small dogs who are very hostile to each other. Victoria observes how the owner handles them.
Right of the bat, Victoria is concerned with what she sees. What worries her more is how the owners let things slide. The living room is small, which allows the conflict to escalate. Adding to that, the owners tie each dog the corners just so they are out of reach to each other.
Victoria had to talk to the owners and tell them what they were doing wrong. She tells them that if she fails to help them, one of the dogs needs to go somewhere else. This made one of the owners cry. However, Victoria promises to do everything she can so that won’t happen.
The training started in a different location. It was somewhere more spacious. The goal was to make each dog calm in the presence of the other. The first method was clicker training. Once that was done, correction through removal from the area was imposed.
When one dog got aggressive, they get removed from the area. When they behave, rewards are given. It took over 25 minutes before both dogs calm down while being in the same area.
After the success at a big place. The owners and Victoria went back to the house. That was the real challenge. Have the dogs learned well? Can they repeat the proper behavior in small confinement? Yes, they can. It was another successful job for Victoria Stilwell.
Video courtesy of It’s Me or The Dog via YouTube.
