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Post by suziriot on Oct 4, 2011 11:41:57 GMT -5
So I haven't discussed Dharma's progress on her GCG and therapy certification in a while. It's kind of a tough thing for me to talk about, because it hasn't turned out the way we'd hoped. As much as we've worked with her, we've had to accept that Dharma's anxiety and fear issues are not going to allow her to do therapy work. It's been really disappointing, because I know that she also has traits that would make her a wonderful therapy dog for kids. She loves little kids and does really well with them. But she's unpredictable in what will make her "shut down" in an unfamiliar environment. It can be a loud noise or the way a room looks, etc... and she will just freeze and refuse to go any further. She just wants to find a place to hide. We've done a number of school visits, to talk to kids about dog fighting and do our Pit Bull 101 presentation. Sometimes she's happy to be there and interacts with the kids. But one time she parked herself in the corner and wouldn't budge. She doesn't show any fear of people, it's mostly of objects and places. But still, not okay for a therapy dog.
The other issue is that she still freaks out if we are not with her, and she can't pass the CGC test because of this. When we walk away (Brook and I have both done the training with her individually) from her she whines and won't pay attention to anybody or anything until we come back. We've done A LOT of work on this, but she has very severe anxiety issues in general. Honestly, I think she just wants to stay home and be happy in her safe place. And I can't blame her for that. It's disappointing, but at a certain point you have to accept what your dog is and is not comfortable with. There's only so much that training and positive conditioning can do, and I don't want to minimize just how much HAS worked. When she came home she refused to walk through any doorways or around any corners. For the first month I almost always had to carry her out to the yard. She's come SO far in the past couple years. I'm not going to push her into something she just doesn't want to do. And I'm concerned that her anxiety might make her unpredictable. She's never displayed any human aggression, but she redirected onto Nine once and even Brandy once. Dharma and Nine didn't like one another, but Brandy and Dharma are usually best buds. But she's reactive to fireworks, loud noises, etc and she gets REALLY worked up.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share what's going on with Dharma and some of the challenges we continue to face. I've had really great advice and help from people I trust, and I hope that Dharma will continue to progress with these issues.
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Post by fureverywhere on Oct 4, 2011 13:20:44 GMT -5
Best of luck to you. It sounds like you have the time and patience that maybe you can help Dharma work through it far enough to get certified eventually. I thought about doing that with Ophie when we first adopted her. I'm good with seniors and kids n thought we'd make a great therapy team.
Then I realized Ophie is dog reactive, and has the startle reflex to even a car door closing too loud. and like you say about Dharma, she's not going to let me out of her sight so the part of the test with sit and stay would not work at all.
When we go to the park she'll walk up to people who go out of their way to call to her, but she's not one of those doggies who greets every human she meets either. But that's okay, they all have their own personality and she's the ultimate cuddle bug with us.
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Post by loverocksalot on Oct 4, 2011 13:47:14 GMT -5
She has come a long way. Although she is not certified she has still had the opportunity to make a difference in others lives. She is a great girl.
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Post by maryellen on Oct 4, 2011 15:40:36 GMT -5
if she gets anxious and freezes then she is telling you she doesnt want to do it.. since you have done so much with her over the years and she is still acting this way sometimes be proud of what you have accomplished with her, and let her be a lounge lizard now ....
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Post by emilys on Oct 4, 2011 15:48:33 GMT -5
if she gets anxious and freezes then she is telling you she doesnt want to do it.. since you have done so much with her over the years and she is still acting this way sometimes be proud of what you have accomplished with her, and let her be a lounge lizard now .... I agree with ME... you have to let your dog be the dog she is. Dont beat yourself up because she can't be the dog you want her to be |
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Post by suziriot on Oct 4, 2011 15:54:37 GMT -5
if she gets anxious and freezes then she is telling you she doesnt want to do it.. since you have done so much with her over the years and she is still acting this way sometimes be proud of what you have accomplished with her, and let her be a lounge lizard now .... I agree with ME... you have to let your dog be the dog she is. Dont beat yourself up because she can't be the dog you want her to be Absolutely. Brook and I have accepted that all she really wants in life is to be a couch potato, with some zoomies and bitey face with the other dogs to keep things interesting. I'm certainly not going to push her into something she doesn't want to do. I do wish that we could help her completely get past the anxiety that she still experiences at home sometimes, because it can't be fun for her and it upsets the other dogs. |
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Post by maryellen on Oct 4, 2011 16:41:45 GMT -5
is it possible she feels your anxiety at all this ? maybe try you and brook relax a bit with her and try to forget about her anxiety and see if that helps? some dogs are so intune to their owners that their owners anxiety can trigger a dogs.... like when i am really really upset rufus can sense it and he gets all weird, clings to me more then normal, and doesnt leave my side.. maybe Dharma senses your anxiety and its making her anxiety trigger?
see what happens with her being a couch potato now, see if your non anxiety over her fear lessens and see if she loosens up a bit...
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Post by suziriot on Oct 4, 2011 17:06:35 GMT -5
is it possible she feels your anxiety at all this ? maybe try you and brook relax a bit with her and try to forget about her anxiety and see if that helps? some dogs are so intune to their owners that their owners anxiety can trigger a dogs.... like when i am really really upset rufus can sense it and he gets all weird, clings to me more then normal, and doesnt leave my side.. maybe Dharma senses your anxiety and its making her anxiety trigger? see what happens with her being a couch potato now, see if your non anxiety over her fear lessens and see if she loosens up a bit... That is something we worked on extensively with the trainer. Making sure that we are as relaxed as possible, and doing our best not to communicate any anxiety or tension. We have done sooooooo much positive conditioning with her. And as I said, she really has come a long way. But she just doesn't like new places and she doesn't like it when we're not with her. It's okay. At least she likes us, lol! |
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Post by maryellen on Oct 4, 2011 17:24:05 GMT -5
you worked so hard , so maybe even though the trainer had you two working on not being stressed you possibly both still were (subconsciously)..
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Post by melonie on Oct 5, 2011 0:42:12 GMT -5
Poor Miss Dharma. She has earned her spot on the sofa thats for sure  I do understand the fear. Thankfully Rhett is no where near as severe as Dharma, or Sedona for that matter. But it is still painful to watch him struggle at times. You just want to make it all better and feel helpless when you hit a wall. |
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Post by michele5611 on Oct 5, 2011 8:40:27 GMT -5
Suzi you have made remarkable strides with Dharma and I have loved hearing about all of your accomplishments and breakthroughs with that special baby girl. I think it is perfectly ok to accept that some of these dogs have limitations….it is what it is. She is a very special dog and I have enjoyed hearing of her journey with you.
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Post by suziriot on Oct 5, 2011 8:58:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words everyone. |
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Post by RealPitBull on Oct 5, 2011 9:06:16 GMT -5
Suzi, I'm glad you shared..... At some point you do just have to accept that she is who she is and maybe that is ok (it IS ok ). She has come so far and gone through SO much and has had such a positive impact in terms of how bust dogs are viewed. She doesn't need a CGC or a therapy cert to continue to be a positive reflection on the breed. Of course I don't know what her breeding is, and this is more guesswork than anything. I know a lot of different "types" of dogs came out of that bust. But for sake of an argument, gamebred-type dogs just have really weird fear issues sometimes. I mean....WEIRD nonsensical stuff that defies all logic. My first gamebred dog, tightly linebred Old Family dog, I had him since he was 4 months old, he was never hurt or harmed in any way, he loved people, was a social butterfly but then would randomly be frightened of the ODDEST things. The kitchen floor. A treat I'd offer him (he'd slink away like I was going to beat him.) I'd keep him off the couch by putting a single fork in the middle of it - yes, a single silver fork. He was PETRIFIED of it and would not get on the couch (this is when I still lived at home and dogs on furniture was a no-no - wtf, right? LOL  ) I saw a lot of weird, similar, baffling behavior from Sedona. I have experience with fearful dogs (hello, Am-Bred GSD ). This is a different kind of fear that I see in these "gamebred"/bust dogs. My point is that I think you have made some leaps and bounds with Dharma and should continue to work with her BUT accept that there IS going to be a limit. A lot of this is probably environmental, but some of this is probably genetic. And I totally get being disappointed about not getting a CGC, not getting a therapy cert....believe me, I get it. But think about all the other amazing stuff this dog has done, the people she's influenced, what she's gone through. And just let her be...Dharma. Quirks and all :-) |
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Post by lovemybully76 on Oct 5, 2011 10:38:05 GMT -5
Glad you gave us an update. Dharma sounds like such a great girl and you have come so far with her so be proud of that. Even though she might not be able to get actual certification she has still impacted many people and shown the breed and bust dogs in a positive light.
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Post by Dave on Oct 5, 2011 11:06:17 GMT -5
As always, awesome advice. My point is that I think you have made some leaps and bounds with Dharma and should continue to work with her BUT accept that there IS going to be a limit. A lot of this is probably environmental, but some of this is probably genetic. And I totally get being disappointed about not getting a CGC, not getting a therapy cert....believe me, I get it. But think about all the other amazing stuff this dog has done, the people she's influenced, what she's gone through. And just let her be...Dharma. Quirks and all :-) |
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Post by pitunia on Oct 27, 2011 23:30:19 GMT -5
Living outside in rural Missouri would make any human have issues much less a dog. She lived in the woods on a tow chain with a wooden box as her home. The man who had her was not a nice person and the dogs were.....abused....many other ways other than dog fighting. The old line dogmen did not torture their dogs the way the man who had Dharma, Fay, and other rescued dogs from that bust.
Dharma now has a home. She has friends. She is now loved and cherished. To me that beats any CGC or therapy dog title.
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Post by suziriot on Oct 28, 2011 0:16:46 GMT -5
^Thanks Gale. |
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Post by melonie on Oct 28, 2011 22:49:23 GMT -5
Dharma now has a home. She has friends. She is now loved and cherished. To me that beats any CGC or therapy dog title. And best off all, she is with Suzi. |
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Post by suziriot on Oct 30, 2011 9:44:06 GMT -5
Aw, thanks Mel. |
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I look forward to learning much here