Weds 29th July: Just say no to drugs

Although I'm not a qualified dog trainer I've lived with multiple (and I mean a lot) of dogs for the past twenty years and have learned about dog behaviour through experience.  Many of the dogs that ended up staying with me, or came to me because there was nowhere else for them to go, were those who were either very timid or had issues making them unsuitable for adoption.  In every case even the worst-affected of these dogs eventually settled and dropped their anxiety-based behaviour, and when I look at Jones now, for example, he's a completely different dog from the originally completely neurotic animal that first arrived.

He was called Bones then because of his skeletal frame, and although he'd had a long tail initially he had self-mutilated it so badly that it had to be surgically removed.  He stayed at both the Ap Lei Chau and Tai Po Homing Centres but didn't do well in either, so as a last resort he came to me.   It wasn't easy to start with because Bones was so psychologically damaged from whatever had happened to him as a puppy (obvious starvation being just one), and he would bite and fight with other dogs.   Bit by bit though, as he found that nobody was going to hurt or punish him, and that there was plenty of food so no need to fight for it, Bones put on weight and became Jones, and he also stopped all of his aggession and is now an extremely loving, easy and affectionate dog.  At no time during the rehabilitation did I ever consider using medication to sedate him, and it's not ever something I would consider.

This shiba is actually very easy

I mentioned a shiba inu that was surrendered last Friday, and although he had been prescribed the dog anti-depressant Clomicalm while in his previous home, I have found him to be a very easy dog, especially for the breed.   In fact he has no behaviour issues at all and would be suitable for adoption to the right home.

Beanie needs rehabilitation without drugs 

The bichon frise who was surrendered to us today had also been put on Clomicalm. It think it was apparent to all of us why now-Beanie has anxious behaviour, the only question being how long it will take for him to drop his fear-biting and realise that it's no longer needed.  Sadly he is already an adult and his behaviour may be too ingrained so we're not expecting an instant fix, but I can guarantee he won't be drugged to achieve any changes.

A dog's behaviour is determined by several things including genetic make-up, but one thing more than anything else will make or break a dog and turn it into a troubled adult and that's how it's treated as a puppy.  You cannot leave a puppy on its own for long hours, expecially in a cage, and expect it to develop normally.  You can't keep a puppy isolated from other dogs and puppies, denying it the opportunity to play and socialise, and expect it to be a happy adult.  You can't punish a puppy for being a baby and not understanding human rules without creating a scared adult.  If you don't have the time to properly care for a puppy, please don't even think about having one.