Were 3 Other Professional Trainers Wrong About Abbey?
Have you ever had a misdiagnosis? Ugh...
When you have a problem and you hire a professional it can be so frustrating to take their advice only to find yourself in the same place or sometimes even worse off then when you started.
One of my childhood friends' dad was a highly sought after mechanic. He had clients that would wait for days and even weeks just to get into his shop because clients knew he was priced fair and very skilled. I asked him once when he was working on my 1997 Honda Accord,why do so many people want to hire you Mr. Easi?
He responded,anyone can turn wrenches but finding the root cause of a problem (diagnosis) is why my clients trust me, and why I make the money I do. No one wants to drop their car off, have the problem return, have to come back wasting their time and money. That's why understanding how the machine works from all parts is so crucial.
A few decades later, that leads me into Dear Abbey a skittish, under socialized, 1 year old cattle dog whose parents have been through the gamut with her. They have hired 3 different professionals since she was 12 weeks old and started her career of biting people almost immediately. Her wonderful owners had all the best intentions, preparing themselves like not many new owners I have seen by reading many books from leading vets and other industry professionals and following all the advice, and yet somehow their problem kept getting worse.
Unfortunetly the last few months for her owners have entailed nights and weeks of crying because of Abbey’s antics, and what was the final straw? She chased down the UPS man, an amazon delivery women, the LANDLORD, and bit a few unsuspecting friends and family. In LA, if someone reports your dog as dangerous or feels fearful of your dog at all it can mean a quick death sentence for your furry family member. LA does not give much leniency in dog behavior situations like these, and from my experience the people in charge of making these important decisions about a dog’s life are not the most qualified. It can be very terrifying for families.
So what got young Abbey into this situation? She was accidentally confused, taught to think differently then who she really was, and, most importantly like many owners who love their dogs, they taught Abbey with best intentions and not factual proven knowledge. They were doing everything from the information from proffessionals, but Abbey needed a different kind of knowledge. She is a special snowflake who needed something very different.
If you follow me on Instagram@thedogsideyou know I share everything I do for free. My non profit is based on education and sharing my experiences with everyone. The videos below are a step by step guide where I lead you through the day - different experiments, analysis, and adventures I put Abbey through to get a proper diagnosis of why she is doing what she does.
Is her problem genetic? Was it learned? Is it both?
In these two videos you will see what I can safely share from the first moments she got here through her final moments going home to her dad.
She met 11 new dogs her first day and had two great experiences with humans who knew how to follow the rules to make Abbey feel safe and trusting.
I hope you enjoy Abbey's adventure, I know she did :)
Links:
Day 1
Day 2
Head Rubs and Belly Scratches
Gary
P.S. Abbey's owners have already seen changes with her. At the dog park she has been soliciting play and her ability to cope with things that used to cause her stress aren't as much of a concern. Abbey is now experiencing it all in a new clearer way. Go Abbey!