mp3rude

The arrival of  a baby is a highly anticipated, exciting, overwhelming, and joyous event. With all the thought and preparation that goes into setting up the home and nursery, the regular pregnancy check ups and dealing with all the symptoms of pregnancy itself (hello morning sickness, hormones, tiredness, aches and pains etc), many expectant parents forget their pets may need help adjusting to the imminent changes. Recovering from the birth, whether natural or cesarean, can take up to 6 weeks or more. Coupled with the sleep deprivation and exhaustion that comes hand in hand with caring for a newborn (feeding, changing, burping, settling, bathing etc), finding the time and patience to deal with behaviour problems in your pets can be difficult. Indeed, this is often when I get a call from distraught parents whose pet’s behaviour has severely deteriorated.                     ...

Lead reactivity and/or aggression is a common complaint I receive from my clients. Unfortunately, too many dog owners contact me after a significant incident has taken place even though the behaviour has been present, albeit in a milder form, for a period of time. Having a dog that aggressively barks, lunges or pulls towards other dogs or people can be a source of stress and embarrassment. This often results in people being reluctant to walk their dog or continuing the walks but not knowing how to resolve the issue. Either way, this just perpetuates the problem. We know from neuroscience that “neurons that fire together, wire together” meaning the longer a behaviour persists, the more ingrained it becomes. (Image: Mr.TinDC on Flickr) Why are some dogs lead reactive/aggressive? T he most common reason for developing lead reactivity that I see in my clients� dogs is fear due to past unpleasant or scary experiences. For example, a dog that is attacked by another dog w...