Lauren's journey into the dog training world
How Tucker Came Into Our Lives
In 2020, a bedraggled patterdale arrived on our doorstop from a local rescue!
We had talked about rehoming a dog for a long time, and both me & Tom had owned dogs previously, so we thought we knew what we were getting ourselves into…oh how wrong we were!! 😂
It didn’t take long for us to realise that Tucker had multiple behavioural issues. One of the main issues, and something which we still manage to date is his reactivity. When he arrived, he was
- reactive to dogs, cats, blown over fences, wheelie bins, loud noises, hay bales, piles of logs, the list goes on…
- He had some issues with resource guarding- mainly toys or food.
- He struggled with aggression towards overhandling, grooming, vet visits or if a stranger over fusses him.
- He also had some of the basic issues- lead pulling, no obedience training and no recall training.
We had our work cut out!
Tackling Reactivity and Behavioural Challenges
I dove head first into learning as much as I could about reactivity and how to overcome his big feelings! I learnt training methods to work on developing our relationship, trust, obedience and confidence.
It wasn’t easy, there were times I felt like giving up, but that wasn’t an option- once a dog enters our home, we won’t let them down. Through hard work, patience, time, tears and laughter, we managed to overcome all of his reactivity concerns and resource guarding. We also worked hard on his obedience training.
Now, he sometimes helps me as a "stooge dog" for introducing new dogs to groups or to ‘suss out’ the newbies.
We still manage his aggression at the vets & grooming appointments, but we have come a long way from how he behaved when he first arrived!
Lessons Learned From Training Tucker
My advice for those who are struggling with reactivity is
- You are not alone! There are so many people going through this journey with their dogs. I understand how isolating it can be, and reaching out to others who were in a similar boat really helped me.
- Seek advice from a reputable trainer, someone you know, that you trust and who will work with you to understand your dog and their individual needs.
- Finally, laugh where you can- I can’t tell you how many times Tucker has ‘kicked off’ in a cafe or in a public place when we were practicing socialisation! Me and Tom would share a glance and a smirk ‘oh here we go again’ 😂 and don’t care about what other people think! If you know that you are doing the right thing for your dog and following the appropriate training programme, then who cares what other people think! You will be the one laughing at the end.
Tucker has been my greatest teacher, and although he hasn’t been the easiest dog in the world, I have learnt so much from him, and he is my main motivation and inspiration to continue to pursue a career in balanced dog training.
Every dog deserves a chance, and with the right trainer behind you, every dog can live a full life alongside their human!
My Continuing Journey in Dog Training
I am currently studying with the British college of canine studies to complete a diploma in Advanced Canine Behaviour, and working alongside a dog trainer to further develop my ‘hands on’ experience.
I am hoping to launch something very exciting soon, so watch this space!
Lauren ❤️🐾
