CATCH CANINE TRAINERS ACADEMY
Treating Fear Aggression for a Boston Terrier in NYC
By Bobbie Bhambree , CDBC , CPDT-KA
New York City , or any city for that matter , can be a challenging place for a dog to live . With so much activity , energy , noise , and unpredictability , many dogs struggle with a range of behavior issues . I work for a practice called Behavior Vets . We set up a team of veterinary behaviorists and behavior consultants in New York City because we knew there was a great need for pets and their owners . Oliver was one of those pets that struggled in the urban environment .
Oliver is a Boston Terrier and when I met him , he was about a year and a half . Oliver ’ s mom , Jenna , contacted Behavior Vets because her dog was struggling with several behavior issues : separation anxiety , barking and lunging at unfamiliar people in the home , fearfulness of trucks and buses , and barking and lunging at dogs when on leash . An unfortunate event pushed Jenna to reach out for professional help : Oliver lunged and bit a child ’ s leg while she was being carried in her father ’ s arms in the building elevator where they lived . Jenna was concerned for Oliver ’ s emotional well-being as well as the safety of her neighbors , not to mention any possible legal repercussions .
Although Jenna contacted us for several reasons , for the purpose of this article , I am going to focus on one issue in particular : fear aggression towards unfamiliar people and specifically how we worked on the greeting of guests inside the apartment . Oliver was displaying fear-related aggression towards unfamiliar people , with bites up to Level 2 ( near bite , tooth contact but no puncture ) as designed by animal behaviorist and veterinarian Sophia Yin . There were three specific events that Jenna was able to share with Dr . Vanessa Spano , the veterinary behaviorist working with me on Oliver ’ s case . In each situation , Jenna described Oliver ’ s body language as his body stiffened and lowered to the ground , then Oliver barked or growled , pulled towards the trigger , lunging , and snapping .
Event 1 : Jenna was on the phone in the park . She was holding onto Oliver ’ s leash as he was standing next to her . Suddenly , a
Oliver doing relaxation conditioning on his mat .
family with a baby walked past them . The baby was held in a wrap in front of dad with his legs dangling . As soon as the family passed , Oliver lunged , jumped up , and bit the baby on the leg , touching , but not breaking , skin .
Event 2 : A family was walking with a toddler on the street . As the father walked nearby to pick up the toddler , Oliver lunged towards the toddler being lifted into the air .
Event 3 : During the physical exam by Dr . Spano , Oliver immediately froze upon placement onto the physical exam table by Jenna . Oliver developed whale eye , stared at Dr . Spano , and started trembling .
Oliver ’ s triggers appeared to be children , unfamiliar adults , when reached for , when startled , when a guest enters the home , and when a person passes by the window of the home ( Jenna had a second home in a suburban neighborhood ). Jenna had already tried the following ways to change the behavior : using a citronella spray , increasing his exercise , disengaging Oliver from the trigger with treats , and calling him away .
Observations at the Initial Consultation When I first met Oliver , it was inside Jenna ’ s apartment . She had him on a leash when she opened the door . Oliver barked at me as soon as the door opened . I instructed Jenna to hold the leash and walk him backwards . I sat down on the chair in the living area while Jenna stood about six-feet from me , the farthest back she could
30 Building Better Trainers Through Education Photo : Bobbie Bhambree