12/27/10

Euphoria improves with specialized training

Euphoria was left at an LA county animal shelter in February 2010 by his previous owner, who claimed that Euphoria had bitten him badly while taking food away from the dog. Since we had no way of knowing if there really was a problem, we wanted to give him a chance, and so GRCGLARescue bailed him out. After a few days at a boarding kennel, Euphoria had settled in enough to be evaluated, although we were already notified by the kennel proprietor that he growled and threatened over food when it was brought in to him.

The actual food bowl test confirmed that Euphoria was serious about keeping people away from his food. Although we didn't push him to the point of biting, it was clear that was inevitable if we forced the issue. He did, however, allow us to take away rawhides, toys, balls and other objects, and was otherwise friendly with the volunteers who handled him. While Euphoria's behavior was not acceptable, it was also clear that this was the kind of dog who, if trained properly, stood a good chance of improving enough to be placed successfully.

To get an idea of what Euphoria's behavior was like around food, please check our this video by Dr. Sophia Yin, "Ben Guards The Food Bowl" found here:

http://drsophiayin.com/resources/videos/

Euphoria's behavior was very similar to Ben's.

We knew if Euphoria had a caring, committed and skilled foster family who was willing to work with him, we could pair them with a behavioral trainer who could help them do the required behavior modification to help Euphoria get past his problem. However, after searching for several months, we were not successful in locating a family with the right set of skills in the right circumstances where Euphoria could go and be safe. As with Ben, things were looking a bit bleak for Euphoria.

We were running out of opportunities and time, so we contacted our friends at Wags and Wiggles, a dog daycare and training facility owned by a skilled behavior consultatnt and staffed by certified dog trainers; they only used the most modern and humane training methods, and had already helped us with a few other dogs with great success. After reviewing Euphoria's case information, they acknowledged that it would be a tough job, but they were willing to give it a try. Euphoria went off to start the "Ruff Love" program in early November, and we waited with cautious optimism.

Much to our relief, Euphoria responded to his behavior modification program beautifully, and after six weeks, he was able to tolerate his trainers managing his food bowl and other valuable objects, as you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mUPIieIYfA

The training that Euphoria received had improved his behavior enough that finding a foster home for him was a much easier task, and before long, Janet, one of our fosters, was identified as being a great opportunity for continuing Euphoria's transition training, in hopes that he could be made ready for adoption.

Two weeks later, Janet came to work with the folks at W&W to learn about Euphoria's training and what she had to do to help him transition to a normal life. We recorded some of the training exercises Janet learned that day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1yDWOAL2v0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9r_69vBzRE

Under Janet's fostership and care, Euphoria is making continual improvement towards being adopted.  He's a golden that seeks out affection and a trusting relationship with humans.