Diary of a broken dog: the first week (July 29 - Aug 4, 2008)

7 month old male, neutered border collie

Situationally aggressive: when attempting to close into kennel; handling mouth/neck to apply collar or leash; on being restrained when excited. Will jump, bare teeth, mouth hands, bite hands (and hold teeth on hands with progressively more pressure).

Fearful: of outdoors (just the wide open space?), traffic sounds, other dogs, cats, people jogging, walking, bicycling, talking, wind, rain, thunder. Fearful of being alone in fenced yard. Symptoms exhibited: panting, pulling frantically on leash, cowering.

Indoors hyperactive but cheerful and playful. But rough or excited play incites aggressive, biting behavior.

Easily aroused to hyper-excited state.

Hyperactive: paces and pants continuously, barks excitedly, impulsive, cannot calm self. Cannot ignore external stimuli, when fed cannot pause long enough to eat meal - will take a bite, then dash off to check out noise or some other thing he's anxious about.

Uncertain around people, but if left alone will approach and behave submissively - low tail wag, sit, slouch down to back and expose belly. Enjoys being petted.

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First 3 days walks were very stressful. Jax pulled on leash and panted, trying hard to ignore all the sights, sounds, smells around him. Walks did not seem to tire him out physically, even though they must be very mentally challenging. At home he raced toward the door eager to be inside. Indoors he relaxed somewhat and became playful, until he encountered a cat, which terrified him. By the second day he was barking at cats and getting overexcited. Not met dogs yet, but certainly can hear and smell them.

Sleeping in Mary's room. Hard to leave him in room, he leaps to rush out, and will jump up and bite your hand as you attempt to open or close door.

4th day walk: Sniffed some bushes! Progress. He was able to ignore scary stimuli long enough to behave like a real dog. Learning to sit calmly when I stop at curb. Not so noticeably nervous as trucks roar by.

Met woman who knows him - her father used to own him. Dog and I were standing at a curb, he was sitting calmly, just received a treat for calm behavior, when woman pulled up in truck, got out and approached us. Jax sunk to sidewalk flat on his belly, ears drooping, whale-eyed, as she talked to me. When she tried to get close to him to pet him, his lips curled and he snapped the air. Don't know if he remembers her (sight, voice, scent?) or if she was intruding - but change in his posture was dramatic and behavior more extreme than I've seen before when he met the people in our family (he was sweet and submissive to each of us).

Started car trip to Texas - car too small for crate. Jax very excited, dashing back and forth in back seat. Figured he would calm down after an hour or so. Five hours later, still dashing back and forth occasionally barking. Very distracting and aggravating to us humans!
Had to put tags on collar - very mouthy, biting. Finally took collar off, attached tags, then Mary held him by slip leash, while I put collar on - very mouthy, biting.

Moods swing back and forth - from snotty bratty bitey behavior to sweet little puppy and back again.

Day 5
Very afraid of outdoors, new place (Missouri). Difficult to go in and out of door to pack car - he keeps trying to slip out. Eager to get back into car and out of scary outdoors. Somewhat calmer in car - dashing and barking only at cars going north, while southbound cars pass by without him reacting. At rest stops have to drag him out of car, he pees quickly and leaps back into car.

In Texas met 2 new people, my aunt and young cousin. Jax wary. Snout wrinkled when Tristan approached too quickly - I corrected with a gruff no, Jax looked up at me, then rolled onto his side, exposing his belly to me. Later we try again, I tell Tristan the no touch, no talk, no looking at the dog rule (Cesar Millan and Mark German), and this works better. Tristan and I talk, while Jax approaches, sniffs and calms down.

Jax must stay in family room, gets jumpy and mouthy whenever we attempt to leave him in the room.

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Remember:

Practice makes progress.
Be realistic - don't expect miracles.
Remain calm-assertive at all times.
Work toward a little progress each day - and quit while you're ahead, when the dog has successfully completed an exercise and can be praised for it.
Expect setbacks - don't be discouraged. View setbacks as opportunities to learn.
Be kind to yourself as well as to the dog.
Be patient - it took seven months to get him in this condition, it may take at least that long to recondition him, to modify behavior and develop new neural pathways in his brain.
Be positive.