This poor pup had a lot of anxiety issues before meeting Lisa Matthews. With her help, this pooch is now much happier in his new home.
Dog trainer Lisa Matthews recently added new credentials to her professional name. As one of only three such consultants in the area, she joins an elite group dedicated to strengthening the human/canine bond by solving behavior problems using “least intrusive, minimally aversive” (LIMA) principles.
She’s already had an opportunity to put her skills to good use with an anxious dog named Blue.
Blue is a rescue dog living with his family in Georgia. Despite several months of obedience training, Blue was still suffering from increased anxiety, particularly during storms.
Prior to Matthews meeting with Blue and his owners, Blue also bit a child.
Because of the bite, Blue was classified as a “dangerous dog.” Worried about the potential for future incidents, the owners called Matthews to schedule a behavior assessment.
Matthews sent her initial findings to Blue’s vet, who prescribed medication to help the dog’s anxiety and associated symptoms. The medication was helping, but many of Blue’s symptoms would require further intervention. Matthews came up with an action plan using clicker training to mark good behaviors as well as durable chews to distract Blue from bad habits brought on by anxiety. His anxiety has all but disappeared, and, as a bonus from the behavioral training, he has a better relationship with his family and his environment.
Thanks to the partnership between Matthews and their vet, Blue’s owners have a much better understanding of their dog, his anxiety, and how to manage his behaviors in a healthy way.
For Matthews, this outcome has been very rewarding.
Matthews hopes to continue using her new certification to help dogs in the South stay in their homes and out of the shelter system.
If you’re not sure whether or not your dog is displaying behaviors related to anxiety — like yawning, whining, or repetitive licking — it’s best to consult with a canine behavior expert like Lisa Matthews.
What a brave pooch and talented doggy trainer! Looks like Matthews and Blue were able to work together perfectly. She was able to get rid of Blue's anxiety and in the process saved his life!
For more on Blue's road to recovery, check out Dogster.
