Dewey-Cross Posting Entlebucher Pickering, ON

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Dewey is a cross post from a private adoptive home

Adoption Fee Applies

Age:  5 years old

Adoption Fee: $375.00

Breed: Entlebucher (akin to a mountain dog)

Sex: Male, neutered

Foster Home: Oakville, ON

And now a few words from Dewey's mom: We are looking to find a forever home for a special boy! Dewey is a great dog that requires a confident owner that can give him the attention and love he deserves. Essentially, Dewey has some leash aggression issues that become redirected aggression to the handler if not managed properly. He does extremely well with a more confident handlers.

Dewey is a 5 year old Entlebucher (a rare breed, akin to a 60 pound Swiss Mountain Dog), has some minor hip dysplasia (managed to date with chiropractics but no meds), is neutered and otherwise healthy. He is truly a lovely dog, perfect in the home and with visitors, and is exceptionally intelligent. I can confidently say that it is rare that we experience a dog with such capacity to learn – and as you know, he requires more mental stimulation than the average dog as a result. He will require a certain level of dedication to this need for mental stimulation from a new owner.

For further information please contact me directly, Gwen at 416-910-5054 or by email  ggareau1@gmail.com. You can also contact Erica Garven 416-471-2737 or erica@thedogsassistant.ca

Below is an assesstment completed by Erica Garven, Dewey's rehab assistant.

Assessment:

Dewey is a 4 yr. old altered male who was adopted by the family in February 2009.  During his adoptive period, Dewey has developed aggression towards dogs demonstrated by lunging, growling, and body posturing towards other dogs.  He is not presented with the opportunity to engage these dogs physically, and his reactions vary depending on the energy level of the stimulus dog.  Dewey has not recently been tested for off leash aggression, though he does not demonstrate any barrier aggression, indicating that his reactions increase based on the likliehood that the other dog will engage him physically, whether positively or negatively.

During behaviour assessment, it became apparent that Dewey is exhibiting fearfulness when engaged by another dog, and this fearfulness is present at distances as much as 100 feet when accompanied by his owner, Gwen.  These reactions are lessened when accompanied by myself, and seem to correspond significantly to the confidence and calmness of the handler.  High stimulus dogs combined with firm leash corrections have resulted in redirected aggression towards Gwen, and it appears to be thoughtful and purposeful. He also demonstrates significant sensitivity to his handler’s mood and anxieties, contributing to his inappropriate reactions to leash corrections/stimuli.  Regardless of the handler, he responds very positively to praise and redirection.

Rehabilitation

Desensitization and counter conditioning are the basis of the program recommended for this dog.  This is accomplished by keeping stimulus dogs at a distance great enough to elicit a response from Dewey, but at a distance wherein he can still be redirected.  We are employing the “watch me” command with high value treats to reinforce positive focus. Dewey picks up new commands quickly, and after few sessions was successfully redirected by calling his name (rather than “watch me”).  We began to ask Dewey to “Down” while another dog passes, and this seems to reduce his reactivity and anxiety significantly.  Firm verbal or physical corrections (including leash corrections) will quickly increase Dewey’s anxiety, and are often the precursor to his redirected aggression to the handler.

The most valuable component of rehabilitation has been teaching an ‘autowatch’ for security and direction, and relieving his responsibility to address the other dog.  Dewey must be assured that he will not be required to interact with the other dog, and that he can successfully avoid that dog without the need to implement aggression.

In order to meet Dewey’s requirements for mental stimulation, we began using trust and bond building exercises in the owner’s backyard.  These included daily introduction to new tasks, such as high intensity ball work using the following commands:
Wait Leave it Down Sit Stand Target
Dewey responds well to both hand signals and verbal cues, and it was found that using these commands while  doing ball retrieval work in the backyard, at varying speeds and handler excitement levels combined with a 30-45 minute walk, he began to be less demanding inside the home, appeared more ‘fulfilled’ and much less anxious while on walks.  This work also significantly reduced his propensity for redirected aggression.  Behaviour modification on walks alone would not resolve this dog’s reactivity issues, and it is likely that discontinuing these activities would result in anxiety related issues and increased aggression.

This work is imperative to balance Dewey’s physical exercise with mental exercise, and an adoptive family MUST be committed to providing these activities every day.  He would also be an excellent candidate for hunting trials, obedience trials,  or Rally-O, as well as therapy or community related training/activities.  Dewey has some minor hip dysplasia, so high impact sports such as agility or flyball would not be recommended, though he is certainly capable intellectually.

General Temperament Assessment

Dewey is a highly intelligent, medium energy dog who is very friendly with people and children.  Dewey is affectionate, exhibits no anxiety when left alone for long periods of time, travels well in the car  and is generally very well mannered.  He can be demanding for affection and play when his physical and intellectual needs are not met, though this behaviour does not transfer to anxiety when alone.  Dewey has some low level prey drive and subsequent tracking drive, and can be insistent on leash if his activity needs are not met every day.  However, he is highly responsive to cues and redirection from his handler.

In my opinion, Dewey would do well with any family who has the time to dedicate to his activities every day, and is experienced enough to handle such an intelligent dog.  If Rehabilitation is continued as outlined above with a confident, positive praise based handler, his reactivity to other dogs is expected to continue to improve if not be eliminated entirely.  Chiropractic maintenance also seems to help Dewey manage his pain levels and emotional stability, and this will be positively reflected in his reactivity as well. 

Dewey does not readily bond, and it would be preferable that he be assigned a main ‘handler’ in the family who adopts him.  He seeks out a great deal of direction and reinforcement from his handler when encountering another dog and during his daily activities, and it is imperative for his rehabilitation that a bond develop to promote trust and assure him of consistent expectations.

Dewey is truly an exceptional dog, and anyone would be lucky to have him.  Despite his issues with other dogs, he is a sweet, happy and incredibly smart dog that any dog lover could truly appreciate and respect.  He will easily capture the hearts of potential adopters!  I work with rescue dogs both on the rescue side and the adoptive side every day, and rarely do I see a dog who is so highly adoptable.

 

This information has been provided for the benefit of any rescue organization or canine professional who may assist Dewey’s family in the rehoming process.  It is intended as an assessment and outline of rehabilitation only, and any person seeking to continue the rehabilitation is encouraged to contact The Dog’s Assistant for more thorough, specific advice.