Dedication I have always gravitated toward love, even when there was none to be found in my childhood home—except outside, sitting in the dark on the back porch, where I couldn’t hear family members yelling at one another, petting my dog, Cricket. His eyes affirmed for me that love existed. This book is for the dogs and those kind humans who love them. THE MIDNIGHT DOG WALKER Project Team Editor: Amy Deputato Copy Editor: Joann Woy Design: Mary Ann Kahn LUMINA MEDIA™ Chairman: David Fry Chief Financial Officer: David Katzoff Chief Digital Officer: Jennifer Black-Glover Vice President Content: Joyce Bautista-Ferrari Vice President Marketing & PR: Cameron Triebwasser Managing Director, Books: Christopher Reggio Art Director, Books: Mary Ann Kahn Senior Editor, Books: Amy Deputato Production Director: Laurie Panaggio Production Manager: Jessica Jaensch Copyright © 2016 Lumina Media, LLC™ All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Lumina Media, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Phenix, Annie. Title: The midnight dog walkers : positive training and practical advice for living with reactive and aggressive dogs / Annie Phenix, CPDT-KA. Description: Irvine, CA : i-5 Press, 2016. | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2015043473 | ISBN 9781621871163 (softcover) Subjects: LCSH: Dogs-- Training. | Dogs--Behavior. | Aggressive behavior in animals. Classification: LCC SF431 .P45 2016 | DDC 636.7/0887--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015043473 eBook ISBN 978-1-62187-118-7 This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein. The techniques and suggestions are used at the reader’s discretion and are not to be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If you suspect a medical problem, consult your veterinarian. INTRODUCTION Unwanted canine behavior in the United States kills dogs at three times the rate that they die from cancer. A snarling, growling, or biting dog stands a serious chance of losing his life, and it often hardly matters what happened to the dog to provoke such a response. Our society is intolerant of dogs that demonstrate that they are uncomfortable in their environment with a warning growl or an air snap, and a bite can be a certain death warrant. Even so, when a dog does show aggressive behavior, many of us still deeply love that dog. It is our shared bond that puts committed dog owners on the hunt to find viable solutions for their best four-legged friends. Dogs have broken my heart in many ways, many times over. Through no fault of their own, dangerous or highly dysfunctional dogs do show up from time to time. I’ve cried alongside clients who’ve made the hardest decision that one has to make in a relationship with a dog, and that is to put the dog down before it is physically his time because of pathological, unsolvable behavior problems. My world was shattered when I walked that final road with a young female German Shepherd. Dogs have also healed me. They’ve been my confidants, my companions, my Dogs have also healed me. They’ve been my confidants, my companions, my protectors, and my life for fifty years. I have become an open-hearted human because of what I first learned from dogs—even though, like so many dogs I’ve helped, I had a rough start in life. With dogs by my side, I was able to survive a difficult childhood; one of my dogs even followed my bus to school every day and would seek me out during recess. I owe dogs a lot. One dog literally saved my life—twice. With dogs come their owners. I was so let down by observing the cruel things that humans do to dogs that I was becoming reactive (overreacting to everyday situations) and aggressive (defensive or even wanting to do harm) toward others. My level of compassion for dogs never waned, but my affection for people began to ebb away. Then something astounding happened: I found my tribe of humans. They are you: the owners who care enough about the well-being of their troubled dogs that they read a book like this one. Here, I share stories of my long life with dogs as a way to pay homage to their incredible natures and their willingness to be a great comfort to millions of us. Dogs bring us joy and love—at least, those are our expectations of them. Life gets complicated for man and dog alike when a dog’s behavior doesn’t match up with our expectations. I write for the average dog owner who finds him-or herself living with a dog that displays serious behavioral concerns, such as growling, lunging at other dogs or people, or attempting to bite other dogs or people. Some things in this book will be hard to read because I don’t shy away from sharing what can happen to dogs when owners don’t stand up for fair and ethical training and breeding practices. I also don’t leave out my own learning curve with dogs. We are not born experts, and I had to wade through bad dog- training information as much as anyone else. If you are living with a troubled dog, the most important thing you can do is bring in a truly experienced and knowledgeable dog trainer or behaviorist as soon as the unwanted behavior shows up. It does no one (least of all, the dog) any favors to wait with the expectation that your dog will outgrow these serious issues, such as aggression or fear-driven behavior. Dogs will get worse without proper, force-free intervention. Although I present some of the most modern, scientifically proven ways to help a dog, the very first thing I want you to do, before you try any of these tools yourself, is to get professional help and then use this book as an additional guide alongside the professional trainer’s work. I’ll tell you in this book how to find that qualified professional who will be able to help you master the tools you’ll need to see true behavioral change. help you master the tools you’ll need to see true behavioral change. I see this book as not only a warning about what not to do to but also as a truly inspiring journey that shows just how far dog owners are able to take their once- troubled housemates. Many of my clients have gone on to obtain the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen titles for their once-reactive dogs, and they are now out in the world, walking their dogs during normal hours, going on group hikes, and participating in dog sports. One of my goals in writing this book is to help troubled dogs find peace in their homes as their owners become more informed about canine behavior and how dogs learn. My goal is also to reach out through the pages to you—the compassionate owner—to tell you that you are not alone and that there are solutions for most dogs. We can often reduce our dogs’ anxiety, and we can often replace their unwanted behaviors with desired behaviors. In many ways, it is a fortunate time to own a troubled dog because so many bright minds across many fields of study are exploring what makes dogs tick and how we can best help them. My final goal is to serve as a coach in helping you change your dog’s behavior so that you can retire from the Midnight Dog Walkers’ Club: a lonely club of dog owners who become so embarrassed or worn out by their dogs’ behavior in public that they resort to walking their dogs at off hours in an attempt to avoid their dogs’ making a scene. It is true that in order to change another species’ behavior, we must first change our own. Change is not easy for you or for your dog, but it is worthwhile, especially when it brings serenity back into both of your lives. A troubled dog— especially one baring his teeth—does not have a good outlook for a long life especially one baring his teeth—does not have a good outlook for a long life without your help. It’s as simple and as real as that. I’ve walked countless dog owners through this process, and I have faith that you, too, can see improvements in your dog’s quality of life, thereby improving your own as well. Note: I have changed some of the humans’ and dogs’ names to provide privacy for my clients. I also chose to call dogs “him” or “her” and not “it.” I believe each dog to be a sentient, unique being with his or her own personality and therefore not an “it.” Chapter 1 WHAT IS THE MIDNIGHT DOG WALKERS’ CLUB? The Midnight Dog Walkers’ Club is a lonely and often tense place. Many of my clients and many of you reading this book are so concerned about or embarrassed by their dogs’ behavior in public that they take their dogs out at midnight. Walking a troubled dog at that hour—or at other off-peak hours—in an effort to keep the dog from barking, lunging, or growling (some of my clients describe their dogs as making “hysterical” sounds) at other dogs or people has become a solution of sorts for thousands of dog owners. On the surface, it seems like a viable, sensible solution, but there are problems with using this approach —one of them being that it lacks practicality. We’re busy people, and we’re also a sleepless nation, and we’re frankly too tired and our days too long to realistically take our dogs out for many late-night walks. The biggest concern with this solution is that it does nothing to help an anxious dog learn to relax around his triggers (stimuli in the environment that cause over-the-top reactions from the dog). Triggers are different for each dog, based over-the-top reactions from the dog). Triggers are different for each dog, based on what worries each individual dog. Other dogs are often a trigger, but it can be people, bikes, skateboards, baby strollers, and so on. I’ve worked with dogs that seemingly have just one trigger (for example, large black dogs with floppy ears), but many more dogs seem to have several. The trigger might even start out as just a fear of other dogs, but the dog remains in such a heightened state of worry that the fear response can expand to other triggers, such as children or bicycles. Some owners decide that it’s safest for everyone if their dogs never leave the confines of home. There are serious liability risks to having a snarling dog out in public, so I understand why some make this difficult choice. The stay-at-home choice also does not change the dog’s internal state. In fact, if the dog can see his trigger strolling past a window or fence each day, he will engage in fence running, which strengthens the very behavior we hate seeing on walks. The dog barks, lunges, and makes a real scene, and the scary thing moves away—thus the dog views his behavior as very effective (no matter that the other dog or person was headed away from the reactive dog’s territory on his or her own anyway). Reactive versus Aggressive What exactly is a “reactive dog,” the most common member of the Midnight Dog Walkers’ Club? A reactive dog is a dog whose arousal levels go beyond an adaptive level. Another way of putting it is this: a reactive dog is one that responds to normal events in his environment with a higher-than-normal level of intensity. Some of these overreactions include barking, whining, lunging, hypervigilance, panting, pacing, restlessness, and difficulty responding to his owner, even for well-known cues such as “sit.” There is a difference between a reactive dog and an aggressive dog, even though