Youngsville, NC- It started over the July 4th weekend. Finally, the Mr. and Mrs. are seeing improvement in the unexpected turn of events with the Palace guard dogs, Zedd and Toven.
The guard dogs have been at odds since the Mr. and Mrs.'s trip over the July 4th weekend. The angry barking, growling, and battle scars convinced the Mr. and Mrs. that some other form of intervention needed to be taken. The search began for a trainer to come into the Palace to advise of the situation. K-9 behavior specialist Ryan Douglas of Smithfield, NC, was chosen to take on this task. The end result of the two hour training session? A few tears shed by the Mrs., and an adjusted attitude in what it means to be in charge of the guard dogs.
Some of the changes you'll see happening around the Palace include walking the guard dogs together frequently to rebuild their trust in each other and increase the amount of exercise the guard dogs receive. The Mr. and Mrs. have also changed the guard dogs' feeding habits, availability of palace toys, and where the guard dogs sleep. That's right- no more furniture lounging or bed sleeping.
"We control their resources now. It is our food we are giving to them. They earn our attention through obedience of commands. They get to play with our toys when we decide it's time for them to play. Not that we want their food or toys, but they need to understand we are in control and we are their leaders, not the other way around," reports the Mrs. "It's a complete turn around from how we were handling them, and thankfully I think they are finally getting it."
Other changes in the palace involve the physical separation of the guard dogs' crates. In an effort to remove the fight for alpha-male in the Palace, guard dog Toven was neutered August 4. The guard dogs are walked together with no signs of aggression, and following a walk they are able to lay approximately 3-5 feet apart in the Palace living room. The Mr. and Mrs. next goal is to bring them together without walking them first to see how they react. "Walking them first helps them form a pack mentality in being together, so fighting isn't on their horizon. Bringing them together first then walking will truly test the progress we've made," says the Mrs. "We have a long way to go. The trainer expects that by Christmas we should see major improvements. If not, we will have to consider re-homing one of them. However, the Mr. and I fully believe we can work this rivalry out."
Stay tuned. Stay faithful.
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