Winning with a Very Nervous Aggressive dog

I recently shared a video of us winning at treating a very nervous aggressive dog. Here is the full length video for anyone wondering whether it can be done for their dogs. 

We can’t deny that no dogs are the same and a win for some won’t mean a win for them all. But the point is, we will give every dog a good chance and add all the interventions we can, to reduce stress. 

This is not an example of awesome physio on a dog. I have chosen to share this as an example of awesome adapting to the needs of the patient.
I am often asked if I can treat aggressive dogs.

In this video, you can see an example of a dog in need of help, who comes round to the physio. If this interests you, please watch to the end.

This dog is a rescue who has clearly had some problems in the past. The owner is exceptional and did a IMDT trainer qualification, to be able to solve her dog’s issues. Sadly they are not resolvable, but she has an amazing relationship with him.

She explained everything before, on the phone so I was well prepared for the session. The owner told me he has never been able to be well examined by the vets. So she was amazed to see how well he handled his first consult with me. He is muzzled as the owner has him well muzzle trained and insisted on this. This was the right choice. Every case is different as no two emotional needs are the same in humans or animals.

I always make sure the environment is as relaxing as possible. I have relaxing dog music on and Pet remedy for relaxation.
He did not stop growling at me, but his body language was very different to his vocals. He chose not to move away from me and at the end he even chose to come to me.

At session 3 you can see he is simply relaxed immediately. He has moments of worry, but overall he is a different dog.

I am very proud of managing this dog whilst being sympathetic to his emotional needs.
I am thrilled to report that his program is going really well and he is improving.  

Bug was referred for physio by his vet as they suspected neck pain. His mum is now seeing so much change in him at home that she feels it’s likely the discomfort has been there for many years. But it’s never been picked up by anyone until now. This was not for lack of opportunity. But in a rescue situation, you have no previous behaviour to compare with, and some pains are such a dull background ache, that they are not obvious. 

We are just thrilled we are helping now. Bug is responding really well and is moving onto a maintenance program for his neck. 

If you want to catch up on our past videos, then take a look at our vlogs page. You can also watch out shows live on our facebook and youtube channels.