of all the problems that a trainer or owner can face with a dog. Website design By BotEap.comAn example of this was a 200-pound Newfoundland that was brought to us for training ten years ago. Website design By BotEap.com“Samson” had been purchased as a cute and cuddly puppy by a crew member of a ship that specialized in taking church groups and college students for weekend cruises in a local port. The breed had been selected for their reputation as excellent water rescue dogs. Everything was going according to plan on the weekend excursions until Samson was a year old. The owner noticed that on a weekend trip a cheerleader had started to liven up the trip and the dog suddenly became extremely aggressive towards her. Fortunately, the dog had been tied up and restrained. Website design By BotEap.comThe owner had dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding by the dogs towards the girls.
body language and loud voice. He brought the dog to us after the following incident where the dog
after a similar trip, he had walked the gang plank with two girls petting him and showing him affection. He explained that the girls’ boyfriends had shown up and as the girls were leaving, the dog had pounced on one of the girls’ legs with its mouth open and a growl. One of the boyfriends seeing this had kicked the dog in the head. The dog then turned and grabbed the boyfriend by the leg dragging him to the ground. The owner explained this by saying that “if I was kicked in the head, I would bite it too.” Website design By BotEap.comSamson came into the office wagging his tail and had slobbery kisses for everyone.
He obeyed commands and correction and sought praise and attention. He was very comfortable with himself and showed no signs of shyness or aggression. he was registered
to train and his first ten days went by without a hitch. Samson willingly learned all the commands from him, including the down command. The down command is usually the one that will be difficult if dominance is a factor, as dogs will see this as challenging and a subordinate position. Samson was more than willing to undergo the training and enjoyed the praise that came with a job well done. Website design By BotEap.comOn day ten, the Kennel Techs were cleaning the kennels and moving the dogs as needed to sanitize them. When they got to Samson’s kennel, one of the girls entered her kennel on a hurried leash.
and tied him up to move him to another kennel. He was happy wagging his tail. When she
he got to the clean race where she was going to put him he resisted. She had entered the kennel and turned to him saying “come on boy, let’s go” in a high-pitched tone of praise. The next thing he knew, he was onto her. He knocked her to the ground and grabbed her leg dragging her to the rear of her run as he shook her off. The other Kennel Tech reported that it looked like a Grizzly Bear attack. Website design By BotEap.comShe screamed and he shook her. The other girl had the presence of mind and the courage to go into the kennel and stick the hose she was washing with up the dog’s nose so it would come loose. Website design By BotEap.comHe was so focused on his victim that when they released her and ran to the door to escape, he ran past the girl with the hose and caught her in the door. He grabbed her other leg and pulled her up as she held on to the door. He lifted her face down into the air. The second girl shoved the hose up his nose again, giving them both precious seconds to escape. Website design By BotEap.comKennel Tech was taken to the emergency room where the doctor reported that the wounds on her legs, while serious, were miraculously placed in a place where there would be no permanent damage. This is the worst scenario a coach can face. You can usually judge a dog by the behavior he exhibits in a consultation as well as the information you get from the client. In this case, the client had explained the assault and, in hindsight, probably withheld some other information. Website design By BotEap.comUnfortunately, withholding information is all too common when a client consults with a trainer. The usual excuse for this is that they don’t want to pit the trainer against the dog. The unfortunate result of this can endanger personnel. Website design By BotEap.comIn another case, we witnessed a woman’s eleven-month-old Doberman Pinscher attack her in front of our eyes. He knocked her to the ground and started biting her in the ribcage area. when we arrived
to her rescue we were bitten multiple times in the process of saving her. Unfortunately, after the dog was safely placed in a crate (after all three of us were bitten nine times), she left saying that her husband would have to make the final decision on what happened to the dog. Instead of taking the dog to a neurologist as we had suggested, she left him with a Doberman rescue group. In this case, her relaxation of conscience by not euthanizing the dog puts other unsuspecting people at risk. Website design By BotEap.comThis is an example of what NOT to do. Website design By BotEap.com“Rage Syndrome” is in fact an epileptic seizure in the emotional lobe of the dog’s brain. Like other forms of epilepsy (motor or behavioral), the dog behaves normally 98% of the time. is 2%
that’s the problem. This can happen in any breed of dog. I have seen it to date on a Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Mongrel, the aforementioned Dobermans and Newfoundlands, and about a half dozen Springer Spaniels. Yes, I said Springer Spaniel. This condition is common enough in the breed to be commonly known as “Springer’s Rabies”. Jumpers have more of a genetic predisposition towards this condition for some reason than other breeds. Again, I must stress that this is extremely rare and therefore just because you have a Springer Spaniel you should never assume that this condition will automatically be a problem. Website design By BotEap.comLike other forms of epilepsy, this condition can be treated with phenobarbital, which has the effect of decreasing seizures in the brain. The obvious problem in the case of “Rabies Syndrome” is that even one occurrence is too many and therefore dogs diagnosed with this condition are usually euthanized. Because the stakes are so high, it is recommended to seek at least two opinions before making a diagnosis. The best professional opinion you can get is a Neurologist. Your vet can give you their opinion as well as a referral. In the case of a client with a Springer Spaniel, the owner was honest with us and explained that his veterinarian had suggested euthanizing the dog. He said that she would feel more comfortable if we were willing to evaluate the dog and give her a second opinion. In this case we take the dog for observation. It took her about a week to see the normally sweet dog fly into a murderous rage for no apparent reason. The dog then returned to his normal state with no apparent memory of his actions. Unfortunately, we had to agree with the owner’s vet that the dog should be euthanized. Website design By BotEap.comThis condition is also being studied in humans. Almost every condition that can be found in a dog’s brain can be found in a human. These tests may one day explain some criminal behavior in humans. The symptoms of this condition are: Website design By BotEap.com* Unexplained aggression that comes out of nowhere. Website design By BotEap.com* Aggression that appears to be unrelated to dominance. Website design By BotEap.com* A marked change in the eyes of the dogs, growling and growling, lunging. Website design By BotEap.com* The dog seems to stop the behavior as suddenly as it started. Website design By BotEap.com* The dog appears to have no recollection of the previous aggressive behavior. Website design By BotEap.com* Unpredictable timing of aggression. Website design By BotEap.comWhat to do if you think your dog has “Rabies Syndrome” Website design By BotEap.com* Do not try to diagnose it yourself. Owners are often wrong about the causes of aggression. Website design By BotEap.com*Look for at least two professional opinions (Veterinarians and Trainers) At least one Veterinarian. Website design By BotEap.com*Give your professional advisers all the data you can think of. Do not hide information! Website design By BotEap.com* Do not put others in danger. If you think your dog has “Rabies Syndrome” do not leave him with Website design By BotEap.comkids. Remove him from all situations where he could hurt someone. Website design By BotEap.com* Don’t make excuses for behavior that scares you or others. Being afraid of your dog must be Website design By BotEap.comthe first indicator that professional help should be sought for diagnosis and/or treatment. Website design By BotEap.comTo learn more about “Rage Syndrome” as well as other causes of aggression, I suggest you read Dog Training 101: The Book That Puts You In Control. You can find this book on my website at: http://www.K-9Companions.com