I still haven't managed to find a behaviourist - the only one who was recommended to me has apparently used an electric shock collar on an aggressive dog so I don't really feel comfortable getting in touch with her. Oh yes, and Barkbusters were another one - I think not!!! I took him to the vets for a check up just to make sure there was nothing physical and he appears fine. He has been put on a course of Ovarid to help him while we are trying to modify the behaviour which I'm not too sure about to be honest. Too early to say whether he is getting better but we are working hard
Gill,
where abouts in bonnie Scotland are you? there is a fellow course member of mine Tracy Mclennan who is also a ttouch practitioner who lives in Denny I think it is.
Sorry my geography of Scotland is so poor.
She is a friend of freya's (Crazy Spaniels) and if she is anywhere near you would be someone who would be good for you to meet.
you are right to stay away from anyone using an e collar to sort this type of issue as it in my oppinion is not anything to consider for a nervous reactive dog.
I am working with lots of dogs with these sorts of issues at the moment and I am using management techniques, confidence building, classical conditioning ,Ttouch and ttouch groundwork to work with these dogs.
Their is no quick fix for a reactive dog as i know as Douglas who has been with me for two years is still not 100 % around some dogs and I have been working with him since I got him.
I think his issues lie deeper than learned behaviour which has made his rehab difficult, wheras Bayley has responded a lot quicker as i believe his was a learned fear response but even so it has taken since february to trust him completly.
If you ever want to talk through anything please PM me and I would gladly give you my phone number if it would help.
mark