I got a call for help this week that I couldn’t resist responding to.

C and her husband have been rescuing  Labs for more than a decade when they finally ran into a special kind of dog, an “energetic, lovable,” and somewhat out of control puppy they adopted who is now three years old shows no signs of calming down yet.

The dog, C wrote, has an “insatiable” appetite for activity, and the couple has consulted various trainers, some of whom have begun suggesting medication to calm the dog down. Hyper-active Labs, like odd and crazy border collies, are two of the most common dog issues for rescue people and purebred people.

They are also the most challenging, responsive, and enjoyable. Many are being medicated for hyperactivity and other behavioral issues.

Dog medicine, like human medicine, is the last resort in my mind and is too often prescribed in place of training, imagination, and patience. Some medications can help damaged dogs, but there is a lot to try before we get to that point, and I’ve never agreed to medicate a dog for a behavioral problem. Big  Pharma has become a huge and lucrative business, just like human Big Pharma.

Be careful.

Only a vet should recommend that; I’m still not sure I’d do it.

These are interesting issues for me because both breeds – especially Labs and BCs –  tend to be lovable and loyal and have owners that resist giving up on them or medicating them. I’ve had a couple of those myself.

Vets and trainers don’t seem to have a lot of tools or ideas for helping the truly hyperactive dog.

And when these dogs are rescued, they are twice as difficult to help since we often never know what happened to them and what shaped their behaviors. That makes rescuing them and helping them something akin to Russian Roulette.

This issue is different from aggression; it is usually not dangerous. But it can be very disturbing. I’ve had good luck dealing with it, but I have to hear more from C and pepper her and her husband with questions.

It could be breeding troubles, trauma or abuse, or too much time in shelters and different homes.

Since we can’t ever really be sure what triggered extreme behaviors in rescues, we have to be creative, patient, and willing to experiment and fail, and experiment and fail. C is one of those people who wants to stick with it.

Typically, the first thing I ask in a behavior problem is what is the early history of the dog. Rescue people can’t help me with that in most cases.

So we have to guess.

Every trainer in the world claims to be a positive reinforcement trainer these days, and I train with that method – watching for the good, praising it, and shutting your mouth during the bad.

I also am a human being, and so are dog people. Sometimes we lose it and shout and yell. It does no good, but it happens.

I had to try a dozen different things before I got Bud to stop shaking, marking the future, and getting him to look at me so I could finally train him. I taped my mouth shut to keep from yelling when dealing with a border collie (Rose) who wouldn’t stop eating sheep and donkey poop. That worked much of the time.C

C’s dog is a perpetual fear-motion machine. Labs are always somewhat more accessible to calming because they all love food above almost anything. That is often the pathway to calming them down.

But what I most try to do is think outside of the box. I don’t have ten assistants and a TV show, nor do you.  I can’t do the things Cesar does. We have to figure things out ourselves.

I am a great advocate for daily calming training, which takes little time, lots of patience, and smelly treats.

“I would love to know your thoughts on how we can better understand him..his genetics, intelligence, how to best handle his personality, and any other thoughts you might have,” she wrote.

I was impressed with C’s letter and its thoughtfulness and compassion.

Since I can’t talk with her dog, it is essential that she and I can speak openly and easily if I can be of help. I read the help messages carefully; this is; this one for me and a testament to a true dog lover.

My Dog Support program is in its second trial week; after C tonight, I’ll have spoken with seven different people. I’m booked up through early next week; I plan four sessions weekly, one on the weekend, and meetings at 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

I write in the morning and early afternoon, a protect that time. I’m not willing to take anything away from the blog. And I like to talk so I have too often ended up going over time. I’m going to get more disciplined about that. More time, more payment.

I don’t accept requests if they are beyond my ability to help. I don’t want to waste anyone’s money or my time.

I’m not a vet or a professional trainer. I’m an ordinary dog trainer who believes we rarely need expensive books and videos if we get creative and think about our dogs the way C is.

I charge $50 per half hour and prefer payment by Paypal and Venmo in advance for bookkeeping and other reasons. I am accepting checks now, but I am told I probably won’t for too long. I don’t have a business head, and up-to-date records are critical to keeping order, paying taxes, and keeping my bookkeeper from strangling me.

If you and your dog have a problem you’re struggling with and think I can help, e-mail me, and if we decide to work together, I’ll send the payment and other details along. I do Zoom, face-time, and the phone. It all begins with my e-mail: [email protected].

I’ve been warned strongly not to accept checks, but I am inclined to trust dog people, and if I get burned, I’ll change the policy. I want to give trust a try. Sometimes the calls dribble over to 45 minutes or an hour. If that happens, I’ll ask for an additional $25.

I’m in a trial mode now; I ‘l finalize all of this later.

So far, I love this work, I love helping people, and I don’t mind getting paid for my work. I think I am also helping people and a lot of dogs.

I’ll have more to say in the coming weeks.

__

The photo above: Zinnia and Bud keeping each other warm on a chilly night.