Pit Bull
- Name
- Diablo
- Breed
- Pit Bull, Lab Mix
- Age
- 3.5 Years Old
- Sex
- Male
Overview
This case study features Diablo, a 3.5 year old Pitbull, lab mix. Diablo was adopted from the shelter when he was about 5 months old. Diablo and his family had worked with other trainers to help with his reactivity to dogs. They struggled with the fact that Diablo was not consistently motivated for food or toys, especially when he became anxious. They felt like they kept on hitting dead ends in his training. His family wanted to enjoy their walks with him, and help him learn how to socialize. They felt frustrated because the moment Diablo was around another dog they lost all connection to him — Diablo would bark, lunge and begin biting or chewing on his leash.
Process
The first step was to establish motivation in training. To do this we needed to develop healthy eating habits. Diablo was being free fed, which de-valued food and only made him 'pickier.' We adjusted the amount of food offered at each meal, picking up anything not eaten within 5-10 minutes. Food had also become 'poisoned' because Diablo frequently associated it with highly stressful situations (the close proximity of other dogs), so we began pairing food with other highly reinforcing activities — games of tug, walks, and games where Diablo would catch bubbles. Once we had established motivation, we started Mat Work training to improve communication, strengthen trust, and 'put relaxation on cue.'
Result
Once a healthy eating schedule was established, Diablo showed dramatic improvement in his response to training. The same games and activities his family loved to play with Diablo were used to re-frame his association with training. It wasn't long before his owners reported that Diablo was starting to 'check-in' when he saw other dogs on walks. They were even more excited that if he did go 'over-threshold,' he would quickly recover — whereas previously this would have left him frantic for the remainder of their walk.
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