Mia’s owners contacted us to help with some home relations between dogs. Mia lives with Dizzy, another Pet Journey. Mia’s owners were concerned as there had been a behaviour change between Dizzy and Mia since some medical problems had started with Mia.

This meant that at evening times, there would be frayed tempers and they would need to be separated. This was a concern for their owners as, with Mia and Dizzy both being young large dogs, the possibility of future altercations escalating into injuries was a big worry.

First Assessment

During the assessment of Dizzy and Mia, it was found that they had good relations and enjoyed lots of play together. So much so, they would play together the majority of the day, but showed a good level of role reversals and tolerance for each other. However, with Mia’s current medical problems she was potentially feeling sore in the evening, meaning she didn’t want to play.

Behaviour Plan

For the behaviour plan, we introduced some calm behaviours together and introduced safety behaviours to separate them if needed. We also ensured, with the help of Mia’s vet, that she was kept comfortable with pain relief until we could be sure she was recovered from her medical problems. Dizzy and Mia have started their settle work already and are coming on leaps and bounds. So far although there can be times of frayed relations, Dizzy’s owners are brilliant at managing them both and preventing any escalation. Importantly, they have more time of being in harmony and they still enjoy playing together while being supervised.

Ongoing

The next plan for Mia is to work on frustration and impulse control to help at home and possible separation work as she can be vocal when left. We look forward to seeing Mia for her sessions as she is growing in confidence each time, and starting to enjoy her treats during training! With the help of her veterinary team, we also hope that Mia’s medical conditions can soon be resolved and she can start her full recovery period soon!