Ruh roh: Major Biden 'nips' National Parks Service staffer

[yellowdogintexas]

52. The trainer who helped our daughter's pit bull get over his fear agression recommended two things:

a prong collar (which if used properly does NOT harm the dog) and a very high quality muzzle.

This poor dog (he was 2 and raised from babyhood by my daughter) developed fear aggression to strange men and other dogs. He got all worked up by a stranger and then unintentionally nipped one of our neighbors who just happened to come along at the exact wrong time. He knew and loved this lady too. So we had to deal with animal control, he had to be in quarantine for 10 days at animal control, then we had to sign papers that he would get training and which stated if he had a second incident he would be put down. So she researched and found this trainer who just really turned this dog's life completely around.
Cobain's muzzle was very durable acrylic with ventilation holes and an opening to allow him to drink water or give kisses. To get him interested in the whole idea, she painted the inside of the muzzle with peanut butter. So the dog had the muzzle to keep people from worrying and to prevent incidents ,and the peanut butter to keep him preoccupied. He would lick on that thing forever!!! (any time he was in a new situation she put the muzzle on to reassure the new people)

Her trainer recommends the prong collar because you do not have to tug hard or jerk the dog to get its attention. Cobain decided it was just fine because she only put it on him when they were going outside, which he loved. When he saw that collar come out he was ready to go.

Another thing which could be very helpful (and which helped Cobain a LOT ) was a doggy back pack. It had zip pouches in the side which held a couple of bottles of water. For some reason this put him into 'work' mode and he became Serious Dog. He would clown around with it on until that water went in the pouch and then he was a whole different dog, focused and ready to work

GSD are work dogs and they need a job. (maybe Major needs something to herd)

One more thing and then I will go away: whatever type of doggy school or trainer they get, his caretaker (s) at the WH need to be at the training along with Major. Our daughter went through every second of his training right by his side and learned how to manage him right on the spot. This trainer specialized in bully breeds, protective dogs and can train the fear aggression out of the dog. Cobain was terrified of large dogs especially if they were black ( he was attacked as a young dog by a large black Dobie); Butch had us bring him down when he was hosting a sort of homecoming for the dogs he had worked with. Poor Cobain had to walk down a walkway with barking dogs behind fences on either side of him. He was not happy but he stayed focused and kept his nose straight ahead.

After graduation from K-9 Kollege he never had any problems and he lived another 10 years.