Starting your puppy off right
What could be more adorable than the three pound ball of black and white fluff that was our new 8 week old puppy? Dezi is a Havanese, chosen for the breed’s small but sturdy size, companion role, and friendly, happy nature. Yet, in a matter of days, it was clear that something was wrong. Dezi growled and snapped at my husband and me he drew blood from my elderly Mom’s thin skin. This was not what we envisioned when we adopted our puppy.
At the time, I was enrolled in a course to become a dog trainer. I knew enough to realize that we had a problem, but I lacked the experience to know what to do.
Fortunately, I knew an excellent trainer who came to our home when we’d had Dezi for just one week. After observing and hearing about Dezi’s behavior, and trying for an hour to interact with him, she was unable to get Dezi to come within three feet, even for a liver treat. She confirmed that Dezi’s behavior was not typical, and recommended that we take him to Dr. Radosta for a complete evaluation. I scheduled an appointment and got started the next day with the evaluation process.
Soon we were in Dr. Radosta’s office where she spent 2 1/2 hours examining Dezi. We learned that Dezi was a fearful, anxious puppy, a condition that probably was genetic. Dr. Radosta told us that if we wanted a normal, easy puppy, Dezi would not qualify – he simply could not do it. If we chose to keep him, he would “always be a challenge”.
I didn’t know if we could live with this dog – his actions and his reactions to our family, friends, people on the street, other animals and new or unusual situations were constant unknowns. But, we realized that we already loved him and couldn’t give him up.
Puppyhood was rocky; he growled and resisted being picked up, he had to be restrained at his vet appointments and he was a challenge for his groomer. On walks in the neighborhood, the smallest unexpected noise resulted in Dezi dragging us home, tail down and body stiff. I made many calls to Dr. Radosta, who gave me detailed instructions for handling difficult behaviors and strong doses of moral support. She prescribed sertraline for Dezi’s anxiety, which helped tremendously.
Yet, over time, the project transformed from work into an effort of love –an effort in which Dezi and I became a team working toward the goal of a life for him in synch with his surroundings rather than at odds with them. Following Dr. Radosta’s instructions for training and socialization, my husband and I became adept at helping mold and control Dezi’s difficult behaviors. During the week, I took him out to meet people and dogs. I worked with him daily - training, handling, and playing with him. Every Saturday morning, from the age of 10 weeks to 6 months, he went to puppy playtime. Sundays were beach days, with Dezi off-leash, free to meet and greet. Weekends also included outings to dog friendly places. We used counter-conditioning to overcome his fears of strangers, motorcycles and thunder.
It all paid off. Dezi learned so much that his fear, now controlled, allowed an affectionate, playful, smart puppy to emerge. (He even won the first place trophy in beginner obedience!) And, I’ve learned so much from him that helps me to be a better trainer with my clients.
In March, Dezi turned four years old. He has many friends, human and canine, and adores his family. We’ve been a team through courses of obedience, rally, and agility. Dezi does very well in all of them. He performed a flawless agility demonstration at the crowded, noisy South Florida Pet Expo, and we’ve joined the Lucky Dog team for the Dog Agility Competition of Florida (DACOF).
Dezi is still afraid of fireworks and gunshot type sounds, but we can deal with that. We couldn’t be more proud of him, and we couldn’t live without him. He brings us joy and fun and unconditional love. He truly is the love of our lives.
Want to watch a video of Dezi running an agility course? Click here>>
At the time, I was enrolled in a course to become a dog trainer. I knew enough to realize that we had a problem, but I lacked the experience to know what to do.
Fortunately, I knew an excellent trainer who came to our home when we’d had Dezi for just one week. After observing and hearing about Dezi’s behavior, and trying for an hour to interact with him, she was unable to get Dezi to come within three feet, even for a liver treat. She confirmed that Dezi’s behavior was not typical, and recommended that we take him to Dr. Radosta for a complete evaluation. I scheduled an appointment and got started the next day with the evaluation process.
Soon we were in Dr. Radosta’s office where she spent 2 1/2 hours examining Dezi. We learned that Dezi was a fearful, anxious puppy, a condition that probably was genetic. Dr. Radosta told us that if we wanted a normal, easy puppy, Dezi would not qualify – he simply could not do it. If we chose to keep him, he would “always be a challenge”.
I didn’t know if we could live with this dog – his actions and his reactions to our family, friends, people on the street, other animals and new or unusual situations were constant unknowns. But, we realized that we already loved him and couldn’t give him up.
Puppyhood was rocky; he growled and resisted being picked up, he had to be restrained at his vet appointments and he was a challenge for his groomer. On walks in the neighborhood, the smallest unexpected noise resulted in Dezi dragging us home, tail down and body stiff. I made many calls to Dr. Radosta, who gave me detailed instructions for handling difficult behaviors and strong doses of moral support. She prescribed sertraline for Dezi’s anxiety, which helped tremendously.
Yet, over time, the project transformed from work into an effort of love –an effort in which Dezi and I became a team working toward the goal of a life for him in synch with his surroundings rather than at odds with them. Following Dr. Radosta’s instructions for training and socialization, my husband and I became adept at helping mold and control Dezi’s difficult behaviors. During the week, I took him out to meet people and dogs. I worked with him daily - training, handling, and playing with him. Every Saturday morning, from the age of 10 weeks to 6 months, he went to puppy playtime. Sundays were beach days, with Dezi off-leash, free to meet and greet. Weekends also included outings to dog friendly places. We used counter-conditioning to overcome his fears of strangers, motorcycles and thunder.
It all paid off. Dezi learned so much that his fear, now controlled, allowed an affectionate, playful, smart puppy to emerge. (He even won the first place trophy in beginner obedience!) And, I’ve learned so much from him that helps me to be a better trainer with my clients.
In March, Dezi turned four years old. He has many friends, human and canine, and adores his family. We’ve been a team through courses of obedience, rally, and agility. Dezi does very well in all of them. He performed a flawless agility demonstration at the crowded, noisy South Florida Pet Expo, and we’ve joined the Lucky Dog team for the Dog Agility Competition of Florida (DACOF).
Dezi is still afraid of fireworks and gunshot type sounds, but we can deal with that. We couldn’t be more proud of him, and we couldn’t live without him. He brings us joy and fun and unconditional love. He truly is the love of our lives.
Want to watch a video of Dezi running an agility course? Click here>>
