Helping dog aggressive dogs - a follow up to the Neesley dogs story

June 28, 7:05 PMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

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Pete Neesley rescued Boris and Mama from
the mean streets of Baghdad.

Pete built a dog house near the barracks.

The Neesley's already had 2 golden retrievers.

Catherine O'Driscoll is an animal communicator.

We recently met Carey Neesley, the sister of a solder who died in Iraq. Through the help of generous and ingenious benefactors, the Neesley family was able to bring home the dogs Carey's brother Peter had rescued from the streets of Baghdad.

I asked Carey how the dogs were getting along, and they were doing well, except one problem - they were extremely aggressive to the Neesley family's two golden retrievers. There is nothing scarier than big dogs fighting. It's dangerous for the dogs as well as anyone trying to break up the fight.

As a clicker trainer, I would advise the Neesley's to start clicker training all four dogs to do a behavior, for instance, sit and stay. The idea would be to ask the dogs to sit every time they would normally lunge for each other. But, as mentioned, dog aggressive dogs create a dangerous hazard to dogs and to people. I decided to check with some associates for their suggestions.

My colleague, Nashville Pet Training Examiner Tracy B Ann, had recommendations about the dogs' diet. She suggests:

• Switch the dogs to a low protein food. 16% to 18% protein. If they have to go to a senior food that's ok. If the dogs are too thin they can add oil to the food. Tufts University did a study years ago on the correlation between high protein and aggression. Drop the protein down and the aggression often disappears by itself. (Sometimes it takes a bit of behavior modification as well) It takes two weeks to see a difference.
• Check food ingredients for sugar. It will show up as corn syrup, beet pulp or sorghum. You want to avoid a food with this as an ingredient. Sugar makes everyone grumpy.
• Check the food for ingredients that Dr. Atkins would not approve of, because carbs turn into sugar. So if the first ingredients are: corn, wheat, milled rice, etc., what you have is sugar.
• Try Innova Senior food. It has turkey as the first ingredient and turkey has tryptophan which has a calming effect. (It's what makes you sleepy on Thanksgiving Day.)

Because it's an especially difficult case - the dogs came from another country where they lived a feral street life and lost the one person who ever cared for them - I also contacted animal communicator Catherine O'Driscoll. Catherine's insightful response follows:

The problem is that domestic animals pick up on the energies of the people they live with, and they can also – especially in places of warfare – carry the group or tribal energies that are around them. Both Mama and Boris have taken on the energies, or thought patterns, of refugees.

Mama said: “I don’t like other dogs because they say I am a foreigner. I am not meant to be in America, they tell me. We are at war. Iraq is full of murderers and terrorists. I am blamed for all the world’s problems. My main concern is that I will be arrested and put in a military prison.”

Boris added: “I am labelled and mistrusted.”

I have done some EFT (emotional freedom technique) healing on both of them, which will surely help (surrounding the above issues).

I also suggest that Carey and her family acquire something that Mama and Boris can wear that carries the American flag. She should tell them proudly that they are American citizens, and that they were chosen by a very special American (her brother Peter) to live in America.

They are accepted as peace envoys from Iraq, and they are in America to work as peace warriors between Iraq and America. They need to feel proud to be in America, rather than labelled and mistrusted. It would also help if Carey tells the golden retrievers, in the presence of Mama and Boris, that the Iraqi dogs have come as peace envoys.

Tracy B Ann pointed out that 4th of July is just around the corner, and provides a great opportunity for the Neesley's to celebrate the day with their dogs. And it's the perfect time to find a patriotic bandana or collar for the dogs.

Both Tracy B Ann and Catherine O'Driscoll also suggested flower essences.

Catherine's pick is Green Hope Farm's flower essence called ‘Outburst’ for dogs who pick up the negativity of those around them and subsequently behave aggressively. It can be ordered via email from green.hope.farm@valley.net.

Tracy B Ann favors Bach Flower Essence 'Beech' to help promote tolerance. Put it in all water bowls and on the dogs bodies as often as you think of it. She also suggests anyone who rescues dogs should keep a big supply of Bach's Rescue Remedy on hand - it's the one for times of severe stress.

We are all optimistic that the Neesley's will have success overcoming this problem. And I'll start by no longer calling Mama and Boris 'the Iraqi dogs'. From now on they'll be referred to as 'the Neesley dogs'.

The advice presented in this article is helpful for anyone who is struggling with dogs who don't get along.

• Contact Catherine for her assistance communicating with your pet at catherine@carsegray.co.uk.
• Contact Carey Neesley at cneesley2@comcast.net.
• And you can read Tracy B Ann's column at http://www.examiner.com/x-10785-Nashville-Pet-Training-Examiner