Hoobie's Vet Visit

Hoobie needed to go to the vet to get a lump checked out, which presented itself as the owners were leaving from Canada to here. It was aspirated at my vets, and it didn't show any tumor cells or infection. We don't want to cause Hoobie anymore pain now, so no addition biopsy, but watching it's progress for the next two weeks.

He did have an yeasty ear infection. I was expecting a whopper of a temper tantrum, and my husband was going to capture it, but instead Hoobie was a gentleman and innocence itself.

At one point on the tape I say Hoobie presented his true self right away. I worded that wrong, I meant that Hoobie showed his learned aggressive behaviors right away, though not full blown (no attacking at the movement of my computer mouse, OR if I brush my pants et). When I normally use the term "true self" in dog training, I usually mean the dog that emerges once the fearful issues and bossy without context issues are addressed. That is the dog's true self in a domestic environment. Not a dog without issues or flaws, but a dog that is at their best for their individual makeup.


AT the end I am showing the vet, who is doubting my sanity now, the bruises left by Hoobie's paws by his previous tantrums as he tried to grab me to bite me (muzzles are an awesome way to wait a dog out, without allowing him to bite and showing him that he is alive and safe when he is all done). I will write more about when you work dogs with muzzles, and then transitioning them off during everyday life activities later. He has not tried to grab me with his paws or had a tantrum in three days (counting today, and assuming it stays that way).

Here are some photos I took. I wish I got a tantrum on tape. The owners, I am sure, are quite familiar with how it looks. At that point, I was totally concentrating on Hoobie, rather than instructing my husband to grab the video camera!!

I could have avoided being bruised (and keep in mind I do bruise like a peach) by swiveling the leash and D ring up behind Hoobie's neck. However, I thought it a good time to show Hoobie that he won't get away with bullying me from the front, and if he was going to go into a full out tantrum, what better time to work it well than when he is on muzzle. These bruises happened towards the end of week 1, as we began working on touch with muzzle on. Now we are at the end of week 2.

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