Meet Angel
To Learn Details About Angel, Visit Her Official Listing-
5-2-2019
April 26, 2019 Be A Good Dog University's Canine Education Instructor, Trina, met with the staff of Stover Animal Rescue and observed several of the dogs, including Angel. She was immediately selected for behavior modification as she displayed "Intense Anxiety" territorial behavior from within her kennel.
A personalized modification plan is currently being formed by all those involved and will be carried out by Be A Good Dog University's Canine Education Over-Sight Instructor, Gwen and Canine Education In-House Instructor, Amy. Once the plan is complete, it will be posted here.
5-6-2019
May 5, 2019 Gwen and Amy visited Angel. This is the summary submitted by Amy:
"Here is my take on today's interactions with Angel...Today, We were able to have the help of the volunteer who was the first person Angel met & bonded with. I thought this way the volunteer, 'Mary' could help to show Angel that we were not going to hurt her. While loose in the play area, Angel obsessively barked at Gwen & I, as she trotted around. Mary sat on the ground with her. I joined her, shortly after. She began to circle closer to me, and then concentrated on Gwen to bark at. This exercise is very time consuming, but very effective.
I am going to spend some one on one time with Angel on Monday morning. I plan on sitting outside with her in the play area for a while, so she can get rid of some of that energy. Breakfast will be withheld until after our session. Phase two will take place in the kennel office area. I will block the main isle road keep her in close to me. During this time, I am going to sit at the desk, and read, or read on my phone. I will ignore her. And we will go from there. My goal is to gain her trust, without distractions. I will sit with her for hours if I have to."
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It is recommended, at this point, that the volunteer not be present during Angel's therapy sessions as she may be a cause for distraction as well as a source of anxiety when in the presence of strangers. For some dogs, a familiar person is helpful, but what is being observed with Angel is that the sense of security being associated with the familiar volunteer only elevates her territorial reactions. The stress-free gradual approach Amy will be taking with her will help her to relax and learn to trust Amy. Once trust is firmly established, we will then be able to begin more confidence building exercises and activities. We are also going to utilize calming-products during her sessions.
UPDATE: 5/5/2019
Amy checks in with her visit with Angel today.
11:00am "I have been sitting on the floor with Angel for close to an hour. She has been distracted by the other dogs being fed. Now things are quieter outside. She has barked at them, and me non stop. She needs a drink, but won't get one yet."
1:00pm "What a FANTASTIC session with Angel! It took 90 minutes until I could even communicate with her. But, good things come to those who wait! And they sure did! I spent some time laying on the floor. Her anxiety is so severe that I had to be that submissive to her to develop a line of trust.
As we were finishing up, there was a little dog there with Nancy. Angel really seemed to like him. I got some treats & gave one to the little dog, so then of course she wants to see what she got. I tossed a couple her direction. She ate them. She then took a piece from my hand. The other dog helped her feel more comfortable. He was a big help in the trust department.
I let Angel run with the leash on, back to her kennel. She followed me like a champ. I did have her dinner in n my hands. I gave it to her, and had to look away from her while she ate, or she would back away. I hadn't been able to get close enough to her to take the leash off. She got a little tangled. So before she panicked, I untied the leash. Now, I had her. She balked a bit, but a bit of pull, release and she settled down & came to me. I then walked her around her kennel on lead. She did very very well. I was finally able to pet her."
⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎
A personalized modification plan is currently being formed by all those involved and will be carried out by Be A Good Dog University's Canine Education Over-Sight Instructor, Gwen and Canine Education In-House Instructor, Amy. Once the plan is complete, it will be posted here.
5-6-2019
May 5, 2019 Gwen and Amy visited Angel. This is the summary submitted by Amy:
"Here is my take on today's interactions with Angel...Today, We were able to have the help of the volunteer who was the first person Angel met & bonded with. I thought this way the volunteer, 'Mary' could help to show Angel that we were not going to hurt her. While loose in the play area, Angel obsessively barked at Gwen & I, as she trotted around. Mary sat on the ground with her. I joined her, shortly after. She began to circle closer to me, and then concentrated on Gwen to bark at. This exercise is very time consuming, but very effective.
I am going to spend some one on one time with Angel on Monday morning. I plan on sitting outside with her in the play area for a while, so she can get rid of some of that energy. Breakfast will be withheld until after our session. Phase two will take place in the kennel office area. I will block the main isle road keep her in close to me. During this time, I am going to sit at the desk, and read, or read on my phone. I will ignore her. And we will go from there. My goal is to gain her trust, without distractions. I will sit with her for hours if I have to."
⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎
It is recommended, at this point, that the volunteer not be present during Angel's therapy sessions as she may be a cause for distraction as well as a source of anxiety when in the presence of strangers. For some dogs, a familiar person is helpful, but what is being observed with Angel is that the sense of security being associated with the familiar volunteer only elevates her territorial reactions. The stress-free gradual approach Amy will be taking with her will help her to relax and learn to trust Amy. Once trust is firmly established, we will then be able to begin more confidence building exercises and activities. We are also going to utilize calming-products during her sessions.
UPDATE: 5/5/2019
Amy checks in with her visit with Angel today.
11:00am "I have been sitting on the floor with Angel for close to an hour. She has been distracted by the other dogs being fed. Now things are quieter outside. She has barked at them, and me non stop. She needs a drink, but won't get one yet."
1:00pm "What a FANTASTIC session with Angel! It took 90 minutes until I could even communicate with her. But, good things come to those who wait! And they sure did! I spent some time laying on the floor. Her anxiety is so severe that I had to be that submissive to her to develop a line of trust.
As we were finishing up, there was a little dog there with Nancy. Angel really seemed to like him. I got some treats & gave one to the little dog, so then of course she wants to see what she got. I tossed a couple her direction. She ate them. She then took a piece from my hand. The other dog helped her feel more comfortable. He was a big help in the trust department.I let Angel run with the leash on, back to her kennel. She followed me like a champ. I did have her dinner in n my hands. I gave it to her, and had to look away from her while she ate, or she would back away. I hadn't been able to get close enough to her to take the leash off. She got a little tangled. So before she panicked, I untied the leash. Now, I had her. She balked a bit, but a bit of pull, release and she settled down & came to me. I then walked her around her kennel on lead. She did very very well. I was finally able to pet her."
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The Stress-Free Gentle Approach Has Earned Angel's Trust In Amy! Having the other dog to assist was one of the many patient and strategic key components to the success of today's session!
The next session is already planned and we will update then!
UPDATE: 5/8/2019
Amy spent the afternoon with Angel and her buddy, Fillon. Fillon proved to be an extremely positive influence for Angel as Amy demonstrated she was no threat to either dog. We discussed Angel's visible discomfort and reasoned that she has all the hallmarks of a "backyard" dog. Meaning- she either lived at the end of a chain or in a fenced yard with extremely limited socialization, even from her owners. A "backyard" dog is free to make their own decisions at any given time and as they sit, stale and stagnant watching the world going on around them, the only mental and physical stimulation often expresses itself through territorial alarm. This explains why she is super cautious of strangers and feels "threatened" by anyone she does not know. Amy is doing wonders for her by just asking Angel to "enter her calm". These pictures speak for themselves!
UPDATE: 5/8/2019
Amy spent the afternoon with Angel and her buddy, Fillon. Fillon proved to be an extremely positive influence for Angel as Amy demonstrated she was no threat to either dog. We discussed Angel's visible discomfort and reasoned that she has all the hallmarks of a "backyard" dog. Meaning- she either lived at the end of a chain or in a fenced yard with extremely limited socialization, even from her owners. A "backyard" dog is free to make their own decisions at any given time and as they sit, stale and stagnant watching the world going on around them, the only mental and physical stimulation often expresses itself through territorial alarm. This explains why she is super cautious of strangers and feels "threatened" by anyone she does not know. Amy is doing wonders for her by just asking Angel to "enter her calm". These pictures speak for themselves!
Angel's first encounters with Amy, she would not approach her at all. Instead, she remained a safe distance, in a perpetual barking tantrum.
With a gentle, stress-free approach, in a quiet safe-place, Amy has earned her trust in just 2 sessions.
Be sure to check back often as we watch Angel's inner-dog begin to shine!
UPDATE: 5-15-19
We have several developments to add to Angel's Journey!
On May 10th, 2019 Amy reports:
"Friday Morning Summary...Big improvements today!!! I actually had the same dog I left the night before! She was stand off-ish at first, but was easy to put a leash on. We went for a walk, and spent some time smelling the air & enjoying the sunshine. We did a couple returns to the inside kennel, then I went to get her again. Third time, she was jumping on the gate, looking for me to take her out!!! The jumping on the gate is bad, but not in her situation. She was eager to come with me! We went on another walk, she had her sniffer going. She does have this obsession with circling people. She started to do this on our walk. After I corrected her, she walked with me on lead like a champ!!! I am So PROUD of ANGEL baby!!! Then upon returning to her outside kennel, she tried to rush in. We re-entered and waited. She was perfect.
Unfortunately I am working late tonight & tomorrow. I would like to spend some time with her in the morning. I cannot afford to miss a single day with her!!"
On May 13, 2019 Wayne Rogers, Be A Good Dog University's Canine Education Instructor from Eldon visited Angel and the other dogs at the Stover Animal Shelter. Here are his observations:
"So today I went to Stover Animal Rescue, and got to meet some of the wonderful dogs there in person. I also met with Amy and had a fantastic time. In my visit I took note of a few things and figured I'd go ahead and share them here.
Angel was very standoffish towards me upon meeting, typical behavior and I'm leaning towards kennel psychosis, possible adverse treatment in the past being a cause. She most certainly needs more time and love. I recommended to Patty and Amy both to change her environment both on the inside and outside kennels. Otherwise I truly felt Amy was doing fantastic with her.
All in all, I'd say it was a productive visit and I give a huge round of applause to the staff members at Stover Animal Rescue. They have done an amazing job so far and I look forward to working with them again in the future."
On May 14, 2019 Amy reports:
"We moved Angel to her new pen today. When I arrived, she did not bark at me, she was actually happy to see me! New bed, clean pad/blanket. We did a leadership walk around it, explored the new dogloo and dog house. Went spent time being caught in the alleyways of the kennels. Big improvements there. She played with BJ and Abby. Then we went inside. we were just kinda hanging out, walking about, just "being". she walked right with me. I was a bit surprised, so I tried it again. No joke, she had finally "Joined Up" with me. Today, Angel actually WANTED to be with me. THAT IS HUGE!!!!!!!! I am SO Proud of her!!!"
Angel is over-coming obstacles and facing challenges that most humans would buckle under. Our team has rallied around her through a steady flow of discussion, observation, and an interchange of techniques that work with Angel's own strengths! Soon, she will be taking a series of "field trips" out of the kennel and into the world, where she will face even more challenges. She is working hard for her future fur-ever home! We will continue to update her progress!
5-25-2019, Amy's visit with Angel was very telling! She reports:
"Had a great day with the puppers at the shelter today! Angel was her usual self, except I can read what she really feels through her tail, wagging at me through the barks. So I gave her her breakfast, and went next door to see Rocky, the Spaniel. Someone was jealous, and came to see me through the fence, letting me pet her.
I put Teddy in with her, and Boom! Angels Fear gone, and plenty of willing interactions. Angel actually seeked out my hand for a pet.
I even got a kiss, twice!!! I think someone missed me. 🙂😊 I'll post more later, gotta go to work for now!"
It is being recommended at this time that Angel be adopted into a home with a dog because her confidence seems to increase dramatically when with other dogs. We are so proud of her hard work!
5-25-2019, Amy's visit with Angel was very telling! She reports:
"Had a great day with the puppers at the shelter today! Angel was her usual self, except I can read what she really feels through her tail, wagging at me through the barks. So I gave her her breakfast, and went next door to see Rocky, the Spaniel. Someone was jealous, and came to see me through the fence, letting me pet her.I put Teddy in with her, and Boom! Angels Fear gone, and plenty of willing interactions. Angel actually seeked out my hand for a pet.
I even got a kiss, twice!!! I think someone missed me. 🙂😊 I'll post more later, gotta go to work for now!"
It is being recommended at this time that Angel be adopted into a home with a dog because her confidence seems to increase dramatically when with other dogs. We are so proud of her hard work!
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