An animal may be too dangerous for the normal family home.
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Unpredictability is a big red flag. A dog with a severe problem can be easier to help than a dog that is unpredictable in its behavior. Unpredictability often is a hallmark of organic illness, and a sign of a larger, overriding medical problem – like seizures.
Hyperaesthesia: Some animals are hyper-sensitive to touch, sound or motion, and these animals can have a more difficult time. Most still succeed. We have developed ways to help animals adjust.
Character: Once in awhile, a dog is just really committed to killing/maiming things and will not buy into a different way of doing things. Most of these dogs correct their behavior, however. The dogs like this are a very small percentage of the dogs seen – less than one percent, probably. So, if one can proceed safely, try anyway. If the owner cannot safely muzzle the dog, sedation can be used to initially muzzle the dog. If such a dog does not change quickly, he is probably too dangerous to be managed in a normal home.
Unknown: A few animals just don’t learn to do this, for reasons we don’t yet understand. Over 95% of the animals we coach change dramatically in a short time.
Next: How long does it normally take to solve problems?