BehavioRx Case of the Month
for June 1999

The Dog with a Door-Fixation

An 8 month-old neutered male Pit Bull Terrier couldn't stand to see his owner leave the house or, as a matter of fact, leave through any door, anywhere. He was constantly vigilant to the owner's movements. The instant he suspected she was going to leave, he would charge the door and try to squeeze out before her. Life had become one series of her-legs versus the dog-at-the-door contests.

During our meeting the dog, "Terry," was constantly alert to the office door. When the owner, "Jan," even shifted her weight in her chair, Terry was up and ready for another bout at the door. The principles of allelomimetic behavior [the tendency of dogs to behave like their owners and other animals] were explained and Jan was given a couple of prototype Bio-Sonic Beanbags to use to break Terry's attention on the door.

She then got up, approached the door, started to open it [reaching over Terry], flicked a beanbag at the crack in the door, slammed the door and quickly returned to her, seat as she said "Good dog." Terry had backed up when the Bio-Sonic hit the door and he turned and followed Jan, sitting by her chair. She petted him calmly.

The process was repeated until, on Jan's fourth approach, Terry stayed back from the door by the chair. Jan returned to her chair, praised and briefly petted him. We then had her actually go to the door and open it as few inches. This was enough cause Terry to charge toward the door, at which time Jan tossed the beanbag down at the door, closed it and returned.

After about three more approaches and corrections, Jan was able to open the door while Terry remained sitting by the chair. Armed with her new-found knowledge of allelomimetic behavior and its no-force powers of communicating with Terry, Jan was ready to use the technique at home. Corrections there were extremely quick and effective when coupled with The BehavioRx Instruction brochure for Separation Anxiety and Unruliness.

PS: Bio-Sonic Beanbags will soon be available. Keep checking in with us for news.

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