Stormy is a Miniature Poodle who was born in December 2018. Her mom agreed to share her story with us as a case study in how important it is to look at the big picture when addressing issues with our dogs.

I first met Stormy in the spring of 2019 at my Puppy Preschool Group Class. She continued to do classes and some private training with me through 2019 and 2020.

She did well in classes. She sometimes had some struggles at home with resource guarding and frequent growling when being petted on her back and belly. And she sometimes struggles with how to handle other dogs, bicyclists, joggers, and others passing by on walks.

Here is the update from her Mom in early 2021:

“Stormy was continuing to resource guard much like you describe Blitzen so I stopped giving her her favorite “bones.” She still occasionally decides that a toy is just hers and then I just trade her and remove the coveted toy.

She had another bout of pancreatitis in early January (after being diagnosed with a fairly severe case in the summer of 2020) so I decided it was time to change her diet completely. We started on a raw diet that is low in fat as high fat triggers her pancreatitis and so I make them food each week (using Dr. Harvey's and adding oil and protein each week).

Interestingly enough, 24 hours after her illness and her new diet, suddenly her “fat” belly went away. For the first time since she came to us, she no longer had the big bloated belly she once did. I don't think she could ever digest the kibble I fed her and I think that is why she growled when we pet her back or belly all the time. The growling is almost completely gone and she clearly feels so much better!

She is still struggling on walks a bit and I am working with her on an engage/disengage game as diligently as I can to recognize that it's cool to see dogs, bikes, joggers, cars and that we are going to keep her safe regardless of what is coming at her! Still lots of work to go there but it's getting better.”

Above she refers to Blitzen's story. You can read more about that in The Blitzen Bulletin posts from January and February 2021. After a change in Stormy's diet, she noticed a significant change in behavior. What we originally thought was a behavior issue turned out to have some medical/pain issues involved. In her case, what she was eating was not the best choice for her. She did not feel her best eating dry kibble.

A switch to a lower fat (more natural) raw diet had her feeling immediately better and there was an immediate change in behavior. Less growling because she was feeling better. Much like we saw a change in Blitzen's behavior once he was feeling better after some pain meds to address his back issues.

While there are still some things to work on with Stormy, there was a definite improvement for her once she was feeling better. In addition to positive changes in her behavior, other positive changes for her were noticed in that she can leap over snow banks that she never could before because her belly hurt!

It is always a good idea to consider whether problematic behavior issues have a medical component. Is your dog FEELING good? If your dog is not feeling well, it can exacerbate other issues. Some issues might go away entirely. Some might decrease. A behavior issue might still be there, but if your dog is feeling good, then it can often decrease an issue that will then be easier to address.

We are so happy that Stormy's mom changed her diet and has Stormy feeling much better. We are sure Stormy is happier about that too!

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