What was going on
Patchy is a four-year-old Dingo Cross who was very fearful around people. That fear was coming out as aggression: growling, defensive body language, and behaviour that made it difficult for Anna to have visitors or walk Patchy in public confidently.
Anna had already tried two other dog trainers. One stopped responding to her messages entirely. The other told her he couldn’t do anything for Patchy. It’s hard to overstate how discouraging that is. Being told your dog is beyond help.
What Anna had tried
After two false starts, Anna was understandably cautious. But she wanted to try one more time. She found Marianne, who had experience working with aggressive dogs and took a positive reinforcement approach: no aversive tools, no punishment, just patience and science.
What we did
We’ve been working with Anna and Patchy since March 2020, starting with private behaviour modification consults and later moving into group sessions as Patchy’s confidence grew.
A key part of the process was recognising that Patchy might benefit from medication to help manage her fear, allowing the training to be more productive and improving her quality of life. Marianne also focused heavily on supporting Anna, not just Patchy. As Anna described it: “Marianne understands that the owner needs plenty of reassurance when they’re doing the right thing, same as dogs. She applies positive reinforcement to both owners and dogs.”
What changed
Patchy is now a very calm dog, as noted by lots of people who know her. She’s been going up to strangers and letting them pet her, something she would never have done before. When visitors come to the house, she might be initially cautious but settles on the couch within five minutes.
She’s still fearful of some things, but her reactions are far less intense. And for Anna: “It makes me feel relieved that I’m doing right by her.”
The best thing about Patchy? “Patchy is super chill.”