Wednesday, June 20 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RECITAL: Dancers
have succeeded in
competition
Continued from page 9
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Fear-biting
in dogs
Big or small, male or
female, young or old, any
dog can bite. Even the sweet-
est pet can bite if provoked.
Dogs bite as a reaction to
something. If a pooch finds
himself in a stressful situa-
tion, he may bite to defend
himself or his territory.
Dogs may bite because they
have been startled or feel
threatened. Or they can bite
to protect something that is
valuable to them, like their
pups, their food, or a toy.
Dogs can bite when they
aren’t feeling well. And
dogs can bite when they
become fearful or scared.
Sometimes well-meaning
people try to comfort a dog
that appears timid, shy, or
nervous. But that is exactly
what you shouldn’t do; it
can cause the dog to react
with a bite.
To the dog, an approach-
ing stranger might be too
much to handle; panic sets
in and he reacts with a bite.
Monica Rendon, certi-
fied dog trainer for Three
Rivers Humane Society,
notes that all aggression in
dogs (with the exception of
neurological issues) has its
root in fear.
The dogs’ fear may
come out of losing a cov-
eted resource, fear of pain,
fear of hunger, fear of the
unknown, fear of strangers,
fear of being confined, etc.
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Fiona was a fear-biter. Caring professionals have worked with her to get
her ready for adoption.
Fear is at aggression’s core.
Aggressive behavior
includes growling, lip lift-
ing, barking, snapping,
lunging, and biting.
So how does a dog’s
fearful behavior start? Some
dogs are just born with shy
and timid personalities;
some are more prone to
anxiety; and yet others may
have been spooked by some-
thing or someone as a puppy,
causing a life-long phobia to
develop. And unfortunately,
some develop fearfulness as
a direct result of unpleasant
past experiences with abuse
or abandonment issues.
So, what can you do to
help your fearful dog?
A fearful dog needs lots
of confidence-building and
reassurance. Once his con-
fidence is stronger you can
begin to desensitize him to
the fearful triggers.
Rendon added that work-
ing with a fearful dog takes
time, patience, some skill,
and a willingness to let
the dog make the choice
whether to interact with his
human or not. The end result
can be amazing. To see a
fearful dog transform from
showing all kinds of aggres-
sion to one who can relax,
peacefully coexist, and even
enjoy contact with a human
is the big payoff.
And since dogs learn by
association, fearful asso-
ciations can be reversed, or
alternative behaviors can
be taught, giving the fearful
dog a life worth living.
Rendon is helping Fiona,
a past fear-biter, to look for a
forever home that can show
her that whatever happened
in her past will no longer
be a worry in her future.
The right foster/adopter will
be willing to use positive
behavior modification and
should have a very low-key,
predictable schedule with
limited activity and visitors.
Fiona is about 8.5 years old,
house trained, she loves
to go for walks, and she is
very sweet and affection-
ate toward the humans she
trusts and has bonded with.
Rendon said, “With the
right coaching, there are lots
of alternative ways to get
what you want without force
or correction.”
Whoever adopts Fiona
will be provided with pro-
fessional training support,
advice, and assistance. For
more information on Fiona
call BrightSide Animal
Center in Redmond at
541-923-0882.
choreographers/teachers
were Lonnie Liddell, Kayla
Williams, Shannon Abero,
Jordi Weaver, Tiffany Lynn
Bell and Sharri Bertanga.
Two new teachers this year
were Liz Warren, teaching
contemporary; and Kendra
Kemp teaching jazz.
The dance academy had
a guest choreographer direct
the opening number of the
second act, “Carnival of
Venice.” Professional ballet
dancer and choreographer
Joshua Deininger also cho-
reographed the senior ballet
students in a piece so they
were able to enter the “Turn
17
it Up” competition in Eugene
earlier this year.
“We took five group acts
to competition, two duets and
eight soloists to compete this
year,” Liddell said. “All the
entries received very high
rankings and we came away
feeling so proud of all our
dancers’ accomplishments.
We featured the performers
in a special showcase in May;
however, since two of our
entries ranked highest scoring
in their division, we allowed
them to perform in this recital.
Makenna Liddell earned the
highest score in the interme-
diate division for her solo,
and Kamryn Osborne and
Mackenzi Reed earned the
highest score in the interme-
diate division overall for their
duet. These are huge hon-
ors and we are so glad their
efforts were recognized.”
12-year-old
Broadway
jazz students
performed
“Popcorn!
Peanuts!
Cotton Candy!”
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK