Tammy Lynch, right, holds her blind and deaf dog Oakley back as he lunges at animal behaviorist Maria Ochs when she first arrived at her house to help control his aggression during a recent session at the Lynch home in Turner.
Immediately after Oakley recognized Maria's smell, he melted in her arms remembering she comes with treats.
After spraying her arm with a nasty tasting spray, Tammy allows Oakley to bite her (he doesn't bite hard) so he will eventually learn not to bite.
Animal behaviorist Maria Ochs, left gives instructions to Tammy Lynch about how to get her dog to be less aggressive toward her and others during a recent session at the Lynch home in Turner on August 25, 2020.
Tammy Lynch, center, and her daughter Jessica, right, listen to Maria give instructions on how to change their approach to combat their dog's aggressive nature.
A stranger gives Oakley a bite of cheese to reinforce him "associating value" to the strangers smell in an effort to keep him from being aggressive to people he does not recognize.
Tammy watches Maria set up a game for Oakley where he has to use his brain to find the treats she put under the balls in a muffin tin. She said the challenging a dog's mind and making them think and work at problem solving wears them down more than just plain exercise and does wonder for their temperment.
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