Ep 9. Weathering the Storm

In "Weathering the Storm," the ninth episode of season 2 of "It's Me or the Dog," dog trainer Victoria Stilwell helps two families with their troublesome pets. In the first segment, Victoria meets Lisa and her dog, Eddie. Eddie is a 4-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who barks incessantly whenever someone comes to the door or passes by the window. He also has a bad habit of biting. Lisa is concerned that Eddie's behavior might one day lead to a serious accident and hopes Victoria can help.

Victoria observes Eddie and quickly identifies that his behavior is driven by anxiety. She works with Lisa on some training techniques that will help Eddie feel more secure and less reactive. She shows Lisa how to desensitize Eddie to visitors by gradually introducing him to people in a controlled environment. They also work on teaching Eddie basic obedience commands, which gives him a sense of structure and helps him to calm down.

In the second segment, Victoria meets the Galvan family and their dog, Otis. Otis is a 3-year-old Great Dane who is afraid of thunderstorms. During storms, he becomes extremely agitated and will often destroy furniture or try to escape from the house. The Galvans have tried everything to calm him down during storms, but nothing has worked.

Victoria works with the Galvans to set up a calming environment for Otis during storms. She teaches them how to create a cozy nest where he can feel safe and secure. She also introduces them to some specialized music that has been shown to help calm dogs during stressful situations. During a simulated storm, Victoria helps Otis to feel less anxious by using some simple training techniques. By the end of the episode, Otis is much calmer during storms, much to the relief of his family.

Overall, "Weathering the Storm" is a helpful and practical episode of "It's Me or the Dog." Victoria Stilwell's training techniques are grounded in positive reinforcement and are easy to replicate at home. The episode highlights the importance of understanding a dog's behavior and addressing the underlying issues that are driving the behavior. For anyone struggling to cope with a difficult dog, this episode offers some valuable insights and practical solutions.