Rewarding Dogs

Rewarding Dogs is a business run by Mike Grantham to help owners with their pets’ behavioural problems. Mike has an honours degree in animal husbandry as well as a wealth of experience training dogs to the highest standards, including his own.

Vets throughout Scotland refer problem pets (and sometimes their own dogs) to Rewarding Dogs and Mike has helped countless owners and their animals all over the country.

In the course of his work, Mike discovered that many behaviour problems can be avoided if new owners are aware of potential pitfalls. For instance, although a few Border Collies make lovely family pets, many do not because their breeding as working dogs makes them unsuitable for a home that cannot provide enough physical and mental exercise.

Another common problem stems from the inappropriate treatment of ‘rescue dogs’ when they first come into their new home. The understandable instinct is to shower them with love and attention for the first few days to try and ‘make it up to them’ for poor treatment in the past. But lavishing too much attention in the wrong way, at the wrong time, may give rise to serious problems such as anxiety when the dog is left alone, and even aggression.

Other problems which Mike helps with includes dogs which bite, fight, chase, are disobedient or are exceptionally nervous. Even dogs of 12 years of age have been helped although it is often the case that the younger the dog or the sooner it is seen, the easier it is to help.

Mike visits the animals in their own homes and likes to have all the family present during a consultation. This way it is possible to get a feel for the environment and routine of the dog and they advise on the best course of action to help. The home visit – which for difficult cases can last five hours or longer – is followed up with a written summary so that the owners have written instructions to refer to.