Super stressful week. Not much time to work with Lilly. Still need to find people to do the 13 tasks in the training protocol, BUT, here’s some insight into her experience and reactions to a family gathering last Saturday. …
I tried to stick with Part 2, the advanced SIT-STAY section of our behavior modification plan, but boredom won out. So, this week, I began Part 3, which includes people doing 13 tasks. Essentially, they approach me and Lilly in a variety of ways. Three vignettes from this week’s work. Only one follows the rules. …
Sorry to say I don’t have much to report this week. My motivation lagged seriously as other worries loomed large. So, we did not get any Lilly work done this week, except to take morning walks and enjoy snuggling at night. It’s hard to say since I’m not challenging Lilly with the usual stimuli, but while we’ve been taking time off, I can say that she seems really, really happy. So, perhaps the drugs work well, when it comes to regular day-to-day stress. There is one thing, however, that I don’t think made any difference. …
Despite a seriously lagging motivation after 2+ weeks recuperation time, following
Lilly’s rattlesnake bite, we soldiered on with our behavior modification work. Here’s how it went. …
This week was all about Lilly getting her strength back, following the rattlesnake
bite Saturday. I asked nothing of her. The good news is that she doesn’t seem to have carried any hospitalization anxiety home. She has not seemed fearful or upset all week. Granted, she
clearly doesn’t feel well, but she doesn’t seem freaked out or anything. Then, again, I did not challenge her with any noises or actions a la our behavior modification plan. I do wonder, however,
if me breaking some of the rules might mess things up. …
Based on Lilly’s regression (door refusals, hiding, fleeing, panic) and negative response to the sink window counter-conditioning I mentioned in the Aug 15 training update, Jennie (our behaviorist) and I decided to make some changes — both in training challenges and in medications. …
While this is technically week 5 of the new plan, it is the first week with Lilly on the full therapeutic dose of clomipramine. So, she’s up to 60 mg twice a day, plus the .5 mg of alprazolam twice a day (that dose has been the same since we added it). So, we’re up to ramming speed in terms of brain chemistry. Like me, you might be wondering: Now what?
…
Loyal reader and occasional classmate Claire asked in her comment Friday: “Just curious — what’s the idea underlying all of the sit-stay work?” I bet a lot of you are wondering that. …
Oh, how I want to shout from the rooftops about a big breakthrough in dog training. But, this week we had a couple rough days with fading fears at home flaring up. Alas, the progress Lilly is making measures in infinitesimal degrees. It’s no longer merely snark/no snark, work/no work … It’s pupil size. It’s breathing pattens. It’s even the shape of her black-and-white, border collie head. …
Since our regular exercise walks are about the only outings we have, Lilly and I really look forward to them. Each day I adjust my schedule to avoid as much other traffic (people, dogs, horses, cars) as I can. Still, some days we cannot help but cross paths with someone or something. Most times, I just work her classical conditioning and feed our way past whatever it is, but last week, an older man who walks for his heart stopped to chat with us. …
