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December 7, 2007

A couple interesting things happened this week, including a dog barreling straight at Lilly in class. Here’s the full update.


Shopping

Lilly went with me to 3 stores on “main street” in town. She was nervous (tail tucked to tummy), but she kept perfect sit-stays or down-stays while I browsed. And, she greeted people who greeted her — except for the scary man who pounded on the ground (as I mentioned weds).

Relaxation Protocol
We finished our second 15-day series in the relaxation protocol. We continued to have trouble with the me leaving the front door and going where she could not see me. Eventually, each day, she would stay put, but it took some doing — lots of treats, near constant praise chatter.

I’m thinking about repeating the series in the entry way of the house since it’s the location of her most wild behavior at home. But, I’m also wondering if it’s doing any real good. Despite my healthy skepticism, I was hoping to report a BIG difference. So far, I can’t.

At Class
As I mentioned last week, our Sunday class now held on a rotating basis at a bunch of spots around town. Last week, it was a different dog park than the one Lilly is used to. This one is not fenced and has many large trees with squirrels. We do not have tree squirrels where we live, so Lilly finds them oh-so-fascinating.

I figured that she’d be fine in the new place, once she saw a squirrel. Granted, I traded lack of concentration on me for a general bravery in a new location, but that’s how it goes. She didn’t even seem to care that trains were rumbling by on nearby tracks.

All in all, Lilly seemed happy at the new place … Almost like she didn’t realize it was “class,” even though we were working in a group.

She stayed while other dogs walked nearby. She walked around other dogs while they stayed.

She practiced COME, after I let her wander away on her long leash before calling her back. Other dogs did the same nearby, and she was fine. One new young, male Airdale even snuck up and sniffed Lilly’s butt. She got all wiggly as I moved her away, like “Did you see me NOT freak out when he sniffed my butt?” I was very proud.

Then, we practiced WHOA, stopping her forward motion from a distance. She’s too good at that game, when we do it off a ledge, so Gigi teased her with her voice and toys, and Lilly’s WHOA went to pot. She did it really well once, despite the teasing, so we both fussed on her big-time. She even played with a toy Gigi offered her. That’s BIG since Lilly rarely plays in public.

We did a couple other exercises before our end-of-class recalls. Lilly did her first recall perfectly. We were hanging out watching others from a distance, when a new dog (who reminds me very much of Lilly) broke off her recall and came running straight at us. I have NOT yet taught Lilly the INCOMING cue that Leslie McDevitt recommends in her book, “Control Unleashed,” so I simply turned Lilly away and started walking. She happily came with me, even as the new dog raced up behind us. We kept walking away, and eventually the dog returned to her owner.

Lilly did her second recall after that just fine. I didn’t even face her. I just looked briefly over my shoulder, from a good distance away, and called her. She flew straight to me, whipped around to face me and flopped into a perfect down. I could hear the guys who are training their Brittany puppy say, “Well, now you’re just showing off.”

Ha!

It’s just a way to proof the recall, when she can’t “see” me. But, yes, clearly Lilly is much more advanced than the other dogs, but she’s THREE, and the others are mostly under one year.

If you’re keeping track, the other dogs are leashed while one dog does it’s recall, so I don’t have to worry about anyone chasing her as she comes to me. Lilly, of course, is off leash for these even though there wasn’t a fence because she hates dragging a long lead. It makes her slow and sheepish.

I used to worry about her strong flee reaction, if something scares her, but we’ve found that she’s pretty reliable in class. Heck, I used to double leash her in public, just to be sure, and I haven’t had to do that in a LONG time. So, I know it sounds remedial, but it’s a big deal for Lilly to recall in public like this.

Have a great weekend.

About the Author Roxanne Hawn

Trained as a traditional journalist and based in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, I'm a full-time freelance writer for magazines, websites, and private clients. My areas of specialty include everything in the lifestyles arena, including health and home, personal finance and other consumer interests, relationships and trends, people and business profiles ... and, of course, all things pet related.

I don't just love dogs. I need them in my life. Seriously.

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