Weekly Training Update (Feb 8)

Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, only our red-bandana teams showed up. Reactive dogs in our class wear bandana’s to remind people that they do not like other dogs in their faces. So, the 7 of us (3 dogs, 3 people and Gigi) ventured out together.

We heeled along a walkway, keeping close as other shoppers passed.

We stopped and played in the kids play area. There were no kids, partly because it was pretty cold. So, we hopped on frogs, crawled through logs and generally had a goofy time. For some reason, Lilly attracted the attention of a man inside the Starbucks, so he came out to meet her.

He asked if she was “friendly.” I’m never sure how to answer that. So, I usually say she’s shy but good with people, not so hot with other dogs. She poked him (hand target) and let him pet her before moving on. Of course, he said how lovely she is.

Then, we moved on to a high-end doggie store, where Lilly got loads of treats from the staff. I guess they’re having a BC event soon, but I can’t imagine Lilly in an enclosed space with a bunch of other BCs so I think we’ll skip it.

We cruised a shoe store and practiced down stays. I was shocked, but Lilly stayed put and smiling, even when a woman wearing a heavy parka with a fur hood around her head walked through the door.  I thought for sure her shape would freak Lilly out.

She also amused people by playing the Look at That Game from Leslie McDevitt’s book. The trick? She was looking at herself in a mirror. The more she did it. The more people laughed. The more she did it. It was very cute.

We made a pass through an optical shop and even the Apple store, where Lilly decided to plop down and give a full on Relaxation Protocol demonstration. It was loud, busy, crowded, and when I paused to chat with a couple people who asked about her, she plopped down, smiling and waited. Cracked me up.

Then, we decided to show the dogs the escalator. We didn’t use it, of course. But we stood near the top and treated the dogs for not freaking out as people popped up out of nowhere … talk about Sudden Environmental Change.

Head. Shoulders. Body. Pop there’s a person.

I think Lilly responded more to the squeaking than the visual change. Seriously, this is a new shopping spot, but their escalator sounded 100 years old.

We practiced walking up and down big flights of stairs as if they were icy. In other words, we walked them very slowly. That went pretty well.

Then, we warmed up inside a bookstore, first heeling around, then doing a long down stay. I thought I was headed for trouble when some guy looked up and said, “This isn’t the dog store.” My initial reaction was that he was pissed to see dogs in the store, but it turns out he was commenting on how boring it must be for dogs in a book store. It still might have been a passive aggressive thing, but I tried to believe otherwise.

On our final exercise, the long down stay in the dog aisle of the store. Lilly gave a perfect Relaxation Protocol performance, chin down and everything … despite the fact that there was a screaming child nearby. And, I mean SCREAMING.

Gigi asked me if I thought the protocol really worked, rather than Lilly just doing the physical behaviors on the surface. I answered yes.

Maybe some of it’s the medication. Maybe some of it’s the increased training work in public spaces. But, I do think the protocol (even though it’s long and complicated and takes perhaps more dedication than even I have) made a difference for us. I feel guilty for not doing it daily now. I did two, 15-day cycles. Then, lost momentum. It only takes a few minutes a day, but still … when you’re busy, it’s hard.

BUT, In the future, I would probably do it early on, even if I was raising a dog from a tiny pup.