I’ve said it before, but it’s appropriate to repeat it here, “Happiness is yet another PADS pup!” It appears that I’ve gone from being a ‘raiser’ to becoming a ‘sitter,’ interesting, for sure. A call for “Help” came last Monday, September 25th, to sit Teddy because the arranged sitter’s dog had kennel cough. Since it had been a very long three weeks since sitting Taiga, I eagerly said, “Yes,” and was ready to tackle Teddy’s report: He’s a sweet dog, but he pulls when LLW, lunges towards and barks at dogs, goes into the red zone if over stimulated.
Given Teddy’s ‘history,’ the plan was to give him peace & quiet; in other words, a dull, boring environment with only quiet, gentle behaviour training, exercise in our back garden, and two naps daily (for both him & us). Now, a week later, Teddy’s report is mostly good with progress in many areas.
Daily training has included mark & move, indoors & outside; LLW via kibble in palm luring/dog’s nose into the palm (just like the exercise at the beginning of Nicole’s class that I attended with Taiga), on leash & off-leash, indoors & outside; calmness; nice (seems unfamiliar to Teddy); IYC; calm cookie; default leave it (needs more practise); chin (excellent weight of her head in the palm, but needs duration); touch (sometimes licks); bed (X-pen helps Teddy stay put); doors: “Wait” + “Out” + “Yes” (good response); perch (has some duration, but no back end movement yet); two-toy play outside; body handling (sometimes a bit mouthy and wiggly); do nothing, indoors & outside; brush (willingness if short session); teeth brushing at bedtime (Teddy’s not at all keen on this; willing to cautiously lick the brush, but that’s all right now.).
Car rides: Teddy has learned to jump into the back of our car. He also rides quietly in the front passenger footwell. With “Wait,” he has learned to stay in the footwell while I walk around to get into the car and after the ride is over, when I leave the driver’s seat to walk around to open the door and invite him out.
Photos include several that show calmness in our back garden; Michael taking the first LLW on our street; Teddy sitting up, then in a more relaxed position on a car ride; “Go in” at a restaurant (the fourth night with us); “Go play” response—running around the garden with a chew in his mouth.
Michael says that Teddy’s “a bit impetuous” and that he has a “collaborative personality.” It’s the end of our first week, the beginning of our second week with Teddy and we look forward to many more positive & constructive days, weeks, and months with him.
Submitted by: Sandra
And another update below:
I had a great “vacation” out in the suburbs for 2 weeks. My sitter and I worked on a lot of games and settling behaviour. She was impressed by how well I settled at work and how quickly I settled!!! I got to go on a lot of sniffy walks and just do doggy things while I was with my sitter.
Submitted by: Kristie
