While some types of frustration are utterly pointless and exhausting, some frustration is part of learning and life, whether you are learning to play guitar, speak a new language, or cope with any difficulty! Because too much frustration can demotivate and discourage dogs, a big part of R+ incremental training and learning processes involves helping dogs learn to cope, little by little, with frustration. We do that by making sure that the challenges we give to our dogs are not overwhelming or pointless. #rescuedog #bordercollie
Bee has slept in my bed, often in my arms, for fifteen years. Lately at night, it's been harder for her to move around, and I have to help her stand up.
Last night before bed, she came over and looked at me, and she looked just like her puppy self. Albert disagrees with this and says he remembers how she couldn't make it around the field, but to me, her thin face looked fuller and she was so adorable. The prettiest sweetest dog I've ever had. All night long, instead of sleeping at my feet, it was a cold night and she wanted to be in my arms, under the covers, her head on my pillow.
This morning, she had a harder than usual time standing up and I noticed, maybe her face wasn't just "full," but it was puffy. And her tummy is puffy, and the fatty lipoma on her should looks a lot bigger than usual. She is all hunched over, tail between her legs. I gave her a gabapentin and took her outside. The stairs were a struggle.
Normally she likes to nap on the couch, but now, I put a cozy bed on the floor, and that's where she wants to be. She can't get up on the couch. I gave her another gabapentin.
The last time I went to the veterinarian, they pulled out a miracle cure. A long course of antibiotics. They said she has liver problems and maybe a kidney infection and the antibiotics helped so much. That was about a month ago. They said maybe she has Cushings disease. It's so hard to see her like this.
This is the part about having a dog that I really hate. Why would a lipoma suddenly swell up?
Why my mother was dying, I missed so much of that high school year, changing her bed pan, rinsing out her throw up bucket. That was hard. And when my dad was dying, that was so much worse for him than this is for Bee. Bee doesn't think about death the way people do. I know that caring for an elderly dog or losing a dog is nothing like human care-giving, and grieving, but somehow here I am, trying to show my loved one how much I care.
I always hate it when people cry over dogs
Maggie's first try with a head halter
when Maggie first arrived here, she was acting kind of wild and could appear aggressive. So I decided to train her to a head halter so in case she decides to behave badly, I can turn her face away from whatever big distraction might be exciting her. but now almost 2 weeks since she arrived she never seems to want to act badly! She's calming down. I'm gonna take it on the road pretty soon. Good girl Maggie!
Sit is about IMPULSE CONTROL! It's just a simple first exercise, where dogs learn a big concept. #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #apdt #ccui #reinforcement #germanshepherd #bordercollie #rescuebordercollie #rescuedogsofinstagram #petdogs #puppytraining
This newly rescued dog is smart with other dogs, but very rude with humans. She's 2.5 and needs to learn EVERYTHING from the ground up! When I find a thing, such as bubble packing, that makes her go crazy, its the perfect opportunity for training. This is how we use reinforcement (not punishment) to "correct" problem behavior. #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #apdt #reinforcement #ccui #reinforcementlearning #cpdtka #bordercollie #bordercolliesofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuebordercollie
Our foster dog got some giggles out of lunging snarling snapping and making people move. Its demand barking, with scary snaps mixed in. I trained her to a basket muzzle so I can socialize her more safely, and surprise, Disarmed, she is a love bug. We've renamed her Maggie. And you know what that means. #fosterfail #Rescuebordercollie #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #apdt #reinforcement #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuebordercolliesofinstagram #muzzleddogsarentbaddogs #muzzle #baskervillemuzzle #herdingdog
