Millie is a very stressful dog. She is getting some work on the place command and default sit. Place will be very beneficial to Millie. It will be a command that her owner will hold her accountable for, and she will learn how to relax, helping her become less stressed. At the same time, Brownie gets on some treadmill time, which benefits her greatly.
Walk and Talk with Brownie and Ishi
Millie arrived Saturday afternoon. After arriving, I wanted to put her in the crate. She has been going into a crate at home since her owner was here for evaluation and is doing okay at home. Here was a different story: She did not want to go into the crate. It was a bit of a battle, but she went in, and we started working on some crate rules and manners. Although she has made some improvements, she still has a lot of room to become better.
Most folks would give up and let their dog be and make excuses for why their dog doesn't want to go into a crate. Your dog should learn to go beyond their threshold and become more confident, even if it's not so pretty initially.
Ride and Talk with Brownie
Brownie went for her first car ride with me yesterday, and per her MO, she was very unsure and nervous but did well. Her owner usually has her sit in the car and says she does well. Unfortunately, I have the seats down and want her to lie down while in the car. So, besides being nervous, she has to figure out what I want from her. It took a bit, but she figured things out and did okay.
Full video @
https://youtu.be/CbeOW-qaQww
The Boogie Knight headed out today on his way back to the Sanctuary. Before that, we took a trip up to Desert Ridge for his go-home session. It happened to be Chinese New Year, a big event for Boogie. A lot was going on, but Boogie handled it like a cool cat.
Brownie is a very stressed dog; she took a walk on the treadmill today. It was probably the most fearful thing she has done, but it was also very beneficial for her. In order for her to move forward and become more confident, she has to do the things she is unsure of; otherwise, she will remain where she is and not progress to a better state of mind so she can relax, which will help her be a better dog in other areas.
Boogie had another field trip today, and this one was to the pet store. I took some pictures as we walked around and just hung out. He seems to like getting out but is unsure of people. I'll keep getting him out and exposing him to life to help push himself over his threshold of seeing people. Many dogs are limited to exposure because they are unsure of the world, and most owners won't try to help their dog get over whatever threshold the dog has. That's when the excuses come out, and the excuses only hold back the human. One good thing about the trip was that he finally realized where he belonged.
I went on a field trip today with Boogie up to Desert Ridge. He was a little nervous, but overall, he did well. He needs exposure to life in a structured and accountable way to help him get where he needs to be. His threshold has become higher than when he came in, and he is opening up his world.
I had Brownie out in place today while I did some cleaning. It was a perfect opportunity to see how she would respond to some distractions. Brownie is full of stress and wants to get away from anything that makes her uncomfortable. Most owners learn their dogs' threshold levels and what their dog is uncomfortable with and never try to push them past their threshold or learn to accept the things they fear. Usually, dogs will move forward as much as they can, but without that push, you and your dog will never know how far they can go or become comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
I did some work on heeling and a few default sits out front this morning with Brownie. She does okay when inside but struggles with a roaming brain. It's hard for her to keep her focus, but she still does pretty well. Outside, there are lots more distractions and urges for her to want to be all over and check everything out. She caught on to that even outside; I wanted her to walk alongside me.
I am spending the afternoon with Brownie, working on place and default sit. Her owner worked with her before she came, so Brownie has a pretty good idea of what I'm asking of her. I like to have the dogs default sit when I start place to help slow them down, help them better understand what they should be doing, and help them put things together. Once I feel the dogs understand things well, I change things up, adding distractions and some accountability. Dogs will learn what you want quickly but also learn to blow you off without accountability. I'm often asked how to get dogs to stay and perform their commands better. It's all in the secret of accountability. It's where the so-called magic comes from.
Full video @ https://youtu.be/sqa7PyrJO3U
Dog training and rehabilitation
