Gustav was a little edgy this morning on our jog, getting awfully tense and hackly at a jogger that I didn't think would be a big deal. He made it with no outbursts, but it looked like he was pretty scared.
Dottie barked briefly at a dog behind a fence I didn't see. Luckily we had time to sit there and calm ourselves and eat treats. The dog stopped barking, which I think is a great lesson for my dogs: chill out and maybe they will too.
Started clicker training sniff and a play bow last night. It was pretty funny, half the time they end up in a down, but hopefully I can use shaping and the magic power of clicker precision to tighten that up over time. I'm also working extra on "get your toy" for Dottie, my ultimate plan is to leave a squeaky toy in her room where she spends her time alone, and ask her through the door to get her toy rather than bark. I'll be able to tell if she did it because it will squeak. Clever, huh? I never open the door while she barks, but she's gotten smart and barked to her heart's content, then stopped for a few seconds for me to open the door. Finally, the dogs can hold a sit-stay in the kitchen while I go in and out of the door. Next I add a knock. Once they're perfect while I go out, knock, and come back in, I can try friends/Justin, then some day a stranger. (Hello, pizza guy!). I estimate this will take at least a few months, my goal is to have it down by September. Having a stranger knock at the door is a big deal, having them come in while the dogs hold a stay sounds like some kind of impossible paradise to me.
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