Yesterday, I did a very successful CAT session with my sister-in-law, Tish. Tish is great with dogs and even though Gustav has met her in the past, he hasn't in a long while. I flubbed the beginning (again!) and he started off barking/lunging (not out of control, just purposefully). After that, he was showing all kinds of great behaviors: shake-offs, yawns, sniffing, relaxed moving, laying down, scratching, looking at me, looking away. He started the session mouth closed and tail high and ears up, and ended with his tail nearly all the way unfurled, mouth open, and ears sort of half mast. Tish had gotten about twenty feet from him. I tried really hard not to push too fast, even though of course I got excited and wanted to go further. We took some breaks after every seven trials or so. In the second half he added in a lot of whining, which was weird again. Ambivalence about Tish? That's Chelse's thought.
Dottie met some people at the park very pleasantly and without barking.
Gustav did GREAT today on his line, came when called quite a bit (he still won't do it when distracted by a smell, that's something to work on) and had some lovely attention work. He's gotten pretty reactive about dogs so I jackpotted his autowatches when he saw a dog from afar. He gets very serious and stares at them, and will start to growl and bark if given the chance.
Here's something interesting: Gustav has been crying while I've taken Dottie. Today I tested it by taking a video. Sure enough, only seven minutes in or so, he starts to cry and howl. I think it roughly coincides with him accessing all the good parts of the kong. Then he gives up, then we come home. When we come home and I let him out of the crate, he rushes past me and greets Dottie. Not sure how to deal with this. Justin thinks he'll get over it if we just keep doing it and he'll get used to it. I'm skeptical. I'm asking Chelse for her ideas.
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ReplyDeleteI forgot to say WHOOO HOO on the CAT session & Gustav...what a sensitive guy.
ReplyDeleteoops that came out pretty weird. wrote too fast. all my dogs and foster dogs have had separation anxiety for humans or dog in household. So I think it's common. I've used separation anxiety protocols just insert ...dog..when you see human.
ReplyDeleteIf you slowly build up in time increment that good things happen when Dottie leaves the room, feed them in separate rooms, spend alone time with each, then slowly play your door games where one dog goes outside then comes back in right away, then then other dog... Kennel Gustav when you leave if the kennel is one of his safe spots. Keegan had huge anxiety and the kennel wasn't a great place when I walked the other dogs. I found if he could be loose and able to look outside, he was quiet, some fosters needed a safe room where I conditioned them to alone time and quiet time while I was in the house. I'd come and go into the room in 20 sec-30 sec increments when they had a bone or kong. They ended up having alone time through out the day in the room. And crate games I meant to add to slowly move their crate so one is in one room, the other in another room or even if it's kitchen and living room separated by a wall, Dottie's still out of sight. So he gets used to being alone when Dottie's in the house, then slowly working up to being alone when you take her on walks. If you can time coming back before Gustav is upset that helps too. Then just extend by min at a time sort of thing. Emotional self control games also worked wonders as they learn to ramp up and settle so I think, when they feel a rush of anxiety, it's easier for them to calm themselves down. That and time...for their bodies and minds to get used to Dottie coming and going and more confidence for Gustav walking alone.