Breakthrough with dog! :)

[Hollycatt]

This will be an incredibly long, boring post for everyone, but I had a real breakthrough with a dog I live with today. Its is kind of theraputic to write it down.

I am homeless and living with a friend. She has a 8 year old west highland white terror, sorry terrier (WHW). WHW has never been trained. Ever. Could not sit, stay - had no recall. Nothing. WHW was barking about 5 hours a day when I moved in. She was pretty hysterical and spent her days sitting on the back of the sofa looking out the window barking. When something like a bike passed she would run round and round the room, including rolling over, doing piourettes on her hind legs etc (all the time barking). The type of dog typical in a dog training TV programme. My friend is lovely but doesn't feel dogs should be trained and instead prefers them to be 'free spirits'. I now realise how lonely she is and that the barking and hysterics from the dog was in a way company.

I did insist that if I was to walk the dog, she did need some training. I taught her to walk nicely on the lead without pulling. To sit. To stay and started on recall. I also changed her diet as much as I could and this cleared up the daily diahorrea she had and calmed her down a lot. Previously she was getting most of her nutrition from pigs ears (given to stop her barking) and treats - she ate almost no dog food. She still has the daily pigs ears (not negociable with my friend) but not other unhealthy treats and a dog food she enjoys and will eat Once I had the walking ok the barking in the house reduced massively. I can now tell her to stop barking and she will after 2 barks (for me this is ok to let me know she is excited). She now very rarely has hysterics where she runs around and does roll overs etc

I was worried I was being too hard on WHW. She has no interest in toys or food or praise. So training was done sullenly with seemingly no reward on her part - other than for example no pulling on the lead meant we actually walked and were not stationary. I used positive reinforcement and persisted with LOTS of praise (despite no reaction) and this week I had my breakthrough!!!!! She now looks to me for guidance. If she is sacred in the house she immediately comes to me and sits at my feet. If outside she comes to heel. If I call her - before she would not even flick an ear - now she looks round to see what I want. And best of all today I let her off the lead for the first time and she was FANTASTIC I was with a friend and another dog with (usually) good recall. This dog legged it off across a field. When I called WHW she didn't follow the other dog but came back to me. When I praise her now her tail wags.

I admit I didn't like WHW for a while. I felt guilty about this. This week I have felt finally we are a team and today with her recall and seeing her tail wag when I praise her. It was fantastic She is now a well behaved dog and a pleasure to be around and my friend has found she likes the reduced noise levels as she can speak to her friend on the phone now without going into another room etc. Long and boring I know, but my life has been so sad recently it meant a lot to really work with WHW and feel we are friends

 

[Dobiegirl]

Wow you have done wonders, well done. It does sound like this little dog had a miserable life prior to you, I do hope if you move out your friend dosnt revert back to her old ways and the dog goes back to being bored.

 

[Pix]

I would be beaming too with that kind of progress. And I wouldn't concern yourself that you were being too strict; the dog was frantic and all over the place before, now she has some stability in her life. Well done you!

 

[Venevidivici]

Well done! See,man's best friend came (unwittingly) to the rescue-you both needed each other at a low point. Hope your friend keeps up your good work or dog may want to move with you when you leave.

 

[Hollycatt]

Thanks everyone I am really pleased with WHW's progress. You are right - it was the right time for us to cheer each other up. I do think WHW is a lot happier now My friend is 85 and she will not change her ways. I do not think anyone except for her would put up with WHW the way she was - she has been passed round quite a few homes before my friend got her. She still pulls on the lead when other people walk her but will not do it if I go with them and try and show them what to do. She is a pretty smart dog! She is a lot better with other people than she was though. She is a friendly, sweet little dog but not very demonstrative or affectionate. She adores me which was why I felt quite guilty that I didn't really like her.

I worry for WHW a little. My friend is very old and her health is not so good. Although her family say they love WHW they don't really - they are just humoring my friend. Loads of excuses have come up as to why WHW can't go with my friend on visits for Christmas even though all of her family have their own dogs that WHW gets on well with. My hope is by the time I have left I have trained my friend and her other walkers and if the worst ever should happen, someone will take WHW. A few visitors to the house have asked if it was WHW or another dog as they could not believe the change. After all it was never WHW's fault - just the failure on the part of the people who allowed her to remain untrained.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Good job

Dogs are often happier with a bit of direction/guidance, they don't get the whole 'free sprit' thing - to them, that can just be 'confusion'.