Meeting a rescue dog tonight!

Just realised I haven't updated in ages. Things are definitely on the up, she is getting to understand her routine a bit more and has had very few accidents in the house. She had one yesterday when she over excited herself but other than that has been great. I really should have recognised the signs it was coming but I got complacent because it had been so long.

She is still a little bit mouthy but is starting to take redirection on that, and it's no longer a sign she is working into a frenzy, and will, when told, take her chew off to her bed or a quiet corner. Before we were basically powerless when she got like that. The humping has mostly stopped, one or two token attempts. Lead walking is coming along too but she is super distractable so that'll be a work in progress for a long time.

She has a severe case of selective hearing, she well understands the word 'off' but seems to think pretending not to hear me when she is jumping on counters is going to work. Bonus points if her back is to me. Apparently this is a spaniel thing?! She will do almost everything else when told.

She no longer howls when next door have the audacity to use their stairs so that's great.

We've started to figure out what games really work for her, and what sends her even loopier.

Dog trainer is coming tonight, we call her super nanny lol. She is also enrolled in KC bronze classes at a dog club that's been recommended by a few people, she's to start soon so hopefully we all get a lot out of them.

She is definitely a lot less anxious and is super affectionate and cuddly when she wants to choose cosy not chaos. Overall I'm so relieved at how she's coming along.
 
Thanks @splashgirl45

She is obviously still a nightmare but she is so much better. I don't understand how it's possible that I would die for her but I also want to run away from her lol but here we are. She's currently out in the garden with Mr AP hunting for treats and it's honestly adorable. I'm supposed to be cleaning the kitchen after dinner without her under my feet but I just keep looking out at her lol.
 
ArklePig said:
She's currently out in the garden with Mr AP hunting for treats and it's honestly adorable. I'm supposed to be cleaning the kitchen after dinner without her under my feet but I just keep looking out at her lol.
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You've got this all wrong. You play train in the garden with Fodhla and Mr AP cleans the kitchen.
 
I'm not sure it is a spaniel thing! We think our brown one might be Lab x pointer and she is a terrible counter surfer, who ignores 'off', whether she has her back to you or not, which is odd, really, as most of the time she wants to please.

That is a great update, though.
 
I also forgot my proud Mammy moment today. The dog trainer remarked again on how clever Fodhla is numerous times and she said we must try some agility with her as she would 'excel'. She also said the lead walking was excellent and we've come on a lot further than she would have thought when she was here two weeks ago.

I'm like the ma of a P1 kid who's teacher said they have potential, delighted lol.

@Pearlsasinger I actually used to know a lab x pointer. He was called Foster cause nobody wanted him (a true accidental mating and he was the puppy they couldn't shift) and he was never supposed to stay with my friends family, so her dad called him Foster as a stop gap. He stayed 14 years. He ate the seal of the washing machine twice, a pavlova, a tea towel and god knows what else. He also had a head and neck like a prop forward. He was a great dog.
 
Working from home today and she has settled beautifully after our lunch time tricks and play in the garden. She can now vaguely do : sit, lie down, spin, twist, walk backwards, and come around my legs and sit in between them. We have also being playing what we call the collar game where I call her, grab the collar and feed a treat, that one is a must as I feel like recall is not going to be easy with this dog and at least that's a start. Luckily she doesn't actually mind her collar being grabbed and she has no qualms about sitting between my legs as I've heard some dogs don't like those things. Some of these take more cues than others and some are now totally verbal but we had fun even with the ones we don't get perfectly (the human is bad at the walking backwards one, even though I'm walking forwards, and I tripped over her a while ago).

Definitely my favourite work colleague!
 

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ArklePig said:
Working from home today and she has settled beautifully after our lunch time tricks and play in the garden. She can now vaguely do : sit, lie down, spin, twist, walk backwards, and come around my legs and sit in between them. We have also being playing what we call the collar game where I call her, grab the collar and feed a treat, that one is a must as I feel like recall is not going to be easy with this dog and at least that's a start. Luckily she doesn't actually mind her collar being grabbed and she has no qualms about sitting between my legs as I've heard some dogs don't like those things. Some of these take more cues than others and some are now totally verbal but we had fun even with the ones we don't get perfectly (the human is bad at the walking backwards one, even though I'm walking forwards, and I tripped over her a while ago).

Definitely my favourite work colleague!
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Aww thats lovely x
 
She was trying to dig up the sofa so I asked her to lie down as a distraction, and for some reason I started singing to her and she went to sleep. I don't know if that's a sensible method but it worked! The song went something like 'go to sleep, little doggy, before I lose the will to live, go to sleep, little girl or you're going back to the rescue'. She's not going anywhere, I promise I'm not a monster, but I was desperate.
 

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I should say I asked her to get off the sofa first, but she got back up and then I asked her to lie down before she started again. It's hard trying to teach her she's allowed on the sofa but she's not allowed to destroy it.
 
All dogs are welcome here, I'll show them to Fodhla as inspiration of how to be good.

Apparently she had a great time at doggy school, or as we call it Finishing School for Young Bitches. The trainer said she was really smart and a good, affectionate dog and that her and Mr AP have a lovely bond already. I'm jealous so going to make sure I get to take her next week. If our bond is not commented on I will be disappointed ?

She's been fast asleep since she got home so that's an excellent benefit of it already.
 
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