Karran
Well-Known Member
Little Miss Collie has been with us now three months.
My God they have been a hard three months!
We've worked our way through destroying both of Mrs Spaniel's beds, eating the Bannisters, what seemed like all the pants and socks I owned after getting into my washing basket, taken a bite out of the bottom step (how?!) and being very reactive to other dogs and people, and a lot of toileting issues.
We now have some semblance of focus on me, although a lot of walks are still on the long line as we have discovered its lots more fun to play with other dogs rather than fight them and we're discussing the happy medium between the two... rounding them up, yelling your head off is NOT a good way to make friends with strangers. We now don't sport a muzzle on walks.
We're almost at the stage where a jogger or a cyclist is ignored in favour of distraction techniques such as chasing the ball, although this is dependent on me spotting them before she does and re-directing her focus. We're still counter-surfing and bin raiding but at least we've now accepted that its ok to eat and destroy toys and not my house. We're now almost (please God!) clean in the house with only one accident so far since last Friday which was our fault and a communication mix-up about who would be letting them out.
We're working towards our KC Good Citizen Bronze and plan to go the way to Gold. We're now able to potter around the stables, while Mrs Spaniel and I do our jobs and ignore the horses in the stable or tied up outside. A lot more work is needed before I would dare have her off lead around them, if ever.
Although the one time she managed to jump out the stable and then out the yard, she followed me and Mrs Spaniel on our hack politely and quietly. Very much a One Off though and I've made sure its not happened since!
She has many, many friends at flyball and in the park and goes off for a cuddle or tries to crawl into someone's lap, much better from when I was crossing the road to avoid other dogs/people, although she is not one to back down if she sees something she doesnt like the look of still. But its progress.
Flyball is a work in progress - we are definitely a chaser and so we're working on de-sensitising ourselves to the atmosphere and not lunging at the other dogs racing.
We were at a comp last weekend and in between Mrs Spaniel's races, I was able to work on heelwork and obedience and bring her up to the ring while working with her and her not react to the dogs at all, being completely tuned into what I was doing and asking her to do. Long way to go though, but she's not one until January so she won't learn about how much fun that and agility is until then, so plenty of time to carry on working with her.
Mrs Spaniel has made it QUITE clear she is not a fan of being rounded up. Nor being used as brakes and this has been the cause of their one big fight so far as she got clattered into and WAS NOT IMPRESSED.
Mrs Spaniel has also been spotted playing with her (which is where I think she's learnt to growl and bark at other dogs when playing as Mrs Spaniel is quite vocal on the rare occasion she lowers herself to play).
Bit of a pointless post really, but it helps sometimes to see it written down and think "yes I am getting somewhere with her."
My God they have been a hard three months!
We've worked our way through destroying both of Mrs Spaniel's beds, eating the Bannisters, what seemed like all the pants and socks I owned after getting into my washing basket, taken a bite out of the bottom step (how?!) and being very reactive to other dogs and people, and a lot of toileting issues.
We now have some semblance of focus on me, although a lot of walks are still on the long line as we have discovered its lots more fun to play with other dogs rather than fight them and we're discussing the happy medium between the two... rounding them up, yelling your head off is NOT a good way to make friends with strangers. We now don't sport a muzzle on walks.
We're almost at the stage where a jogger or a cyclist is ignored in favour of distraction techniques such as chasing the ball, although this is dependent on me spotting them before she does and re-directing her focus. We're still counter-surfing and bin raiding but at least we've now accepted that its ok to eat and destroy toys and not my house. We're now almost (please God!) clean in the house with only one accident so far since last Friday which was our fault and a communication mix-up about who would be letting them out.
We're working towards our KC Good Citizen Bronze and plan to go the way to Gold. We're now able to potter around the stables, while Mrs Spaniel and I do our jobs and ignore the horses in the stable or tied up outside. A lot more work is needed before I would dare have her off lead around them, if ever.
Although the one time she managed to jump out the stable and then out the yard, she followed me and Mrs Spaniel on our hack politely and quietly. Very much a One Off though and I've made sure its not happened since!
She has many, many friends at flyball and in the park and goes off for a cuddle or tries to crawl into someone's lap, much better from when I was crossing the road to avoid other dogs/people, although she is not one to back down if she sees something she doesnt like the look of still. But its progress.
Flyball is a work in progress - we are definitely a chaser and so we're working on de-sensitising ourselves to the atmosphere and not lunging at the other dogs racing.
We were at a comp last weekend and in between Mrs Spaniel's races, I was able to work on heelwork and obedience and bring her up to the ring while working with her and her not react to the dogs at all, being completely tuned into what I was doing and asking her to do. Long way to go though, but she's not one until January so she won't learn about how much fun that and agility is until then, so plenty of time to carry on working with her.
Mrs Spaniel has made it QUITE clear she is not a fan of being rounded up. Nor being used as brakes and this has been the cause of their one big fight so far as she got clattered into and WAS NOT IMPRESSED.
Mrs Spaniel has also been spotted playing with her (which is where I think she's learnt to growl and bark at other dogs when playing as Mrs Spaniel is quite vocal on the rare occasion she lowers herself to play).
Bit of a pointless post really, but it helps sometimes to see it written down and think "yes I am getting somewhere with her."
