Time to Blog!

It's been a busy few days and I didn't take the time to update what's going on.

Zane had an upset tummy for a couple of days, so he didn't want to eat a lot, so training was slow. By parentage, he is MDR1 normal, so a bit of Immodium put his tummy to rights.

Zane has an issue with other dogs. When a new dog approaches, his first reaction is to growl. He met two new dogs on Thursday and growled at them. He met two new dogs on Friday and growled at them and snapped at one. It seems to be fear. . . he's scared and is telling them to stay back. So my plan is to shove the yummiest food I have in his face when another dog comes near. Today he met a Valhund - chicken in his face and he did fine. Then he was in a kennel and an Aussie bitch came up to smell him. I gave him several pieces of chicken and he did fine. She continued to be interested in him and I said, "He's getting worried now." (I could tell by body language.) Another piece of chicken, then he did growl and snap. I have to be very careful to keep him under threshold and get him out of there before it's too much for him. Interestingly, a lot of dogs who don't like other dogs do fine with Valhunds. Don't ask me why.

Zane also worries about things that move and make noise. So he's been getting introduced to lots of obnoxious toys that sing and dance and move. I kneel beside it and give him food and he settles down and can explore rather than running away.

Continuing to work on eye contact, and today I started Susan Garrett's Recall course with him. We're only on Bonus Game #1, so we're behind, but he wasn't ready to start last week.

Breakfast he ate while sitting in a kennel at the agility field for Bella's lesson. I'd go by and drop a bit more in every time. He was very, very good. At one point, he went to the back of the kennel and started jumping and yelping frantically. I let him out and he ran nearby and pooped. Good boy! He didn't want to mess up his "place".

For lunch, we did several things. First I did 5 collar grabs with a piece of food after each. Then a collar grab and a couple of steps for a piece of food (times 5). Then we did 10 eye contacts. He's getting very deliberate with eye contact. Then 10 more collar grabs. Then 15 times of calling his name, clicking, and giving a treat. Gotta' work on the name more! Then I gave him the rest of his lunch in his bowl. He ate a few bites, then very deliberately sat in front of me and gave me eye contact. Of course I had to click and give him a piece of his kibble! He did that a couple of more times. I think he has it!

He's walked on a metal surface and a hard wood surface. He met 4 more women and 1 more man. He's been on the wobble board.

One thing that amazes me. . . he has learned his way around very, very quickly. He knows where the front and back doors are. He knows where the front, back, and inside water bowls are. If he wants something, he just goes to it.

I am tethering/umbilical cording him more. He had one accident in the house (I wasn't home, and DH and kids just are as diligent as I am.) Otherwise, he's been great at the housetraining.

This afternoon we went outside and sat in a rare shady place by our workshop. He got to climb over pallets and maneuver through the spaces. He crawled over scattered jump bars. And he got the zoomies and slid in the hay. He's so much fun!