Maisy may have been amazing on Monday night, but on Tuesday night, she was... not. Truthfully, I knew that I will always need to be cautious with her. In times of stress, she will probably always fall back on her old, reactive coping skills.
And she did last night.
We went to our regular reactive dog class, and she did okay for the most part. She started with a play lunge towards another dog, and slowly deteriorated from there. She had a number of loud, obnoxious lunges, some with barks, some just rushes, none of it awful, though still mildly disappointing, especially after the awesome night just 24 hours prior.
I can't say that I was surprised, though. I mean, Monday night was off-the-charts stressful, and Maisy held herself together amazingly. Still, it had to have elevated her adrenaline and cortisol levels. Although I have yet to find anything definitive, most sources suggest that it can take 72 hours (or more) for cortisol to dissipate from the body after a stressful event.
This website does a nice job of discussing the differences between adrenaline and cortisol, and this one does such a nice job of explaining how those elevated stress hormones affects reactivity that I have to quote a brief portion:
High levels of adrenaline are associated with heightened vigilance, anxiety, lowered thresholds of sensory perception; these make the dog more reactive to stimulation, rather than thinking. Higher levels of glucocorticoids cause an overactive stress response and depression. After a stress response it can take days for the glucocorticoids to go back down to baseline levels. If the dog has another stressful situation before this happens the entire cascade of the stress response starts all over.
As an interesting side note, today, while I was trying to figure out how long those hormones remain in the dog's body, I read that you can help reduce the cortisol levels through exercise immediately following the stressful event, massage, and, interestingly, some dietary things, such as magnesium, omega 3s or vitamin C. I'll have to try both the exercise and the massage, and do more reading on the dietary factors.
Anyway, all of that is simply to say that Maisy's reactivity last night wasn't really a set-back. In fact, it was actually an expected result. That not only helps me feel better about it, it also confirms the decision I made a few months ago to scratch her from a second day of trialling. At the time, I just didn't think she could do the second day, but didn't understand why. My trainer had agreed, saying that she thought Maisy was probably a one-day dog. Now I'm quite sure of that. That's really a valuable thing to know about my dog, and so I'm grateful to have had the experience last night.
Showing posts with label massage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label massage. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Suzanne Clothier Seminar: Answering the Questions for Maisy
In my last entry, I detailed what the questions are, but I really didn't personalize them. (Seriously, folks, I'm already pretty long-winded for a blog anyway, can you imagine how much worse it would be if I didn't break these things down?) Anyway, today I want to post a bit about how answering these questions have changed my perspective on Maisy.
Question 1: Hello?
Due to our long association with one another, this one is easy. If I say Maisy's name, or any one of her nicknames (and there are many; I have no idea how she understands they all refer to her), she wags her tail. Immediately. Every time. She'll often do this when someone else says her name, too. It is safe to say that Maisy is quite willing to interact with me.
Question 2: Who are you?
and
Question 3: How is this for you?
I've combined these two questions because I think they're pretty bound up in one another, and I think my post would be far more disjointed if I didn't combine them.
For a long time, when I described Maisy, I described her as "fearful" and "reactive." Those are the two adjectives that came out of my mouth most often, though I often followed it up with "extremely soft." The problem with these descriptors are two-fold. First, they're primarily negative, and second, I'm not sure they're really all that accurate.
I've been watching Maisy's responses lately, and she's surprised me. A lot. For example, I've always thought she's fearful because she's a bit jumpy and startles easily. An unusual noise or unexpected event will make her jump backwards and perhaps tuck her tail and slink a little bit. But her resiliency is amazing; she'll often come back to that scary thing quite quickly. I've written before about Maisy's response to a wobble board. It initially startled her, but she came right back to it, and continued to interact with it. Is this what a fearful dog would do?
And in the past week, I've seen countless examples of her jumping in surprise, and then immediately calming down or returning to work. I'm beginning to think that a better descriptor for her is sensitive. The way I react to something will predict the way she reacts. Lately, I've been paying attention to Maisy's triggers, and making a huge effort not to stiffen up (this was the direct result of Suzanne's seminar, and I'll write about it in more detail soon). When I remain loose, Maisy might look at the trigger, and even take a few steps towards it, but when she sees I'm fine, she relaxes. When the trigger also startles me and I gasp or start breathing differently, or if I tighten the leash or tense my body, then she's far more likely to lunge, growl or bark. Interesting.
She is very sensitive to her environment, and to me.
I've also talked about Maisy as "not liking children," but I'm not sure that's true, either. Yesterday, she actually asked to go say hi to a strange child. We were out in the front yard, and I had Maisy off leash to work on heeling (the reward was throwing her ball), when I saw a mother pushing her toddler in a stroller. I called Maisy to me, put her back on leash, and as they came close, the mother asked if her toddler could say hi. I started to say no, reflexively, but then I looked at Maisy: She was loose, wriggling, and had a "helicopter tail." She wanted to say hi.
The important question of asking "How is this for you?" is about asking it every time the situation comes up. Will she always want to greet a child? No, but sometimes she will.
Some other descriptions of Maisy: she's funny, and loves to play. She's incredibly snuggly, and it's a rare morning that I don't wake up with a dog in my arms. She follows me everywhere, but is quite content to stay with other people she knows. In fact, although she can be a bit shy with people she doesn't know, once she meets someone, she's incredibly friendly. She's very visual, and I sometimes wonder if her sight isn't a stronger sense than smell. She's biddable, smart (too smart, sometimes!), and very willing.
And she's mine.
Question 4: May I...?
Generally, yes, I may. Although Maisy is pretty clear that she hates being groomed. Nails, brushing, baths, all of it. I try to make those times worth her while with lots of treats, but even so, she'd rather not, thank you.
Question 5: Can you...?
Most of the time, yes, she can. Intellectually, she's very smart. She learns quickly, which is both a blessing and a curse. If she's not understanding something I'm trying to teach her, it's pretty much always my fault. We used to really struggle with left pivots, until I began to hold my shoulder slightly differently. Then she nailed them every time.
Emotionally, she's getting better. She still does have some of that reactivity, but it's improving all the time. I'll have to do a separate post on this soon, but I'd say we're down from having a reactive outburst every time we're in public to about 20% of the time.
Physically... well, some days are better than others. She does have some back issues, and she sees a chiropractor and canine massage therapist who does massage, acupressure and reiki every month. These things help a lot, but even so, there are days where she's reluctant to jump. I'm learning to assess her before I ask her to jump, because if I ask, she'll do it, even if it hurts.
Question 6: Can we...?
Yes. We can. Maisy will always try for me. I am, however, aware that my reactions will affect her, and so when she fails to do something properly, I try to always look at myself first. I think our biggest obstacle to trials is my nerves, not the environment, and so I'm starting to work through those issues as best I can so that my half of "we" actually can do it.
I've learned a lot by stepping back and asking the questions on a regular basis, especially "How is this for you?" I've made assumptions that weren't true, like with the child yesterday. Have any of you guys tried asking your dog any of the questions? If so, what did you learn? Was it surprising, or just as you expected?
Question 1: Hello?
Due to our long association with one another, this one is easy. If I say Maisy's name, or any one of her nicknames (and there are many; I have no idea how she understands they all refer to her), she wags her tail. Immediately. Every time. She'll often do this when someone else says her name, too. It is safe to say that Maisy is quite willing to interact with me.
Question 2: Who are you?
and
Question 3: How is this for you?
I've combined these two questions because I think they're pretty bound up in one another, and I think my post would be far more disjointed if I didn't combine them.
For a long time, when I described Maisy, I described her as "fearful" and "reactive." Those are the two adjectives that came out of my mouth most often, though I often followed it up with "extremely soft." The problem with these descriptors are two-fold. First, they're primarily negative, and second, I'm not sure they're really all that accurate.
I've been watching Maisy's responses lately, and she's surprised me. A lot. For example, I've always thought she's fearful because she's a bit jumpy and startles easily. An unusual noise or unexpected event will make her jump backwards and perhaps tuck her tail and slink a little bit. But her resiliency is amazing; she'll often come back to that scary thing quite quickly. I've written before about Maisy's response to a wobble board. It initially startled her, but she came right back to it, and continued to interact with it. Is this what a fearful dog would do?
And in the past week, I've seen countless examples of her jumping in surprise, and then immediately calming down or returning to work. I'm beginning to think that a better descriptor for her is sensitive. The way I react to something will predict the way she reacts. Lately, I've been paying attention to Maisy's triggers, and making a huge effort not to stiffen up (this was the direct result of Suzanne's seminar, and I'll write about it in more detail soon). When I remain loose, Maisy might look at the trigger, and even take a few steps towards it, but when she sees I'm fine, she relaxes. When the trigger also startles me and I gasp or start breathing differently, or if I tighten the leash or tense my body, then she's far more likely to lunge, growl or bark. Interesting.
She is very sensitive to her environment, and to me.
I've also talked about Maisy as "not liking children," but I'm not sure that's true, either. Yesterday, she actually asked to go say hi to a strange child. We were out in the front yard, and I had Maisy off leash to work on heeling (the reward was throwing her ball), when I saw a mother pushing her toddler in a stroller. I called Maisy to me, put her back on leash, and as they came close, the mother asked if her toddler could say hi. I started to say no, reflexively, but then I looked at Maisy: She was loose, wriggling, and had a "helicopter tail." She wanted to say hi.
The important question of asking "How is this for you?" is about asking it every time the situation comes up. Will she always want to greet a child? No, but sometimes she will.
Some other descriptions of Maisy: she's funny, and loves to play. She's incredibly snuggly, and it's a rare morning that I don't wake up with a dog in my arms. She follows me everywhere, but is quite content to stay with other people she knows. In fact, although she can be a bit shy with people she doesn't know, once she meets someone, she's incredibly friendly. She's very visual, and I sometimes wonder if her sight isn't a stronger sense than smell. She's biddable, smart (too smart, sometimes!), and very willing.
And she's mine.
Question 4: May I...?
Generally, yes, I may. Although Maisy is pretty clear that she hates being groomed. Nails, brushing, baths, all of it. I try to make those times worth her while with lots of treats, but even so, she'd rather not, thank you.
Question 5: Can you...?
Most of the time, yes, she can. Intellectually, she's very smart. She learns quickly, which is both a blessing and a curse. If she's not understanding something I'm trying to teach her, it's pretty much always my fault. We used to really struggle with left pivots, until I began to hold my shoulder slightly differently. Then she nailed them every time.
Emotionally, she's getting better. She still does have some of that reactivity, but it's improving all the time. I'll have to do a separate post on this soon, but I'd say we're down from having a reactive outburst every time we're in public to about 20% of the time.
Physically... well, some days are better than others. She does have some back issues, and she sees a chiropractor and canine massage therapist who does massage, acupressure and reiki every month. These things help a lot, but even so, there are days where she's reluctant to jump. I'm learning to assess her before I ask her to jump, because if I ask, she'll do it, even if it hurts.
Question 6: Can we...?
Yes. We can. Maisy will always try for me. I am, however, aware that my reactions will affect her, and so when she fails to do something properly, I try to always look at myself first. I think our biggest obstacle to trials is my nerves, not the environment, and so I'm starting to work through those issues as best I can so that my half of "we" actually can do it.
I've learned a lot by stepping back and asking the questions on a regular basis, especially "How is this for you?" I've made assumptions that weren't true, like with the child yesterday. Have any of you guys tried asking your dog any of the questions? If so, what did you learn? Was it surprising, or just as you expected?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Year in Review, Part 3: My Education and Growth
One thing Maisy has really done for me is turn me into a better dog owner and trainer. If Maisy were not reactive, I very likely would not have spent so much time learning about training, nor would I have developed some of the skills I have worked very hard to acquire. In this entry, I want to share some of the things I’ve done to become a better trainer, as well as some of the things I’ve changed at home to help Maisy feel better.
I think one of the biggest skills I’ve developed is in my ability to read dog body language. Like most owners, I was pretty oblivious to what my dog was telling me with her body. Now I can generally pick out the main components of what’s going on. Although I still struggle to read the body language of other dogs, especially the brief and subtle displays, I’ve gotten much better at reading Maisy’s body language.
I went to one dog-related seminar this year in March, when I spent two days with Pat Miller (who, incidentally, thinks Maisy is cute). It was a great seminar, and I learned a lot. We covered a variety of topics, including a general overview of operant and classical conditioning, dog body language, and a special afternoon session on Constructional Aggression Treatment.
I did a lot of reading, and currently belong to 42 dog-related yahoo groups. I also read the following books:
The Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson
Bones Would Rain From the Sky, by Suzanne Clothier
Getting in TTouch with Your Dog, by Linda Tellington-Jones
Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt
The Hidden Life of Dogs, and The Social Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Don’t Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor
A Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs, by Caroline Knapp
Click Your Way to Rally Obedience, by Pam Dennison
Reaching the Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor
Click to Calm, by Emma Parsons
Through a Dog’s Ear, by Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner
Ring Wise: A Handling Manual for Competition Obedience, by Marie Sawford
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, by Turid Rugaas
Successful Obedience Handling, by Barbara S. Handler.
(I’m working on a few more, but I probably won’t finish them by the end of the year.)
I also watched two dog training DVDs: The Language of Dogs, by Sarah Kalnajs and Crate Games, by Susan Garrett.
I volunteered as a trial steward at a UKC obedience trial in November, and I learned a lot. I watched everything closely, and took away some great tips which I have incorporated into my work with Maisy. I also learned that trials are only as stressful as you make them. The judges genuinely want each team to do well, and the other teams barely pay attention. This has gone a long way towards reducing my ring nerves, although I know there’s a lot of work left to do there.
I also made a lot of changes in Maisy’s life. One of the most important things I did was introduce treat dispensing toys for her meals. Maisy eats supper out of these every day. She has a Buster Cube, a Tricky Treat Ball, a Bob-A-Lot, and our favorite, the Tug a Jug!
These toys are vital to keeping us both sane. Maisy has a lot of energy, and being able to expend some mental energy during meal times really cuts down on her anxiety. I also improved Maisy’s diet by switching over to pre-made raw for breakfast, with high-quality, grain-free kibble for supper. She takes probiotics and fish oil daily.
Maisy switched to a holistic vet this fall, and has received regular chiropractic treatments. She’s also got her first massage today! I have never seen this dog so relaxed. This may sound like extravagance, but keeping her pain free is incredibly important when managing her anxiety.
Maisy and I have gone to a ton of classes, including CU-style classes, rally and advanced obedience. We have had a couple of private lessons, and even took a few tracking lessons this fall. It was really neat to watch Maisy use her innate abilities, and really taught me that I have to trust her as much as she has to trust me when we’re working together.
Finally, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t share what might be my favorite Maisy-related moment from 2009: the night in March when she got me out of a speeding ticket.
I was driving to a dog training class, and was apparently going a bit too fast. Okay, I was at least 15mph over the limit, so I knew when I saw those lights in my rear view mirror that I was going to get a ticket. The officer walked up to the passenger’s side window to ask for my license and proof of insurance.
I couldn’t find it. I apologized profusely, but the officer looked at me sternly. Then he noticed Maisy, who was sitting safely buckled in her seat, wagging her tail in large, loose circles, and with the biggest doggy smile possible. He did a double take, then smiled at her.
“You know what?” he said. “Don’t worry about it. Just slow down.”
I thanked him, and then, as I drove away, I thanked Maisy.
And I need to do that again today. Thank you, Maisy, for everything you have done, for everything you have taught me, for loving and trusting me, for simply being yourself. I could not ask for a better dog.
I think one of the biggest skills I’ve developed is in my ability to read dog body language. Like most owners, I was pretty oblivious to what my dog was telling me with her body. Now I can generally pick out the main components of what’s going on. Although I still struggle to read the body language of other dogs, especially the brief and subtle displays, I’ve gotten much better at reading Maisy’s body language.
I went to one dog-related seminar this year in March, when I spent two days with Pat Miller (who, incidentally, thinks Maisy is cute). It was a great seminar, and I learned a lot. We covered a variety of topics, including a general overview of operant and classical conditioning, dog body language, and a special afternoon session on Constructional Aggression Treatment.
I did a lot of reading, and currently belong to 42 dog-related yahoo groups. I also read the following books:
The Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson
Bones Would Rain From the Sky, by Suzanne Clothier
Getting in TTouch with Your Dog, by Linda Tellington-Jones
Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt
The Hidden Life of Dogs, and The Social Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Don’t Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor
A Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs, by Caroline Knapp
Click Your Way to Rally Obedience, by Pam Dennison
Reaching the Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor
Click to Calm, by Emma Parsons
Through a Dog’s Ear, by Joshua Leeds and Susan Wagner
Ring Wise: A Handling Manual for Competition Obedience, by Marie Sawford
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, by Turid Rugaas
Successful Obedience Handling, by Barbara S. Handler.
(I’m working on a few more, but I probably won’t finish them by the end of the year.)
I also watched two dog training DVDs: The Language of Dogs, by Sarah Kalnajs and Crate Games, by Susan Garrett.
I volunteered as a trial steward at a UKC obedience trial in November, and I learned a lot. I watched everything closely, and took away some great tips which I have incorporated into my work with Maisy. I also learned that trials are only as stressful as you make them. The judges genuinely want each team to do well, and the other teams barely pay attention. This has gone a long way towards reducing my ring nerves, although I know there’s a lot of work left to do there.
I also made a lot of changes in Maisy’s life. One of the most important things I did was introduce treat dispensing toys for her meals. Maisy eats supper out of these every day. She has a Buster Cube, a Tricky Treat Ball, a Bob-A-Lot, and our favorite, the Tug a Jug!
These toys are vital to keeping us both sane. Maisy has a lot of energy, and being able to expend some mental energy during meal times really cuts down on her anxiety. I also improved Maisy’s diet by switching over to pre-made raw for breakfast, with high-quality, grain-free kibble for supper. She takes probiotics and fish oil daily.
Maisy switched to a holistic vet this fall, and has received regular chiropractic treatments. She’s also got her first massage today! I have never seen this dog so relaxed. This may sound like extravagance, but keeping her pain free is incredibly important when managing her anxiety.
Maisy and I have gone to a ton of classes, including CU-style classes, rally and advanced obedience. We have had a couple of private lessons, and even took a few tracking lessons this fall. It was really neat to watch Maisy use her innate abilities, and really taught me that I have to trust her as much as she has to trust me when we’re working together.
Finally, I would be completely remiss if I didn’t share what might be my favorite Maisy-related moment from 2009: the night in March when she got me out of a speeding ticket.
I was driving to a dog training class, and was apparently going a bit too fast. Okay, I was at least 15mph over the limit, so I knew when I saw those lights in my rear view mirror that I was going to get a ticket. The officer walked up to the passenger’s side window to ask for my license and proof of insurance.
I couldn’t find it. I apologized profusely, but the officer looked at me sternly. Then he noticed Maisy, who was sitting safely buckled in her seat, wagging her tail in large, loose circles, and with the biggest doggy smile possible. He did a double take, then smiled at her.
“You know what?” he said. “Don’t worry about it. Just slow down.”
I thanked him, and then, as I drove away, I thanked Maisy.
And I need to do that again today. Thank you, Maisy, for everything you have done, for everything you have taught me, for loving and trusting me, for simply being yourself. I could not ask for a better dog.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Year in Review, Part 2: Skills and Attitudes
Earning titles and ribbons is fun, of course, but Maisy and I learned a lot, too. This is the second of three entries reviewing how Maisy and I spent 2009, and in this entry, I’ll talk about the skills we’ve developed, and the way Maisy’s attitude has changed.
Obedience wise, Maisy and I worked on many, many things. I’m really proud of how far her heeling has come. Just over a year ago, loose leash walking was still pretty tricky for us. Now, Maisy has a decent heel position. She can heel on and off leash with a lot of attention (although that depends on the distraction level, of course). She has learned to find heel position with either a hand cue, a verbal cue, or my body position.
In addition to improved heeling in straight lines, she’s really improved her ability to stay in heel position while I move in odd directions. The halt-left pivot 90 degrees was the most terrifying thing to me when I signed up for our first trial, but now she can left pivot 360 degrees even with distractions! She can also do the halt-sidestep right-halt and remain in a pretty good heel position.
I’m thrilled with her ability to heel past the distraction of a food bowl with treats in it! Although she has a momentary lapse now and then, she usually doesn’t even look at it anymore! I’m especially proud that I was able to teach this without using the words “leave it” excessively.
Maisy’s heeling has probably improved more than mine, but this year, I have learned about walking at a brisk pace and improved my foot work. I’m better at walking in a straight line (which is harder than it sounds), too.
Maisy’s fronts, while still not where I want them, have improved a great deal. In fact, they are nearly perfect at home! Not only does she come in centered and straight, she’s getting much closer! One thing I had to improve while working on fronts was about treat delivery. Once I took the bait bag off my hip and became consistent about giving the treat in the center of my body, her fronts improved a lot.
I introduced a lot of new concepts to her as well. Although we have a lot of work to do to finish these behaviors, Maisy and I have started working on jumps, retrieving a dumbbell, using a pivot board, and backing up.
I also successfully desensitized Maisy to a Dremel for her nails (although I wouldn’t say that I’ve fully counter-conditioned her- she doesn’t love it, but it’s better than using a nail clipper), and really improved her eye contact and attention behaviors through doggie zen. I’m also really proud that I finally figured out how to legally use treats in the APDT rally ring!
On the reactivity front,I think that one of the biggest areas in which Maisy developed skills this year is her ability to relax. In January, we started our first Control Unleashed style class, which is a class specifically designed for reactive dogs. A big component to CU style classes is teaching the dog to relax and be calm in the face of triggers. One method to accomplish this is through mat work, which may be combined with massage and TTouch. Maisy really struggled with this. She seemed very uncomfortable, and wiggled all over the place in an effort to get away from me when I first started massaging her.
The instructor also encouraged me to reward calm and relaxed behaviors at home. This is harder than it sounds; when your dog is lying quietly and being good, you tend to take them for granted. This year, I really had to learn to look for and reward calm behaviors. It was a weird experience for both of us. Back in January, I wrote the following in my journal:
These days, Maisy is very comfortable on her mat, and I see her relaxed around the house a lot more often, and while she doesn’t love massages, she does appreciate a few well-placed pets. Not only is she more willing to relax by stretching out in the house, she has become more snuggly with me. She often chooses to curl up next to me, which is incredibly endearing. I also think this is a sign of our improved relationship due to all of the work we’ve done together.
Maisy’s fear has also decreased. Over the last year, she has learned to go through agility tunnels (on her own terms, not on my cue), and sit in a canine-eating hula hoop. She is also generally more willing to interact with objects. Although she has no interest in stepping on an A-Frame or a teeter, she is quite willing to go sniff them for a treat. This is huge for her!
Another neat way her fear has decreased is her willingness to move things. Maisy has a lot of fear of movement, and until recently, she wouldn’t even nose aside a door to retrieve her beloved tennis ball. Now, though, she is not only nosing aside doors but actively pushing her way in to the room where I feed the cats, and escaping from her crate. For three years, we’ve never once latched her crate at home- we knew she wouldn’t try to open it. Recently, however, we’ve found her out and about when we get home. Most people would probably be upset by this, but honestly, I’m just thrilled that she’s become so brave! I also like that it offers her the choice of remaining safely inside her crate or leaving on her terms while we’re gone.
Her reactivity has fluctuated a lot this year, and it’s hard to know where we stand on that front. Still, I think it’s improving. It seems like her reactivity has become less emotional and more of a habit or learned behavior, which truly is a good thing, even if it is still frustrating. I’ve identified a lot of her triggers, and am becoming better at both preventing reactivity and interrupting and managing it, and Maisy’s become better at seeing a trigger and offering an alternative behavior (usually frantic eye contact) in the expectation of a treat. Good dog!
Overall, Maisy has become a very easy dog to live with. I probably wouldn’t even know that she’s reactive if it weren’t for the fact that I want to go to obedience trials. She’s genuinely mellowed out and become less anxious at home. She’s also pretty good in low-pressure environments. Although we still have the occasional issue while on walks or at a pet store, she’s usually good in those environments, too. People tend to look at Maisy with admiration, and once, a lady in a pet store looked at Maisy, and then looked at her dog and said, “Why can’t you be more like that dog?” Since I have thought that endless times, I was so thrilled that Maisy was finally the “other dog.”
Obedience wise, Maisy and I worked on many, many things. I’m really proud of how far her heeling has come. Just over a year ago, loose leash walking was still pretty tricky for us. Now, Maisy has a decent heel position. She can heel on and off leash with a lot of attention (although that depends on the distraction level, of course). She has learned to find heel position with either a hand cue, a verbal cue, or my body position.
In addition to improved heeling in straight lines, she’s really improved her ability to stay in heel position while I move in odd directions. The halt-left pivot 90 degrees was the most terrifying thing to me when I signed up for our first trial, but now she can left pivot 360 degrees even with distractions! She can also do the halt-sidestep right-halt and remain in a pretty good heel position.
I’m thrilled with her ability to heel past the distraction of a food bowl with treats in it! Although she has a momentary lapse now and then, she usually doesn’t even look at it anymore! I’m especially proud that I was able to teach this without using the words “leave it” excessively.
Maisy’s heeling has probably improved more than mine, but this year, I have learned about walking at a brisk pace and improved my foot work. I’m better at walking in a straight line (which is harder than it sounds), too.
Maisy’s fronts, while still not where I want them, have improved a great deal. In fact, they are nearly perfect at home! Not only does she come in centered and straight, she’s getting much closer! One thing I had to improve while working on fronts was about treat delivery. Once I took the bait bag off my hip and became consistent about giving the treat in the center of my body, her fronts improved a lot.
I introduced a lot of new concepts to her as well. Although we have a lot of work to do to finish these behaviors, Maisy and I have started working on jumps, retrieving a dumbbell, using a pivot board, and backing up.
I also successfully desensitized Maisy to a Dremel for her nails (although I wouldn’t say that I’ve fully counter-conditioned her- she doesn’t love it, but it’s better than using a nail clipper), and really improved her eye contact and attention behaviors through doggie zen. I’m also really proud that I finally figured out how to legally use treats in the APDT rally ring!
On the reactivity front,I think that one of the biggest areas in which Maisy developed skills this year is her ability to relax. In January, we started our first Control Unleashed style class, which is a class specifically designed for reactive dogs. A big component to CU style classes is teaching the dog to relax and be calm in the face of triggers. One method to accomplish this is through mat work, which may be combined with massage and TTouch. Maisy really struggled with this. She seemed very uncomfortable, and wiggled all over the place in an effort to get away from me when I first started massaging her.
The instructor also encouraged me to reward calm and relaxed behaviors at home. This is harder than it sounds; when your dog is lying quietly and being good, you tend to take them for granted. This year, I really had to learn to look for and reward calm behaviors. It was a weird experience for both of us. Back in January, I wrote the following in my journal:
THIS IS SO HARD. I tried doing this [rewarding relaxed behavior] today- I gave her verbal praise for lying nicely in the living room and she just looked at me like “what the hell? I’m not DOING anything.” A couple of times she’s gotten up and run away.
These days, Maisy is very comfortable on her mat, and I see her relaxed around the house a lot more often, and while she doesn’t love massages, she does appreciate a few well-placed pets. Not only is she more willing to relax by stretching out in the house, she has become more snuggly with me. She often chooses to curl up next to me, which is incredibly endearing. I also think this is a sign of our improved relationship due to all of the work we’ve done together.
Maisy’s fear has also decreased. Over the last year, she has learned to go through agility tunnels (on her own terms, not on my cue), and sit in a canine-eating hula hoop. She is also generally more willing to interact with objects. Although she has no interest in stepping on an A-Frame or a teeter, she is quite willing to go sniff them for a treat. This is huge for her!
Another neat way her fear has decreased is her willingness to move things. Maisy has a lot of fear of movement, and until recently, she wouldn’t even nose aside a door to retrieve her beloved tennis ball. Now, though, she is not only nosing aside doors but actively pushing her way in to the room where I feed the cats, and escaping from her crate. For three years, we’ve never once latched her crate at home- we knew she wouldn’t try to open it. Recently, however, we’ve found her out and about when we get home. Most people would probably be upset by this, but honestly, I’m just thrilled that she’s become so brave! I also like that it offers her the choice of remaining safely inside her crate or leaving on her terms while we’re gone.
Her reactivity has fluctuated a lot this year, and it’s hard to know where we stand on that front. Still, I think it’s improving. It seems like her reactivity has become less emotional and more of a habit or learned behavior, which truly is a good thing, even if it is still frustrating. I’ve identified a lot of her triggers, and am becoming better at both preventing reactivity and interrupting and managing it, and Maisy’s become better at seeing a trigger and offering an alternative behavior (usually frantic eye contact) in the expectation of a treat. Good dog!
Overall, Maisy has become a very easy dog to live with. I probably wouldn’t even know that she’s reactive if it weren’t for the fact that I want to go to obedience trials. She’s genuinely mellowed out and become less anxious at home. She’s also pretty good in low-pressure environments. Although we still have the occasional issue while on walks or at a pet store, she’s usually good in those environments, too. People tend to look at Maisy with admiration, and once, a lady in a pet store looked at Maisy, and then looked at her dog and said, “Why can’t you be more like that dog?” Since I have thought that endless times, I was so thrilled that Maisy was finally the “other dog.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)