What a star

This is me and my housemate Holly, we get on well.

Another session at the lake. Sonny and I on our own this time. I am the one that needs the most work as my history of difficult experiences with him is extensive and I need as much desensitisation as the boy does. Sonny, trainer and I walk past lots of different situation, small children in pushchairs, pushchairs and small children walking, adult dogs, puppies in training. Why, I ask does Sonny always become aggressive around a pup, surely he must know they mean him no harm. Sally tells me that as a major cause of Sonny's behaviour is fear, it gives him a bit of confidence to bully up to a little pup. Yep, that makes sense, now I'm getting it. We spy a pair of brown collies, the owners know Sally and they stop for a chat. Tell Sonny to sit and we'll see what he does. I stand a few feet back. Sonny, on a slackish lead, is calm. The dogs are not reactive and sit too, one is slightly interested but not in a problematic way. I tell Sonny to 'watch', I offer him a treat, to my delight he gives me eye contact and takes it. This means his anxiety is at a manageable level or, he would not eat. After a few goes I decide to test him further, 'give paw' I say, blimey, he does! I now have a totally calm and relatively relaxed dog sitting a few feet from two stranger dogs. This is what we want!

We proceed on our way, a lively dog approaches, reading body language is so important to helping Sonny. It is no good introducing him to adverse experiences if we can help it. We *arc around this dog, Sally tells me providing we are purposeful it is OK to do this. What is not OK is being hesitant, stopping, faltering or, walking back the other way which only reinforces to Sonny that I don't know what I'm doing and then he won't trust me. Another dog approaches, a young staffie type. I had already spied this dog earlier and decided he was 'up there' so felt not a good energy for Sonny to meet. I say to Sally 'now that dog's up there', I stop, realising that I am not alone, now I'm telling the trainer what to do! What am I like, like a cruise missile that's what. With close to military precision I scan any situation where I am out with the dog and guess what he joins me, two cruise missiles together, not good for him or me!

On a narrow path Sonny is in a 'sit' with the same two brown collies and continuing to be really good. A toddler walking approaches, I am tense, but immediately Sally asks the mum if the child will be likely to reach out to Sonny. The mum can see he is wearing a muzzle and she is calm. I feel less nervous knowing that I do not have to take this child into account as well as the other dogs which would be too much for me at this stage. This is the moment when I am at my most nervous and I am struggling to focus on the dog without anticipating possible disaster scenarios. The child passes without incident and Sonny is continuing to get treats from me for his good behaviour. I concentrate on keeping my voice calm, I listen to my tone as Sally tells me it tends to go up when I am getting more stressed and Sonny reacts to this. I physically drop my voice to compensate, at the risk of sounding like Margaret Thatcher on a bad day (sorry Mags), it's better than becoming shrill.

As a finale we approach the local car boot which is in full swing. We stick to the outer edges meeting cars, people, other dogs old and young. In each case Sonny manages it and is at times showing interest in things around like the messages left by other dogs and looking at the scene. This is what real dogs do and it is great to see Sonny being a real dog rather than a scared boy. Finally we see a very young German Shepherd pup. The pup appears to be quite interested and so I instinctively arc around him again. Sally says this is really good and that Sonny has done really well today and I have done well at controlling him. Well done Sonny. Ideally we need to be doing this exercise once a week, work commitments and bank balance permitting, I am going to aim for that although on occasions it may be two weekly. However we agree that once a month would not give him enough practise and as every week goes by his confidence and body language improve.

Keep you posted

*for more information on dog body language and ways that dogs try to avoid conflict google Turid Rugaas

OMG it's exposure time!!!

The issue of exposing Sonny to further doggy/people/general life experiences continue. After our initial visit to a local beauty spot, the lesson continued the following week. This time I the nervous one was in the driving seat. This is major, I am tending to avoid taking the boy out at present because I am not confident about handling his dog to dog (or anything he doesn't like) aggression on my own. It is difficult to say what exactly I am so scared of, OK he has got out of his lead in the past but a new lead and collar have been bought and neither looks likely to fail at a critical moment. I used to be scared of dogs when I was young, am I scared of dogs myself and so have transferred this to Sonny? Am I just worried about Sonny upsetting and scaring other people, particularly children? Definitely and do I fear that, despite him being muzzled and on a lead I may get prosecuted for having a dangerous dog, possibly. Sally reassures me that whilst I am working with her, there is nothing to fear. She is used to speaking to third parties who feel concerned about a dog's behaviour that she is working with. Also, she tells me, the police have better things to do than to respond to concerns about a dog unless they are clearly out of control and the owner is not dealing with it. There is no doubt that we are doing our absolute best to deal with it, but somehow in the heat of the moment when he is kicking off, it doesn't feel like enough. Sonny, as I am learning, is as closely attuned to me as if he were part of me, he knows how I smell when I am scared and acts to protect me by seeing off the adversary. If I am comfortable, relaxed and talking, not focussed on what he is doing, he is happy, tail waggy and more if not totally relaxed, he may look interested in something or, someone but will not react.

Lesson 2, involved passing a whole gaggle of geese. This would intimidate some people but as I am deep in conversation with the trainer I am less concerned than I might otherwise be. He reacts brilliantly apart from right at the end when a goose comes that bit too close and he takes a dive at it. This, says Sally is not a bad thing, after all she can't imagine that many dogs would be able to ignore that one. Later we move off to a town setting and a take a walk, almost immediately we come across a crowd of young people. Immediately I am telling them to move aside so that they walk on my side and not with the dog. Sally tells me she would not have done this as it is likely to raise his anxiety and I sounded anxious when I was speaking to them. This is just SO HARD when your brain is hardwired to protect your animal for various indiscretions you are all the time looking for hazards and trying to pre-empt them. Now I am learning that to do that in fact sets him up to react, rather than stops him from doing it. A classic reinforcement of a vicious circle. Where did it all go wrong? Sally tells me that a lot of his experiences have come from his time with his previous owner, she despite wanting to do the best for him, inadvertently reinforced all his anxiety and lack of confidence. Secondly, when he first started to show anxiety around other dogs I had him castrated, she would have advised me to hold back as the testosterone would have given him that last little bit of confidence which unfortunately the act of castration took away. I have to admit to be anxious anyway at times, but prior to having Sonny we had another dog who was fine and socialised well, so maybe I shouldn't blame myself. But it's hard not to...

We sit on a bench and continue to chat. Passing us are a variety of walkers all arriving or going home. One particular commuter walks that bit too close. In my mind I see Sonny lunging at this person and scaring them, I can feel my anxiety going up. I try desperately to think of anything, count backwards, whatever it takes to refocus myself on positive thoughts. I even tried imagining other dogs as something benign like a mushroom, mmmm, not sure how successful that was. Other suggestions are having your Ipod playing something your brain has to work on like learning a language, however only in one ear so that you can still be aware of what is going on around you and so I guess I can still talk to the dog, only to withdraw this 'prize' if he reacts badly. Today Sonny is much better with the trainer and beginning to look to Sally for direction in situations, yep he knows I'm not up to the job of leading him yet, but I'm working on it Sonny, I'm really working on it....

Useful website

Recently found this website which is quite informative: http://www.i-love-dogs.com

Ducks, dogs and dappy owners

This week we have had another training session with Sally. This time she suggested we took Sonny to a local beauty spot where we were guaranteed to meet other four leggeds and she could see him in action.

It has to be said that despite many a previous trainer, NONE has ever offered to do this with us. The first thing she notices is that, as we know, his body language is completely different when he is outside the home. He is not of course the only one. I as his erstwhile owner am feeling like a coiled spring. I am in the midst of all the things I know he can react to and which I studiously try therefore to avoid. Other dogs, oh no, small children, oh dear, no, no and narrow paths where you can't avoid whatever approaches you, no, no, no. However Sally is confident (fortunate). I allow my partner to take the lead, because it will not help Sonny for his fearful owner to be guiding him at this point.

We go for a brief walk around the lake. I am busting for the loo (probably nerves), as I return I am instructed not to make eye contact with Sonny. If he is tracking situations and looking fearful, it is important not to react, otherwise I am 'following his lead'. This is not of course a good thing for a fearful dog.

The most useful bit about having the trainer with us is that she can observe all the little things that we can't because we are usually so busy trying to deal with the dog. For instance, she says that he is constantly looking at me. I am not aware of this as I tend to be looking ahead of me otherwise I could end up down a pothole! However what this tells us is that despite my efforts to 'detach' from my beloved dog and try to form a more business like relationship with him, he is not yet fooled. He wants to check me out and is busy watching my body language all the time. This is not healthy.

We stop at a park bench and Sally takes him off for a jaunt on his own, the anxiety in his eyes is palpable and we can see that he spends at least half his time, whilst within eye-shot, looking for us. However after a bit we can't see him and we are left wondering what he is doing and how he is getting on. This is weird as I don't normally give anyone else responsibility for my dog, for obvious reasons. Then she returns, saying that his concern for our whereabouts was actually a helpful thing because he meant he was less sensitive to other dogs coming his way.

She approaches some people with two big white fluffy dogs (Samoi's) asking them if their dogs are reactive. They happen to be feeding their dogs ice cream at the time, but let's gloss over that for the moment. No they say and very kindly agree to allow her to circle the dogs with Sonny. At the same time there is a staffy/pitbull type mix with 'not a clue' owners who have him on a flexi lead. The dog is out in front and definitely in charge, more so because one of the owners appears to be drunk! Maybe not the best example for Sonny to be exposed to right now. However we are able to observe him from a distance as he circles the other white dogs with Sally. One of the dogs seems quite interested but is very unreactive to him. She is able to get reasonably close to both dogs. Sonny is muzzled and on lead. No reaction. She returns.

We do one more circuit of the lake, this time I am advised that we can use Sonny's fixation with me to our advantage. If he reacts badly to anything and lunges, then I am to walk off immediately. This reinforces to him that he will 'lose me' if he behaves badly. Interesting, I think I am getting this woman's drift.

We try it. The white fluffies are approaching, we tell him to sit, I am standing with Sally. He lunges, immediately I walk off. This I am told was great, good timing on my part and Sonny was definitely perturbed that I disappeared. However, this is probably only a device that we can use temporarily.

Another thing she has noticed is that he is very tuned into my voice. So whilst on the other side of the lake I sneezed. He recognised me immediately and made haste to get to where he thought it was coming from. SO.. when I take him out
what I need to do is to talk to him a lot, telling him he is a good boy when he is showing the more relaxed chilled out body language. This reinforces to him that this is the emotion we want to see from him and that good thing will happen if he displays this behaviour to me. However, if he reacts to another dog or person, then I am to keep silent. This will let him know again that he 'loses' me if he displays the unwanted behaviour.

Finally, and I have not really yet got my head round this one. She feels that his behaviour is purely fear based and reactive. Because he has not displayed this behaviour with her, she feels HE CAN BE CURED!!!! Will I ever be able to let him off the lead again? Yes, she thinks so. This is all too much for me and I am about to blub very loudly in a public place, quietly I hold the tears back. The idea of Sonny running free and happy, his ears blowing in the wind is almost too much to bear to hope for. However, I think it's me as much as the dog that is going to need to work as I have had so many horrible experiences that I may need serious Valium and alcohol before I can chill out a bit.

Doggy day

This weekend we attended a local dog event. It was lovely to see so many happy and healthy dogs enjoying various activities. We watched a fascinating display of gun dogs learning to retrieve items from the water. We also saw an agility section and how much it had helped dogs with problems to gain more confidence. Agility is something we need to get sorted for the boy. Our trainer has recommended we buy a set of equipment for the garden and so that he can practice. Collies are highly intelligent animals, keeping up with their need for mental stimulation is something of a challenge.

This week we have had more trouble with Sonny keeping him focussed outside, I managed to bump into our trainer yesterday who was at the show and she said they are good at learning and so you have to keep ahead, giving them new challenges all the time. However, we had a better time after some backgarden training yesterday and I took out a calmer and much more focussed boy than had been visible a few days before. It was lovely to see his ears back and a calmer expression.

We also noticed a lot of beautifully calm dogs at the show, no doubt most owners would not take their beloved hounds to such an event if they were in any way a management problem. However, a notable number of owners were allowing their dogs to walk in front of them which is an absolute no no if you are trying to establish leadership over your dog. It seems that some dogs do not present much of a problem even if they have a tendency to dominance, or are their owners just spending lots of money on chiropracters to deal with damaged arms and shoulders?