Well I never

We went off today for our usual dog walk.  It was the first real opportunity to test out new found skills on passing by other dogs  We found ourselves with plenty to practice on and our first chance was with Collin the Collie, Sonny's nemesis!  Sonny has always reacted very intensely to this particular dog.  Being a collie, his body language is quite intimidating as he tends to adopt a 'stalking' pose whenever he sees Sonny.  Fortunately his owner is very affable and always jokes he doesn't know if Sonny just doesn't like him or, his dog.

So today, there we are walking along a narrow path and there is Colin.  Quick as a flash I began my zigzagging behaviour as I realised that if I just used the triangle this time, Sonny would have too much time to fixate.  Off we go up and down up and down, Sonny is wrong-footed, somewhat perturbed that I am actually walking TOWARDS this dog rather than away from it as I normally would.  That I am not pulling him on the lead, yanking him or anything else ineffectual I might have tried in the past.  Sonny's is breathing hard, I can tell he's trying his best to hold it together....and HE DOES!  We are past the dog with no lunging, barking, yelping behaviour, what a result!!!  I am elated and my partner and I do a high five.  This feels like a massive shift for us all.

We move on meeting various other dogs in different circumstances, and I am walking tall, head up, striding forward.  For the first time in 10 YEARS I am outside with my dog, feeling happy, confident and not living in fear of what might come around the corner.

I am by no means saying that Sonny is cured, I am sure we will continue to have good and bad times, but we are finally on our way and that is the main thing.

What a result!

Last night I got in from dog training and lay down on the sofa and did not raise my head the whole night.  Yesterday we did so much work and with so much exposure to other dogs I think I must have let go of a lot of anxiety, and Sonny, he slept well too!!  Today we are upping the anti and continuing the work with various dogs in the trainer's pack.  Did I mention she has 15 dogs?  Everything from Great Dane to Chihuahua, mostly rescues. 

Sonny is learning other skills today, excitable dogs, owners who are not taking any notice of their dogs on flexi leads, arrogant dogs with arrogant owners.  How to meet a dog on a narrow path....mmm, interesting.  What do we do here then?  Remember the triangle manoeuvre we talked about? This time we are doing a sort of tacking motion from side to side, again this puts the dog off balance and in a 'follower' mode rather than trying to take over and being out in front.  He manages it beautifully and now I'm beginning to feel more in control.  Instead of anticipating the approaching hound, rather like learning the waltz, I'm having to concentrate on where my feet and body are supposed to go.  Guess what, I don't feel nervous any more and because I can feel and see it working, my confidence is growing! 

And by the end of the day, guess what this is the result...........I never thought I'd see it happen, but it has!!!!!!!

Bermuda Triangles

It's the first day of training and I'm feeling nervous, I didn't sleep that well.  The prospect of being exposed to strange dogs with the 'whirling dervish' in tow is not something I look forward to.  Off we set, both dogs in the back.  We arrive at the trainer's house and we begin some work on the grassy verge nearby, introducing one dog after another (she has 15 by the way!)  Sonny is being taught to 'avoid' using a particular kind of manoeuvre which I will call the Triangle.  The purpose of this is to break eye contact and put him in a follower position.

We are given a different lead, a slim rope which slips over his head.  We have used one in the past but it was much thicker.  The purpose of this lead is to give us better feedback about what Sonny is doing.  I am told not to look at the other dog and to focus on the tops of the telegraph pole ahead of me.  I look around rather nervously.  The ground is uneven and it has not been unknown for me to go face down in the presence of my dog.  Is the woman quite mad?  Does she not realise that I have a homing device for potholes and  once managed to disappear down a hole and I might add, up to my knee in water whilst nonchalantly walking a path.  Oh well, trying not to think about the possible weeks in traction that await me,  I give it a go.  The purpose of this stance is to look decisive and in command.  I must admit it's a great relief not to be looking at what I fear, although it does give you quite an unnerving feeling as you are not quite sure whether the other dog is!!

We set off and Sonny does his usual launching himself in the direction of yet another canine adversary.  We try again and again, interestingly the triangle manoeuvre seems to put him off balance.  Once nearing being opposite to  the other dog we are taught to veer off in the other direction. Returning on course again once we have past it.  This is a strange feeling.  If Sonny starts to strut his stuff I am to stop, gently pull the lead up and wait, looking up to the sky.  Right now I'm beginning to realise that you can sort of feel him relax and then you similarly know when he is following you again.  We continue to practise, eventually moving on from a triangle to a gentle curve till eventually being able to walk straight past the other dog.  Once we have managed this, we walk alongside, noting how now both dogs are much more relaxed.  The trainer has taught me how dog's not only mirror us and our feelings but also eachother.  So, if another dog reads Sonny's behaviour as aggressive, it will similarly mirror this back to him.  When the other dog is not reacting to him, this is a sign that Sonny is calming down.  The walking alongside is a bonding activity, the starting to form a 'pack'.