One More Step Towards Good Dog-dom!

I am so incredibly pleased with my Bella dog right now.

Yesterday at the barn was a terrific day!

I took a crate for her, a blanket, my clicker and lots of treats.. Oh! And a chair so I could sit and reward like crazy for good behaviour. I started with only the back, where I was sitting, un-covered. She could only see me, but she could hear the other dogs. She did well with that, so I un-covered a side again, so she could see me, and also the crates beside her, which the closest one had my other dogs, and the one beside that had 2 stranger dogs. She started to bark at them, but turned back to me instead. Click, treat!

I then took the other side off, so she still couldn't fully see the dogs, but she could hear them, she did well, so I moved my chair to the front of her crate and un-covered all sides.* She barked once, and when she did, I covered her again on all sides. She quickly (like, as soon as she realized she was covered) stopped her little fit, and calmed down, I waited a few more seconds then un-covered her again. From there she went to watching a Sheltie do a full jumpers course, to a Collie doing the same, and then to a Border Collie doing it as well. All with out any fits.

Of course, she was getting a boat load of treats, and I was practically shoving them down her throat, but still, she was behaving, and doing what I wanted (which was paying attention to me (offering eye contact) and not reacting at the other dogs), and so she got major rewards for that!

I was very pleased with my girl. Next week we'll do the same thing (in her crate) except for the fact that I will be adding more time between rewards, and asking for more - longer eye contact, some downs and sits, etc..

After that, depending on how she does next week, I may try opening the door some (with her leash attached to her, and a hold of her leash), and eventually move to just outside of her crate, to someday out of her crate.

Just a general update on how yesterday went. We're looking into agility classes in May, and I'm very excited because it feels like we're finally getting somewheres!

*This was all over the span of about 2 hours, and it's also her 3rd week working on the issue in this manner

Working more on the motion!

Today I took Bella to the barn again. I'd told the lady that I was going to take a break from working with her dog, and just work on my own thing with our dogs.

So I packed her crate today, and a blanket too. Took lots of treats and prepared to basically spend the whole 2 hours there beside her crate with her. I covered all 4 sides of her crate, except for one corner, where I was sitting - this corner was facing away from any of the other dogs, into a wall. From there I just treated for looking at me, offering eye contact, downing and sitting (in her crate) and behaving. All went well.

When she was doing well like that, I took one side off of the crate so she could see out, asked the same thing, and then eventually a half of the side closest to the dogs working. Any time she barked or whined, the cover went back down.

This worked well, and I felt like I was able to better control how close she was getting to her threshold. We're going to keep doing this, hopefully, until she can sit in her crate with no covers on it at all. After that she'll get to go out while our dogs do agility, and after that, while another dog jogs past, moving it up to the strange dog doing agility.

While I'm building up to the final result, I will work more on keeping her attention on me for longer, and up my requirements. Psyche's taking a break from agility for the next 3 or 4 weeks, so I'll have more time while at the barn to be there with her -- when I wasn't there to treat her for behaving, mom was. She was constantly rewarded for behaving, and I even let her out to do a couple of tunnels - which she loves - while the other dogs were out.

I'm pleased with today's success. No videos, sorry, because she was just in her crate, really.

Happy Third Birthday!

Bella hits 3 years old today!

It seems like she's still a pup, in some ways, and in others, I can't believe she's this old already.

She got some hugs and kisses, and I'm planning a trip to our newly opened PetSmart to pick her up some treaties for her birthday - maybe tomorrow night.

On Sunday she'll be going to the agility barn with me again. She really seems to enjoy going, and I like taking her, so I'm going to keep bringing her!

Before this turns into a sobfest, I'll wrap it up with a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!

Coming up on 3 years old, and training success!

On February 11th, Bella-baloo will be 3 years old! Time sure has flown since I brought that straggly 10 month old girlie home!

Now for her training success. I took Bella to the agility barn for training Sunday. Not to do agility, but to be around dogs who are moving quickly - because that's her issue now.

So here's a video of Bella's aggression...

Or reactivity or whatever you want to call it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOEKCJcGxo

I realize that I pull on her collar several times, and shouldn't. I was REALLY uncomfortable with that red leash, and so I was tense because of that and acting stupidly. Note to self for next week.

I hope to get some videos from next weeks session as well, so if I do, I'll be sure to post.

Food Tube!

Today I was working Psyche on her distance work for agility using a tennis ball (the hollow kind) with an X/t cut into it, the inside washed and wiped out, and then treats put into it. Psyche likes toys, but she always looses focus for them, so I've been using the tennis ball with the treats to try to get her more motivated for it as a reward for agility - because as of now, she'll only do agility for a stick. So, after trying this, I thought I'd try Bella with a food tube.

I took Bella out, just worked on some circle work, sit, stay, down stay, etc., and then used the tube as a reward. She LOVES it. Took her a few tries to realize "Oh, I can put it in my mouth? Cool!" and then she was barreling after it and coming back to me with it. Good Dog!

Fancy New Diggs!

Tonight Bella got a nice, new, pretty collar. Not for any special reason, other then I'm making collars to sell now, and I figure why not practice making them, and give them to my dogs or sell them cheap?

Anywho it's a martingale collar made like this one (this one is currently the collar around Psyche's neck!) :

And it's made in this fabric:


It's pretty cute.

Bella's doing well since Gyp's gone. No issues in our pack now, and we got an update on Gypie; she's doing great and really fitting in with the family. I'm really glad.

So nothing new is really happening, but I thought I'd let you all know that I've started a business to make money to get my dogs all the care, training, and stuff they need (to rely on my parents less) and I'm offering a sale on martingale collars (like the one above). Let me know in the comments if you're interested.

Gyp found a new home....

As sad as I feel for it being Bella's fault she had to be rehomed, life has been easier since Gyp went to her new home.

A family of 4 from a french community about 2 hours away took her. The parents both jog daily, and the girls were very good with her. Patient and loving. They came to meet her, and as soon as they left to think about if they wanted her or not, the family all decided that they'd be a great fit for Gyp. Dad didn't like the idea of getting rid of her, but he knew it was for the best, since there's no way we could have rehomed Bella, she would have had to be put to sleep.

We got an e-mail from the family the night they arrived home with her, they had stopped and bought toys, treats, collars, and leashes for her on the way home, and when they got home, Gyp decided on her favorite spot in the house - in front of the fire.

She seems to be doing well, and I'm glad about that.

As for Bella, she's doing well too. She's not in her crate as much now that Gyp's gone, and she's getting along great with all the other dogs, like we knew she would. She's got some chasing Tinky (mom's Mini Aussie) issues, but she just chases her, never tackles her, and we're working on that in our own method until I have a chance to try the Control Unleashed DVD/Book Set on her.

Happy New Year, everyone!