The Little Bear Dog Blog

I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last post! I won’t bother with excuses about the day job and trips home to see the family and the like, because although all valid, the real reason is that the dogs (yes, still plural) have been taking up most of my free time.

Annie’s reactiveness to other dogs we’ve discovered is pretty much initiated by Little Bear. He barks, she joins in.

At home it’s the same story – his hair-trigger for door bells, car doors slamming and people walking past the house or generally sounding like they’re enjoying themselves now has them both barking like idiots.

So, we’re having to walk them separately for now. Her season has just started too so she’s getting walks in the small hours when we can guarantee no other sane person will be pounding the streets with their pooch. Her pulling is still extreme (although improving) so Annie walking is being done by the BSM (big strong man) that is Other Half.

If this sounds stressful, it has been, but this isn’t going to be a whinge – I’m writing today because I’m proud of them and I want to record it.

I think it’s sometimes human nature to just record the bad times. Ask most women about their teenage journals and they are probably filled with the dramas and the heartaches with scant attention paid to the nice but mediocre or indeed even the thrilling times.

There’s probably a good reason for this, after all, who wants to interrupt a good party to write its review? When life is good we’re naturally absorbed in living it.

Well life has certainly been absorbing these past few weeks! I’m determined to reach a point where we can walk them together and so I’ve been redoubling efforts to help Little Bear cope with his anxiety. I’ve been hitting the books again and although my chosen methods haven’t changed, I’ve been making sure that I’m 100% consistent in their application. I wouldn’t say I’d been inconsistent in the past, but I have dropped my guard here and there; distracted by my phone or chatting to people we meet in the park when I should have been watching him and focussing on his body language and assessing the situation.

So now every single walk, (at least in my mind) has been a training walk. My goal is simple, to be able to walk past a dog or a group of children in the street without him barking at them. That’s it. It may sound very straightforward, if not down right simplistic, but for me it will mean that he’s confident and relaxed enough not to feel the need to react.

Pride

And here comes the pride bit! Yesterday we walked past a dog and HE DIDN’T BARK! Admittedly, it was an elderly dog but it was only a few feet away and although interested to the point that he really wanted to go and say hello, he allowed himself to be distracted and we moved on without incident.

This little breakthrough is hot on the heels of another achievement that came last week. While off lead in the park he spotted a dog in the distance and went into his usual routine – run ten feet from me and bark manically. But this time, after the first woof he came when called and sat for treats and (of course) enthusiastic praise.

And then today, another milestone – he started barking at a dog across the street but then allowed himself to be distracted with a round of the ‘paw touch’ game instead. A few muffled woofs escaped in between treat munching but on the whole he was much, much calmer than usual.

On top of that, he’s just looking happier. His tail is wagging a little more, he’s playing with even more enthusiasm than normal and his recall is just superb now. He comes galloping back to me, tongue lolling and makes such a fuss you’d swear we’d been apart for months instead of seconds. We’re still to master the art of always remembering the ball, but I’m not at all concerned about that.

The barking at home is also starting to get to a controllable point. Luckily, Annie has food on her mind 24/7 so one rattle of the treat jar and she comes running. Not to be out done, LB is always hot on her heels, usually getting a few final woofs in for good measure though. Annie, having learned super quick that food requires a sit has her bum on the ground before I can even pronounce the ‘t’ – LB stands next to her, not wanting to waste a sit, should for some reason it not be required this time. Beaks shut and bums parked they get their ‘treat’ which is just a biscuit from their daily allowance. I almost feel mean, but hey, it works, they’re happy, I’m happy.

It’s onward and upward in the Little Bear household and I’m reminded every day how much this little chap is teaching me.

And here he is – I’m now being hypnotised by a small dog with a large teddy bear in his mouth. The look and the tail say it all ‘PLAYTIME!’.