The Gentle Leader came in the mail yesterday so last night I sized it and let Addison wear it for a while so she could get used to it. After I took it off I made sure I gave her a massage around her snout and will continue to do this whenever I use it so it's something she looks forward to.I crated her last night and she whined for part of the night. She is acting like a puppy when it comes to the crating and house breaking but this is what she needs.
In the morning I got up and got ready for a run. I took her out and she did all of her business. Great! Then I put the Gentle Leader on her and we went for a run. She did great and was always beside or behind me. At one point we passed a school bus stop and I stopped to see how she reacted to all of the kids. It seems that most of her skittishness comes from noises. It wasn't the kids that were bothering her but the giggles, screams, loud noises they made. I stayed there with her for a bit and then we continued on our run. She did great the entire run and we finished 5K at a 10:30 pace. The greatest thing was that during the run her tail was not between her legs from getting startled but in a more natural position. My hope is that the runs will be something that helps her build her confidence.
When we got back from the run I grabbed my trash can and the sounds it made startled her. I took it as an opportunity to work on her skittishness. I didn't want to associate the Gentle Leader with the exercise since it was new to her already so I moved to the martindale collar. Then I began to walk with her on my left side and the trash can on wheels to my right. At first she was trying to get away and I just made sure to keep moving forward. She quickly realized that the noises were not harming her and after about 5-10 minutes she was walking at my side. A great exercise that I will continue to repeat.
We came in the house, massaged her snout, drank lots of water, and fed her while I got ready for work. Before I left I took her out and she peed again. Great again! Very positive morning in many ways.
1 comment:
Jason, you are making such incredible progress with her!!! I am sooooo.........impressed!!! You are right....Addison needs that crating so she is housebroken. I am glad you crated her all night or else you would have woke up to poop and pee. Nice job..10:30 pace! Liz
Post a Comment