And The Day Begins....

Leon and Jack-We lounge in bed until it's time to feed the doggies. At this very moment, we have only Hoobie and my dogs here. So it's one of those mornings where I don't have to rush around the house getting everyone's breakfast and needs taken care of. The boys rush out around the house as usual. If they really really need to go, then they pee. More often than not, they feel this task can wait until they are fed, and wait patiently by their food bowls (well, at least Jack waits patiently and normally in the sit that he has been taught to wait in).

Next Hoobie-So today we not only found Happy Hoobie in his crate, but dancing and prancing Hoobie!! I allow some of the jumping up from Hoobie right now because I know he's happy. I don't allow it to become bossing or ordering though. In a Springer with an aggression problem and a knack for training his owners to give him his own way, it's important that orders come from the owner/handler. It's also important that permission is given first for things like going in or coming out of the crate. The "nothing in life is free" (NILIF) system has been put into place. Hoobie is told to sit and wait and doors, at the stair, and before going in or coming out of his crate.

This sort of activity also starts to make things predictable for the dog. They start to know the rules and conduct that is preferred. Much like I prefer that Hoobie is predictable in his actions, Hoobie likes to know what he can expect from me. This is what I mean about setting up a communication between two different species.

I have just started allowing Hoobie to have his muzzle of for most of the morning. Since not just Happy Hoobie greeted me this morning, but sunshine itself, it was off for a brief unmuzzled walk to pee and poop. We also took a period of time just to explore.

Then back in for unmuzzled medicine given up high. Now that he is out of the crate doing this, it doesn't seem to bother him any more. I have been giving him brief pats when he is out, and touching different parts of his body. I haven't seen him tense up yet, or tuck his tail. If he did either of those things, I would stop. He SEEMS to be more and more accepting of touch, and even enjoying it sometimes. He presents his tail portion for scratching, but I have found if you scratch that too vigorously, he will growl. Then when I stop though, he has been receptive.

I am being very careful now with his muzzle off to watch his signals. Back into the crate though, we have pouting Hoobie. He tried to pull a fast one on me today, he went like he was going in, but he just dipped his head in the water while his whole body was still outside of the crate. Then he came dancing and prancing over to me, fully expecting that I would allow him to stay out of the crate. The thing is though, one of the biggest lessons here is that sometimes you need to do things you don't want. Also that the correct response to this is not biting, or charging the gate, or growling.

Sometimes Hoobie loves going into his crate, but not as the day of fun begins. I hear him howling right now. Something he rarely does anymore. He sounds so cute, and you want to just rescue him, but that would send the wrong message to Hoobie and he would start to backslide. I make sure that I am in a completely different room away from him, so he doesn't even know I can hear him.

ME-While I am waiting for daycare and for the next med dose and food to be given to Hoobie, I normally update my blogs. I do have some video of publically training Magoo from yesterday, but I will probably put that off a bit until I have some other video to download. I have my coffee now, and contemplate how the rest of the day's training is going to go. Also have to plan how to give quality time to Jack today and the rest of this week, as his least favorite (but lovely) dog is boarding with us, Petey (with Magoo and Lucey). Hoobie, Magoo, and Lucey all have a training schedule that needs to be maintained. Minny Manny, Roxie, and Harley all have an exercise schedule for the day. Our usual Wednesday lesson is coming with Piper at 11 am.

A busy day begins well.