We are currently working on Volt's tendency towards "positive dog distraction". What this means is that he just LOVES other dogs! So much so that when we're out walking and a dog barks at us his ears prick forward and his forehead wrinkles and he wants to go and say hello and maybe have a game! If I change direction or tell him "no" he listens to me, but he is not supposed to be paying ANY attention to other dogs when he's working. We have been given some exercises from SAGA to do when we're out walking and they definitely work so we're seeing results, but they are time consuming and I have to stay patient and consistent. They consist of lots of repetition- approaching the gate, changing direction if he reacts, approaching again, "down-stay" out of sight of the gate...
SAGA has also given me a set of exercises to do with Volt before we head out for our walk to stop him pulling on the lead. He's not pulling aggressively, but he rushes ahead instead of keeping up with me. And if I praise him because he's doing well he gets excited and rushes ahead! We are doing the exercises for about 10 minutes before we leave home, and then on every other day we do the same set of exercises outside in the street so that he can learn that the behaviour I praise him for at home is applicable wherever we are. Again, its a lengthy and time consuming exercise and I have to be patient, but I can SO see the results!
Last week we were having Volt sleep in our bedroom so he can be okay with not sleeping in his crate. He likes his crate, and he was waking up at around 3am and asking to go back downstairs, but he'd go back to sleep. The first couple of days were especially rough because when Volt woke up Riddick would wake up and the two of them would want to play! That is so not on at that time of the morning! This week we'll alternate, a couple of nights upstairs and a couple of nights in his crate.
I bought a new toy! This one is a Kong Zinger! Its a soft rubber ring that has a stick to throw it with and it rolls and bounces. Volt LOVES it but getting him to bring it back to me is a challenge because he wants to chew it and its not meant to be a chew toy.
He's a big boy but my Volt still loves to cuddle with me! If I sit on the floor he will come and lie next to me or between my knees or put his head on my thigh and he LOVES his handling sessions.
 |
| click on the puppy to make a donation to SAGA |
Don't forget to check out the Twitter hash-tag #SAGApupVolt to see regular updates on my puppy raising adventure!
Follow @SAGuide_Dogs on Twitter and on Facebook!
0 comments:
Post a Comment