Is it my imagination but are our dogs better behaved when the sun is shining? Do you think their spirits are lifted and they get more cheerful as we do? Well Hamish certainly seems to be in a better mood this week and today he decided it was time for his first swim in the canal for 2009. It was totally his idea but it did take him some time to finally take the plunge and a small crowd had gathered to cheer him along.
You may already know, but Hamish is back at school at the moment with the helping hand of renowned Clicker
Gundog trainer Helen Philips. The first lesson we had to learn was to calm everything down and work on Hamish's ability to focus on me and therefore the job in hand. With a bit of imagination I have incorporated a 'trick' borrowed from
Anna and Ziggi to help him relax.
Ruby has been back at school with us too but last weekend they got to have some fun when she came over to stay. Actually Hamish stayed at Ruby's on Friday and Ruby came to stay with us on Saturday so they had a whole weekend together.
They get on so very well together and were as good as gold....the reform school is obviously doing them good.
Hamish is having to get used to being in his crate all over again. It's our first small step towards getting him over his Separation Anxiety and the first time we've had the crate up since he was 10months old. As you can see Ruby is trying to help him out.
You may already know, but Hamish is back at school at the moment with the helping hand of renowned Clicker Gundog trainer Helen Philips. The first lesson we had to learn was to calm everything down and work on Hamish's ability to focus on me and therefore the job in hand. With a bit of imagination I have incorporated a 'trick' borrowed from Anna and Ziggi to help him relax.
They get on so very well together and were as good as gold....the reform school is obviously doing them good.
Hamish is having to get used to being in his crate all over again. It's our first small step towards getting him over his Separation Anxiety and the first time we've had the crate up since he was 10months old. As you can see Ruby is trying to help him out.
9 comments:
He looks an expert at chilling :)
Glad he is in a better mood with the sun.
Hope the separation training goes ok. I would love to have sessions with Helen Phillips except I don't really like gundog work so I am hoping in the future to go to some classes with Kay Laurence who is associated with Helen.
You must let me know how they go.
Hope you are all well
Best wishes
Anna
Hi Anna,
Good to hear from you. We are doing fine, although we've had a few setbacks with a)a car crashed into a bus we were on exactly where Hamish was sleeping and b) A chair I was sitting on at work collapsed and H tried to escape underneath it, I stood up but he ran and a bit of the chair got trapped around his torso. He panicked (I think he thought it was attacking him) and got in a real state fighting back with a piece of wood. He got free but was totally spooked and shaky. I've never seen him so nervous poor wee fella.
So we've been trying to get him to relax again in my office which hasn't been easy, but today was better. The bus is another story, the bendy ones he especially associates with very loud bangs next to his head and just won't settle.
I know you have issues with fear with Pesto so any tips to help us get over this would be much appreciated. He won't accept food in these situations, just too upset.
love,
Ross and H
So sorry that Hamish has had a few bad points in his life recently.
It is good that he is starting to feel relaxed in your office.
With the buses he is way over threshold if he can't eat. He will not learn if he is repeatedly put in this situation. It is likely to make his fear worse. Is there anyway you can avoid buses with him for a while?
At what point does he start getting worked up and unable to eat? Is it at bus stops, when the bus approaches, getting on, when you are sitting?
If you can identify this then you have a place to start. Heavily reinforce him toys, treats, petting, praising at the point just before he becomes agitated. Then over time you will get closer to the point of aggitation but again with loads of rewards.
Keep just moving gradually. There is no point in rushing him as it ends up just flooding him with the fearful stimulus (would you get better if you were placed in a room full of spiders when you were fearful of them?).
I understand that you don't have a car so use public transport alot and with his seperation anxiety it is hard for you to not take him. So if possible avoid buses and re build taking him on them slowly (it may mean getting on and then walking to the off doors and getting off!)
If you can't avoid them try and find a place where he is least anxious (front, top level, back, near doors?) and take short journeys if poss. A body wrap may help or some valium (herbal kind).
Good luck and let me know. Ask away if you need.
Thanks Anna, that is very helpful. I've been reading a bit about fear and yes I've been petting him as I don't believe it reinforces the fear. I try to do it confidently and cheerfully too.
It was taking lots of his toys and lying down in his bed with him wrestling that finally got him to relax enough to sleep in my office. It's only the bendy buses he hates so I'll avoid them for a while. On the double-deckers he goes under the seat immediately and settles into a deep sleep straight away.
I understand what you are saying and notice that he wasn't taking treats when I was in Covent Garden the other day and people were trying to stroke him but he didn't want them to. It was at the end of a long day and I will just take him away in future when I see he's not happy.
Thanks again it makes a lot of sense, working under thresholds etc.
I hope you enjoy Kay Lawrence as much as we like Helen.
Ross x
Sounds like you are doing really well with him. Read on the forum that you are having a great time with clicker training. So glad to hear it. It is such a wonderful technique.
Keep me updated as I love to hear how you and Hamish are getting on.
Best wishes
Ruby sure is a super dooper pal
Gosh. That Ruby is way too pretty -WHAT a lovely head!What is her breeding? Sorry to hear about your frights Hamish - great advice from Anna though - as usual.Lots of love from the redgirls (in not bonnie Scotland - gale force winds and lots of rain. Hamish would have a return of the grumps!)
Hey Redgirls,
Good to hear from you. Ruby is a Yogi pup, but don't know who her mum is.
She is now Hamish's oldest friend since Radio passed away. Vigo is the 'other' woman but please don't tell her there are others, she loves him so much it might break her wee Viz heart (not so wee really are they - Viz hearts that is.)
Anyway you two could be the other, 'other' women too if you would visit more often. Call yourselves shoppers! I hear you've not been in Selfridges in over a year, not to mention Harvey Nic's. BUMPKINS, that's what I have to say. Lovely Bumpkins too.
Hope your weather improves soon.xxx
Vigo, well, all innocent, but not really into boys at the moment. her girlfriends don't try it on [apart from flo] and she can run free with them and roll about and have lots of fun without the boisterous part [apart from with olive who nipped her ear]. hamish is more of a brother, not really a lover, and vigo misses him, and says that she's not going to wales after all but instead will stay with iris and flo all the time we are away, and flo with us the week before when iris is away. so you can meet every day, hurrayyy!
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