Wednesday, 1/4
Day One of breaking old habits. 7:30am I woke up, got ready, went downstairs and ignored Cadie for a few minutes while turning my computer on, drinking a glass of water, and getting my shoes and coat on. We went outside to 'go potty' which I didn't say until she was mid-stream (pretty much right away), so that was good. We then went for a walk, maybe two miles or so. We stopped halfway to sniff around a frozen pond and field. After allowing her to sniff loose leash for a bit, we turned back to head home. Getting her to pay attention to my lead and properly heel (even though I hold the leash close) was not too easy, but eventually she did. (No poop, which is not normal for her in the morning)
We got home and put her in her crate (without a treat, not as easy without that incentive!). I had breakfast, and halfway through she was crying, so I'm thinking she has to poop, but want to feed her first to get her started on my schedule. It's around 9:15am. I get her out of her crate, put her leash on and feed her. We are feeding her 1.5 cups of Royal Canin Medium Puppy food, twice a day. I take a small handful out to practice 'Cadie, good' after she inhales the big portion of it. It takes her a while to look at me, but eventually figured out that when she looks at me and I say 'Cadie' and 'good' she gets a treat. She's interested in climbing over my lap to get to the food. When she does look at me and she gets a treat, at first she takes it nicely, but after a few, she starts taking it quickly, which means she's gnawing on my thumb as she bites down for a treat/food. They are pretty small though, not sure if that has anything to do with it. Either way, I'd like her to take it nicely eventually!
After feeding her, we go outside (to potty on the schedule) and we walk in a circle/figure 8 for a few minutes. No poop, so we go inside and she sits by my side (tight leash, otherwise she was trying to each her collar/leash) for 10 minutes or so. We go back out to try again, to no avail. I put her in her crate because I need to get ready for work. After I take a quick shower, we head back out for another try, but again no luck. So I put her back in her crate with a new toy so I can start working/join a conference call. She's in her crate until 12:30 or so and we go out for another potty attempt. Success!
I let her play around the house for the next 45 minutes while I made and ate lunch. She sat next to my, tethered, while I worked for the next few hours (1:15 - 2:30). She wasn't thrilled with having no roaming capabilities, whined a bit, and played with her toys. I ignored the whining and pet her when she was calm. After 25 minutes she just laid down next to me! Win! After a half hour nap, she woke up and starting whining and barking. 15 minutes later, at a relatively calm moment, I put her in her crate so I could take another conference call. (I think she was whining and barking because she had to go potty, which we would normally let her out, but I decided we'd tough it out for two more hours) Once she was in her crate, she passed out again.
When I let her out at 4:30 to feed her, she was very excited about the food and the minute she finished it she ran to the door... potty time! She drank quite a bit of water at 12:30 and her bladder was definitely ready to burst... she's used to us letting her out when she sits by the door. If she weren't in her crate, she definitely would have had an accident.
Questions -
How tight/loose should her prong collar be? Always up against her skin (not tightly, just close) or looser?
When she's done with her water and wants more she'll pick the water bowl up and carry it around/chew on it. Do I prevent this by just keeping her water bowl full?
She carries her toys along wall sometimes, should we let her, or try to distract her into the middle of the room?
When she gives us her paw, should we hold it? Why does she offer it? Is this a sign of dominance or affection?
Thursday January 5
Love this dog, she let me sleep for 10 hours last night! We went out to go potty, for a walk, and then she sat by me in the office - no complaints or whining today! She's a little fidgety at first, but sooo much better than yesterday. I'm not sure about the rope toy, she's shredding the ends of it and then eating them... is that ok for her to eat?
The 'Cadie good' feeding exercise went better today - she was quicker to look at me, and then I'd put a few pieces of the food in my other hand to give her = less painful experience for me.
Friday, January 6
I went to the office and Dan was home with her. He doesn't do the 'tether' thing (yet) but lets her out of her crate all day - she laid by the couch 80% of the day. He did try limiting her potty breaks, though, which led to an accident. They went rollerblading when I got home and when they got back, she had a long spaz-out... which is odd if she was so calm all day long. She fell asleep while we were watching TV. I think she's learning that if she isn't sitting by me being calm, she doesn't get pet. Pretty quick!
Saturday, January 7
Had her tethered to me while sitting at my desk after our walk, and with Dan walking around the house, she was not so happy and much more barky/whiny than she had been the previous days (when it's just me at the house, Dan travels for work a few days most weeks).
Sunday, January 8
Woke up to a poopy crate. I think she ate some of the rope toy strands = messy. Oddly, she put her toys on top of her poop, like she knew she shouldn't have done it (even though we don't discipline her on this). Dan and Cadie attended class (I hear Cadie was a lot better this time!) and now Dan gets the tethering thing, too, which is great. My Dad came over and we tried the 'ignore Cadie until she calms down' method. It took a few minutes for her to calm down, but eventually my Dad said Hi to her and she was very happy, but not too jumpy! (She LOVES my Dad, and men in general)
Monday, January 9
Cadie is tethered to Dan at the kitchen table and doing just fine! She started to whine a bit when she had to go to the bathroom, so we let her cry it out a bit and when she was quiet, took her out. It's amazing how much calmer she is now. She still has her spazzy moments, but in general, is just super happy to be near us.
PS I'm not sure if I should call this 'Cadie' or 'Dan and Lauren' Training!
Day One of breaking old habits. 7:30am I woke up, got ready, went downstairs and ignored Cadie for a few minutes while turning my computer on, drinking a glass of water, and getting my shoes and coat on. We went outside to 'go potty' which I didn't say until she was mid-stream (pretty much right away), so that was good. We then went for a walk, maybe two miles or so. We stopped halfway to sniff around a frozen pond and field. After allowing her to sniff loose leash for a bit, we turned back to head home. Getting her to pay attention to my lead and properly heel (even though I hold the leash close) was not too easy, but eventually she did. (No poop, which is not normal for her in the morning)
We got home and put her in her crate (without a treat, not as easy without that incentive!). I had breakfast, and halfway through she was crying, so I'm thinking she has to poop, but want to feed her first to get her started on my schedule. It's around 9:15am. I get her out of her crate, put her leash on and feed her. We are feeding her 1.5 cups of Royal Canin Medium Puppy food, twice a day. I take a small handful out to practice 'Cadie, good' after she inhales the big portion of it. It takes her a while to look at me, but eventually figured out that when she looks at me and I say 'Cadie' and 'good' she gets a treat. She's interested in climbing over my lap to get to the food. When she does look at me and she gets a treat, at first she takes it nicely, but after a few, she starts taking it quickly, which means she's gnawing on my thumb as she bites down for a treat/food. They are pretty small though, not sure if that has anything to do with it. Either way, I'd like her to take it nicely eventually!
After feeding her, we go outside (to potty on the schedule) and we walk in a circle/figure 8 for a few minutes. No poop, so we go inside and she sits by my side (tight leash, otherwise she was trying to each her collar/leash) for 10 minutes or so. We go back out to try again, to no avail. I put her in her crate because I need to get ready for work. After I take a quick shower, we head back out for another try, but again no luck. So I put her back in her crate with a new toy so I can start working/join a conference call. She's in her crate until 12:30 or so and we go out for another potty attempt. Success!
I let her play around the house for the next 45 minutes while I made and ate lunch. She sat next to my, tethered, while I worked for the next few hours (1:15 - 2:30). She wasn't thrilled with having no roaming capabilities, whined a bit, and played with her toys. I ignored the whining and pet her when she was calm. After 25 minutes she just laid down next to me! Win! After a half hour nap, she woke up and starting whining and barking. 15 minutes later, at a relatively calm moment, I put her in her crate so I could take another conference call. (I think she was whining and barking because she had to go potty, which we would normally let her out, but I decided we'd tough it out for two more hours) Once she was in her crate, she passed out again.
When I let her out at 4:30 to feed her, she was very excited about the food and the minute she finished it she ran to the door... potty time! She drank quite a bit of water at 12:30 and her bladder was definitely ready to burst... she's used to us letting her out when she sits by the door. If she weren't in her crate, she definitely would have had an accident.
Questions -
How tight/loose should her prong collar be? Always up against her skin (not tightly, just close) or looser?
When she's done with her water and wants more she'll pick the water bowl up and carry it around/chew on it. Do I prevent this by just keeping her water bowl full?
She carries her toys along wall sometimes, should we let her, or try to distract her into the middle of the room?
When she gives us her paw, should we hold it? Why does she offer it? Is this a sign of dominance or affection?
Thursday January 5
Love this dog, she let me sleep for 10 hours last night! We went out to go potty, for a walk, and then she sat by me in the office - no complaints or whining today! She's a little fidgety at first, but sooo much better than yesterday. I'm not sure about the rope toy, she's shredding the ends of it and then eating them... is that ok for her to eat?
The 'Cadie good' feeding exercise went better today - she was quicker to look at me, and then I'd put a few pieces of the food in my other hand to give her = less painful experience for me.
Friday, January 6
I went to the office and Dan was home with her. He doesn't do the 'tether' thing (yet) but lets her out of her crate all day - she laid by the couch 80% of the day. He did try limiting her potty breaks, though, which led to an accident. They went rollerblading when I got home and when they got back, she had a long spaz-out... which is odd if she was so calm all day long. She fell asleep while we were watching TV. I think she's learning that if she isn't sitting by me being calm, she doesn't get pet. Pretty quick!
Saturday, January 7
Had her tethered to me while sitting at my desk after our walk, and with Dan walking around the house, she was not so happy and much more barky/whiny than she had been the previous days (when it's just me at the house, Dan travels for work a few days most weeks).
Sunday, January 8
Woke up to a poopy crate. I think she ate some of the rope toy strands = messy. Oddly, she put her toys on top of her poop, like she knew she shouldn't have done it (even though we don't discipline her on this). Dan and Cadie attended class (I hear Cadie was a lot better this time!) and now Dan gets the tethering thing, too, which is great. My Dad came over and we tried the 'ignore Cadie until she calms down' method. It took a few minutes for her to calm down, but eventually my Dad said Hi to her and she was very happy, but not too jumpy! (She LOVES my Dad, and men in general)
Monday, January 9
Cadie is tethered to Dan at the kitchen table and doing just fine! She started to whine a bit when she had to go to the bathroom, so we let her cry it out a bit and when she was quiet, took her out. It's amazing how much calmer she is now. She still has her spazzy moments, but in general, is just super happy to be near us.
PS I'm not sure if I should call this 'Cadie' or 'Dan and Lauren' Training!
No comments:
Post a Comment