We’re into the third month of the year and I have to say I’ve never experienced spring like I do this year with Skye. By the way, although he is a reactive dog, he is doing well this time. We love the weather and spend time outdoors whenever we get a breather.
This month has been really adventurous for us but fun. Skye does well with her reactivity. A change in weather always sparks reactions and I guess weekend fun turns into weekday barking!!
Routines are still the same, times have changed because of spring. We have started waking up early and another major change is that she divides her meal into 3 portions instead of two. I’m not sure if this has brought about any big change in terms of reactivity, but it seems to keep her tummy calmer.
So what did we do in February?
Activities
Weekend trips
We went to the deer park as usual, we saw the rabbits although I’m not sure if they were rabbits or guinea pigs. We also saw peacocks and tried to chase them and chase them and decided not to admire them for their beauty!
We also watched an event organized by Sploot where she decided to smell the dogs but not make friends. The next walk also went the same way. However, she was decently comfortable with so many dogs.
Guess what, it’s the stray dogs that get a big reaction from her, as they’re also quite vocal about their feelings for her. They agreed to dislike each other.
We also visited Lodhi Gardens and Sunder Nursery for the first time and noted the places. My, we get brave and go to new places. More exciting places to list.
Eating Out
Thanks to the change in weather, we are eating out in between all the distractions and also getting some exercise Position outside!! Obviously we do well with no to minimal distractions, we are still working on the most important part of distraction.
Asto it’s something we practice rigorously when he starts to get fixated on something. To act decently when caught at the right moment.
Despite all commands, he eats without problems even with his back to the gate. That in itself is a HUGE accomplishment. Hearing me out has been a challenge, but we’ll get there soon.
Daily Management
No specific protocols were followed since it was mostly under control. Yes, we have had bad days, but her constant outdoor exposure or going out too much has triggered it. A good rest post that helped.
A limitation with us only having outings on the weekend which ends up making her a bit anxious by Wednesday. If the exposure on Saturday and Sunday was excessive in duration, intensity or time, it makes her more reactive for a few days to come.
Balancing the exposure throughout the week will be the optimal solution and we are working towards that.
Her sleep was disturbed again by the change of weather. We decided to crate her twice in one day, which we don’t monitor very closely. Sometimes, she sleeps outside in the morning, but in the afternoons, more or less, she takes her nap in the crate.
To help with your dog’s reactivity, if there is a tip you want to remove, remove visual access to external elements that trigger it.
I have been advised the same. However, I haven’t followed it due to laziness and other unrelated reasons, but I would definitely recommend it to someone struggling to manage their pet. Eventually, you’ll get to a stage where you won’t have to.
Initially, limited and controlled access visually and aurally helps the pet to calm down and get used to things one at a time. Gradually, as they make better choices and show improved tolerance, more exposure can be provided. We just chose the hard way.
Improvements observed
Definitely better around leashed dogs
I was amazed at how well he did in both events with leashed dogs jumping almost everywhere. She showed interest in a few dogs, but was too scared to be real friends. Like I said, it takes 2-3 meetings to finally get her to play with you or your dog. So I let her take her time.
More sure
I think this is inherent in her and she hasn’t learned, she is more confident on her walks and better when dealing with crowds in parks and some places, she is still not very comfortable walking on the street and near park entrances and exits. Probably the sounds and smells overwhelm her.
He chooses to go to Position
She trains well with her meals and although she gets overwhelmed when there is too much activity, once I focus on her she listens and does what I ask. Left alone, she chooses to go with her Position. How long she sits depends on the activity around her, but for now, we are developing the behavior gradually.
In the grounds of the house, it does better as opposed to the park. We build the behavior in both places.
He chooses to sleep
Her reaction to hypervigilance is marginally better. Earlier, she would sit upright at the slightest noise or barking of the dog. Now, at times, she chooses to continue her sleep and doesn’t feel the need to check for every activity going on outside the house, even when she can hear it. We will continue to work on this by taking care of her sleep quality and daily needs.
Increase food intake
I’m still not sure if this is due to a problem with her or the weather, she has definitely started eating more since the winters started and the behavior is intense. We have divided her meals into three sessions during the day. Since we made this shift, I notice that she is calmer than before. I will continue to watch to see if this is a worrying or happy event.
All in all, we’re making the most of the good weather before it gets too hot. March is off to a good start for us and more on that in the next edition. I hope this is useful for you. Until then, ciao!
