Bit of a Dylan update!

Share your experience and tell us how using positive reinforcement training methods has changed yours and your dogs' lives.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Post Reply
ladybug1802
Posts: 1991
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:39 am
Location: Surrey

Bit of a Dylan update!

Post by ladybug1802 »

I havent updated on Dylan for a while - as some of you know we were referred to a very good Veterinary behaviourist at the RCVS and I am starting to see some real improvements in Dylan's behaviour around people. They are fairly small, but significant I feel! I have been doing a lot of counter conditioning....whenever people are coming rtowards us on a walk, I call him back to me, and have him slightly offpath and feed him yummy treats as they pass. I have noticed recently that he is often not even focused on the people at all....6 months or so ago he would have stared at them a lot more....now he may glance at them, but then he looks back to me again. Often he carries on sniffing and doesnt even care there are people going past him.

He has also started barking a bit more in situations where before he may have lunged....for example, my friend who has him in the day (the dog walker) was outside her house (which is a cottage in the middle of a vineyard!) with him and a couple of other dogs ready to put them in her van. He was on lead, and a walker walked rpund the corner past them and made Dylan jump. not sure how clsoe he was, but Dylan barked....a while ago he would have just gone straight to try and lunge towards the man. Now copurse I wasnt there so cant imagine how far away he was, but reckon it was fairly close.

And today, she was going for a walk with a prospective new client - who happens to also be a lady I know froma yard where we both used to keep our horses some years ago now. I havent seen her for ages, but she contacted my friend about dog walking, and she gave this lady my number as a reference because she also has a rescue dog and is a bit neurotic...and then it turns out we know each other! Small world|! But both Claire and I had briefed this lady on how to act when she first meets Dylan - ignoring him, no eye contact etc...in fact i think wer put the fear of god in her that she was going to be mauled! My friend just called me, and Dylan was a star! He looked at the lady when he got out the van (but Claire had asked her to go up the track a bit so he didnt get out of the van and get shocked there was stranger so close), but then looked away and fgot on with saying hello to her dog. They saw a couple more people on the walk..Claire got him to sit and treated him, and she said he was the ost focused on her and less focused on people that he has ever been with her! At the end of the walk Michelle (horsey lady) was also able to give him a treat! She wanted to stroke him, and I am pretty sure he would have let her at the end, but quite rightly Claire said prob best not.

But all in all am very pleased with his progress. Its very slow but he is not nearly as stressed now. However, i did take him to the vet surgery yesterday to sit there and feed him treats, and he was very good....still not totally relaxed in there but not bad. There were a few people in the waiting room, and then the vet came out the cunsulting room and called in a woman and her 2 cats....the vet was one I hadnt seen before and a man. as he walked across the room Dylan's eyes changed and he looked totally freaked out poor little chap. Not sure we will ever get him happy with the vets but my aim is to get him relaxed enough to let one of them near him (even if me and the vet are sitting down) so they can sedate him.
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Bit of a Dylan update!

Post by Fundog »

Wow! Keep it up, and be thinking of how you will condense the whole saga, from beginning to "finish," to post in the articles section. It will be an inspiration to countless many. :D
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
jacksdad
Posts: 4887
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:48 pm

Re: Bit of a Dylan update!

Post by jacksdad »

that is good news. I am happy for you and dylan that progress is happening.
ladybug1802
Posts: 1991
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:39 am
Location: Surrey

Re: Bit of a Dylan update!

Post by ladybug1802 »

Thanks guys! Also, at agility last night I was SO proud! We had a mini competition style thing set up, so a propr course was set up, and we were timed etc...only a bit of fun, but just for something different, so we were all standing round near each other while we had our turns. Obviously Dylan is around these people every week, but there are onyl a couple of people I let him be strpoked by - just in case! But last night he was given treats by 3 other people, and 2 of them stroked him quite a lot! And he was just so chilled out, milling round the other dogs and people in close proximity, lying down waiting his turn! Love him!!
MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: Bit of a Dylan update!

Post by MPbandmom »

Great news!
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Post Reply