Feeling more relaxed all the time

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

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MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by MPbandmom »

I was walking Sky the other night thinking what a change thanks to the advice from this forum. I now truly enjoy taking her for a walk. She did drive me a little crazy the other day when I took her to a new park with the dog walk group. There were just so many new smells that just had to be smelled now. :lol: I have confidence though that as time goes by, she will improve in this area too. It might improve more quickly if I could manage to remember to take the baby food meat with me on these outings, but as I keep forgetting that, it could take a while longer. :oops:

I'm also just relaxing with Sirius and following her lead on what she is comfortable with. If she wants to go outside, I let her outside, if she shows no interest whatsoever in going outside, I leave her inside. I have been putting her thundershirt on her in the evenings before I take Sky out for her walk. Then when I get back, I can add Sirius' harness and take her out for a short walk. I am learning that shorter is better for her. She likes to get out and see things, but if I spend longer out walking with her, she becomes more tense and starts reacting to things.

I have been putting Rescue Remedy in the dog's water for about 2 weeks now and I noticed today that Sirius was much less reactive to things in the yard. No dogs passed while we were outside, but there was a dog out in it's yard about 3 houses down that she sat and stared at for a while. The other dog appeared to sit and stare back. Neither dog said anything to the other. They just sat quietly looking at each other.

I know my son, who hasn't had work recently, has been putting Sky out into the yard quite a bit because she wants him to play with her all the time. I'm not sure if he is putting Sirius out as well. He does take some time to play with the dogs. He will play chuckit fetch with Sky. For Sirius, he will break up some lamb lung filet treats and scatter them around the yard for her to seek and find.

Today would have been an absolutely gorgeous day to take each dog out to a park for some exploring and traffic free walking, but instead I ended up sitting at the tire shop for several hours as I managed to drive over a bolt last night and impale a tire with it. House cleaning got moved to the afternoon. My husband's allergies have been horrible this year, so it is best to clean when he is out of the house. I did eat lunch outside with the dogs while playing chuckit fetch with Sky. And I did spend some time in the morning and afternoon outside giving Sky a work out playing more chuckit. Maybe we will make it to the parks tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the advice and support!
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.
Fundog
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Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by Fundog »

That's great to hear, bandmom. Walks with our dogs should be an enjoyable time to unwind, for humans as well as our doggies. I know I sure enjoy our walks more when I give them a chance to get what they want out of it. "Take time to smell the flowers"-- that's what my girls have taught me. 8)
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: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by jacksdad »

I know exactly how you feel. while Jack still has the odd reactive episode, walks with him are now something to look forward to, not dread.

Keep up the good work and keep sharing the successes.
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Noobs
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Re: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by Noobs »

Yup I certainly know how you feel. Well done for all your hard work.
wvvdiup1
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by wvvdiup1 »

Well done on a job well done, MPBandmom! :D I can't even describe how wonderful it is to walk Karma now, compared to when I first got her, but with a lot of hard work, patience, and time, I have a better dog for it! :D As for having a bolt penetrate your tire, the same thing happened to me today (November 15) in which I had to get a new tire! :shock: However, Karma was in the vehicle, when they lifted the van on a hydraulic lift (which I didn't like for safety reasons), but she did good by laying down while it was up! I, on the other hand, wasn't so relaxed, I was worried! :shock:
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Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by Fundog »

Wvvdiup, when I took my suv in to get serviced, I took Annie with me, but I got her out and took her for a walk. When we returned my vehicle still wasn't done, so I took Annie right into the waiting room of the service station with me to wait until it was finished (and it was Wal-mart, and nobody said anything about me bringing my dog into the auto section of the store). That way, there was no worry about leaving her in the vehicle while "wierd" things (and people) were being done to it, and in and out of it!
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: Feeling more relaxed all the time

Post by MPbandmom »

Tonight was another first. We had a very hectic/stressful day at work today and all the way home all I could think was that I needed to get Sky out for a nice long walk so that I could unwind from the day. I really wish it had been more the middle of the day than late evening.

The time available wasn't nearly as long as the time I needed to de stress. So, upon returning home, I lit some lavendar oil, put on some Beethoven, and ate a couple of swiss miss chocolate roll cakes for desert and wished it wasn't too late to make it to community band rehearsal.

I have been taking a break from the band for a couple of months now to conserve on gas money and because trying to get to rehearsal on time had become something of a task as my work hours had shifted later. Not to mention the guilt handed out by those sad blue, Sky eyes that wanted me to play with her rather than driving off somewhere again so shortly after getting home.

Now I just need to get as relaxed over work as I have gotten with walking Sky. :lol: Who would have thought that learning how to get a dog to relax would also give a person tips on how to get oneself to relax? :D I used to just have making music as a stress reliever, now I have so many more options. :D
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.
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