Well there has been an *enormous* change in his general behavior since I joined this forum. In so many ways it's good to know that my assumptions were wrong, because my assumptions being wrong allowed me to accept my own responsibility for the dog's problems, which are now being solved at an astronomical rate (some of it was probably psychological/behavioral).
I'll begin with some of the events from yesterday, which I think are particularly exciting.
We didn't get a training session in yesterday because he simply wasn't interested in the food when I sat down with him. Ack! It happens with a dog like Dozer, I suppose. He was hungry (he ate not long after -- NILIF, no worries), but he just had other things on his mind than eating at that point (a walk, and some playtime first -- he usually walks before food, so I guess this is normal for him. I should have thought of that!).
My assumptions being changed has allowed me to deal with him in a much more calm and centered fashion (in spite of being hormonal! Yay!). Throughout the day he was far more obedient of the commands that he knows, and I could keep my tone much more "even" and still get the same results (he's used to "sternness" in command and "hyperness" in praise -- he's getting it without the extremes now! Great!).
The two best parts are yet to come. I'm so excited to tell you this!
Dozer loves cats. He doesn't want to eat them or hurt them in any way, but he just loves our cats. He's very interested in them and wants to make friends. The cats, on the other hand, do *not* want to be friends with the dog (yet -- Whisper was "abused" by Dozer as a kitten and Reagan just doesn't know about him).
Last night, I had both Dozer and Whisper with me in our office. Whisper was putting up his usual fuss: "I have to use the litterbox and the dog is in the path to it." He was growling and fussing the way cats do, and of course this just sparked more interest from the dog (after all, what dog wouldn't be fascinated? :lol3
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Without indulging either of the animals, I asked Dozer to come and lay down beside me, on the opposite side of the desk (from the litterbox). He did *exactly* what he was told, and kept his attention focused on *me* rather than on the cat! I am *so* proud of him! If he's calmer around the cats, I'm almost certain that they will accept him with time!
So that's "great news #1."
Great news #2, my husband won't be too happy about me making this public, but I just have to!
He took Dozer out for his morning walk this morning, and for whatever reason, he tripped and fell. This isn't usual for my DH, and it had nothing to do with Dozer (i.e. the dog didn't get underfoot or anything along those lines).
Because of the fall, DH lost hold of the leash. Now keep in mind that Dozer is a high-energy dog with a tendency to *run* when he has the opportunity to do so. However, on this occasion, rather than running off and making my DH chase him, Dozer stopped dead, sat down, and waited for the leash to be picked back up.
I am *so* proud of him, and of us!
