This has been a busy few weeks with doggy visits and training. Cassie has been enjoying the wet weather - deciding she needed a spa day and promptly ordered up the mud bath treatment...you should have seen her feet!
And then there is our frequent flyer - Coco. When Coco first came to stay with us - he was a bit of a curmudgeon. He didn't want any other dog to touch him, look at him or interact with him. We respected that and so did most of the dogs. But over time he has really opened up and begun playing with a few of the dogs here. We are thrilled to see his progress! On this latest trip - he engaged beautifully with Rubix, the packs' latest addition.
Both of these guys are on their way home and Charlie will be arriving for his B&T stay tomorrow!
So Coco finished his month here and we hadn't gotten as far as I wanted with him. I offered his Mom another 2 weeks free since the first two weeks we couldn't do much training at all. These two weeks have really made a difference. Somewhere around week 4 we started to turn a corner and look at him now!
He is so much more relaxed and calm. And his recall is amazing - even with farmyard distractions. His reaction to the doorbell was pretty severe - but we are working on that as well.
I think we are turning a little bit of the corner with Coco now - the anxiety is by no means gone, but he is not pacing all the time and has been able to settle nicely with Charlie inside. We haven't been able to do much structured training at all due to the level of his anxiety - but his Mom wants him to stay and see if we can resolve some of this with him so we will see what the next few weeks show.
COCO: UPDATE Boy did I ever speak too soon about Coco. This poor boy has probably the most severe case of separation anxiety I have EVER seen. I had to leave him for about 30 minutes yesterday and his owner said no crating so I left him in my bedroom. I never expected to come back to anything like this. He was soaked from his muzzle to his feet with drool. The floor was a pool of drool and footprints. The inside of the door was dirty at least 4ft high. He was out of his mind with panic.
I immediately called his Mom and she said yes she knew (but didn't tell me). Hmmmm..... If I close a door between us the result is total chaos. He tries to bolt through doors to avoid getting left behind and will do so dangerously. He jumps and slams himself against the door, drooling profusely and crying. We are in for a long month! CHARLIE: UPDATE Charley has fit right in. She has been busy exploring and running out some of her energy.
Her "brother" Brooks is here for a few days boarding but he is more interested in toys and she is more interested in the other dogs! LOL
Name: Coco Breed: Mini Poodle Sex: Male Age: 6 yrs Duration: 4 week Board & Train Reason for B&T: General obedience work / social skills Background: Coco has been with his Mom since a pup. He has traveled with her through several moves and has taken several obedience classes. He hasn't had much socialization with people or dogs though outside of those classes. He seems to be a generally very settled dog who just needs to sharpen up on some basic manners and social skills. He doesn't seem bothered by too much at the farm so far.
What we are working on during his stay: OWNERS REQUESTS: * Basic Obedience Refresher- Sit, Down, Stay, Leave It * Recall - owner says he has an unreliable recall and has not trusted him outside off leash * Jumping - jumps on people and furniture * Barking - alerts to every sight and sound, esp the door * Dog Social Skills - doesn't really have any * People Social Skills - has been known to nip * Feeding - only eats people/table food
