I can’t consider it has been a 12 months. However certainly it was December 28, 2021, when I welcomed boisterous eight-old-month Lewis into my life.
If you wish to see the checklist of issues I first recognized as difficulties, right here it’s. However as a substitute of making a progress report primarily based on that checklist, I’m simply going to jot down concerning the methods we’ve got discovered to reside properly collectively.
Lewis’ and My Achievements, Successes, and Enjoyable
• Lewis’ door-related behaviors are good. He waits till I try the yard and inform him to go forward, and can proceed to attend if I cue the opposite canine to exit first. I by no means did particular coaching on launch cues, however he is aware of when I’m cuing the opposite canine and never him. Ready on the door is for the canine’ security, not some sort of dominance rule!
• I taught Lewis by means of classical conditioning that driving within the automobile is cool and results in nice adventures. I needed to go slowly at first, as a result of he had points with each the crate confinement and the motion of the automobile. Sooner or later, I’ll write a submit about it. He loves going locations, together with to the vet, the place he lived for greater than a month as a pet.
• Lewis and I’ve an incredible play relationship. He’s recreation to play something. Tug, balls, fetch, and something that includes working. (See the video!)
• He loves coaching video games, too.
• He has actually taken to nosework, shock!
• He’s progressing properly in Dr. Mindy Waite’s husbandry research, funded by Worry Free. Right here’s a video of a session.
• He settles the place I ask him to on the mattress at night time (reasonably than pushing Clara round).
• I haven’t labored a lot on extending crate period, however he hangs out within the crate generally, and I ask him to go in there for brief intervals with the door shut for administration. He eats most meals in there.
• I taught him the family’s sleeping schedule; he’s now not on vet clinic time. In truth, I needed to stand up sooner than typical yesterday, and he stayed in mattress and declined to return alongside once I supplied to take him outdoors!
• He has discovered to take pleasure in walks. He walks decently on lead, largely as a result of his regular tempo is slower than mine due to sniffing. However we’ve got labored on it as properly. A lot of his worry of recent issues is gone.
• He’s made a few human buddies on our walks and reveals reasonably good greeting manners even whereas being thrilled out of his thoughts.
• He has a good recall, and I do know we are able to work it as much as nice.
• He has been very cooperative throughout some intervals once I or my accomplice was not feeling properly and I didn’t have time to play and do issues with him. He was capable of calm down and settle for the downtime with the remainder of the family. This was a very long time coming, however who can blame him! Teenager!
• He has made buddies with the neighbor canine on either side of the yard: doodles on one facet and Danes and a Border collie on the opposite. We incorporate them into our video games; when he’s enjoying with me, he may even run to every fence to incorporate them (or, generally, taunt them). He goes on his personal generally, and generally I cue him to do it (“Go see your pals!”). You’ll see this within the video.
• He holds again from going for dropped meals or different gadgets and doesn’t lunge for different canine’ treats.
• He waits his flip quietly when I’m coaching different canine (thank goodness!). He may even station in the identical room whereas I practice one other canine, though we haven’t labored on it a lot since I wrote about it final Could.
• He stays mouthy however now not grabs sleeves, and rarely tries to seize issues out of my arms.
• He’s affectionate and continues to be good-natured.
• He’s enjoyable!
Video
Listed here are some highlights of our 12 months collectively.
Copyright 2022 Eileen Anderson: all textual content, images, and video
Associated Posts
Most of my different posts about Lewis are linked within the textual content, however listed here are his intro submit and the “checklist of challenges” posts another time.
