New Regime

Since speaking to a holistic behaviourist yesterday, I have decided to implement a new regime for my dogs, including Ponto in an effort to improve all three but mostly Ponto's dog to dog aggression.  The four main facets on which I shall be concentrating are food - gesture eating before feeding them; walk - taking control on the walks; perceived danger - for example when the doorbell rings and they all bark; and finally, status within the pack, i.e. that I am leader, dealing with my separation from them and my return home.  It is imperative to implement every single part of this regime.  I am going to have a full consultation with the behaviourist in July.

As I have partially implemented the above for years, it was all to clear where I had let things slip, so back to basics we go.  The walk this morning being the first part of implementation.   Leaving the house, fine, the dogs all waited while I stepped out of first the door then the gate.  We had a lovely walk down to the beach, it was sunny at 5.15 a.m. today.  When we came to the grassy part where the rabbits live, I let the dogs off their leads, walked a little way, turned back and hid from them in a shelter.   Percy was back, as typically she is, within seconds.  Dylan was on the lead anyway as he is lead walking since he hurt his back leg jumping earlier in the week.  Ponto came back pretty rapidly this time.   We continued on our way and a few minutes later Dylan and I hid again in some bushes.   Again Percy came back straight away and waited with us, Ponto, however was on a rabbit hunt.   We waited about five minutes this time, she came back but dodged coming too close, and ran off to continue her rabbit hunt.  As she now knew where we were, we went back through the gate and stood there. This time she came back more speedily but again dodged coming close enough to be caught and went off to look for rabbits.  I think, as she hasn't exhibited such dreadful behaviour for a while, and she is very bright, that this is a test of wills, mine and hers.   Not to give up, I didn't panic, did not call her once in all this process but we continued on our way down to the beach.  We walked up at the top level, Ponto went down onto the beach.  We stopped up at the top level until she eventually came back, sat down in front of me as if to say, "Okay, I'm here now, happy?"  At this point I did catch her rather than just praise her for returning and letting her off again.  Ponto had pooed on the beach so Dylan and Ponto had a lead walk back along the shingle by the shore so we could pick up her poo, Percy remained off lead until we were at the part of the beach where we need to go up by the beach huts and dogs are to be on leads there.  Ponto walked nicely, not pulling the whole way home.  My mother thought Ponto looked sheepish, but I think she imagines this.  Ponto was very calm once home.  I did the gesture feeding routine and made them wait by their bowls until I said they could eat - no problems there.

I went to work and on my return, practised the status within pack part by ignoring them when I entered the house until they settled quietly.  This took all of a minute I should think - better than normal.  A little later we played in the garden, one at a time with balls and practised flatwork exercises which they just think is the greatest fun on earth. I then fetched my son from the station and gave him strict orders that when we get in he was not to immediately say hello to the dogs.  He wanted to but I explained that he mustn't.  They were very excited to see him, but he ignored them and it only took a couple of minutes before they were all settled quietly as he sat and talked to his Grandma in the living room.  So far things are going all right I think.

Back to work in the afternoon, and on my return I knew they would be silly because they always are as they know this is feeding time.  When I came home they were excited, waiting for me, but not as boisterous as usual, maybe they had taken in the earlier entrances in the day.  I came in, hung up my bag, and went and sat with my mother in the living room.  There were a couple of yodels from Ponto, who then suddenly lay down near my feet quietly.  Percy went on her chair, Dylan took a little longer to settle.   I got up when they had been quiet for a few minutes and they followed me quietly to the kitchen to prepare their meal.  Again I gesture fed as in the morning and all went really calmly.   I then had my own meal and Percy didn't come near me.  The others don't anyway,  Percy just went and lay down - what a surprise.   After watching Eastenders I took them for a half hour lead walk.  Percy was the only one I had to correct for pulling occasionally.

Dylan seemed pretty tired at the end of the walk, so possibly his leg is still bothering him.

We are all upstairs in the bedroom now, all three are lying quietly as I type this.   I'll wait to see what the morning brings, but tomorrow and for a couple more days, Ponto will stay on lead, then we will play hide and seek again and see who wins this time.