We have been introducing the flirt pole. Are we doing this right? I took a video. I usually let it fling around a bit more so she can jump at it like a kitty. She likes that. But I kept it chill on video. She’s doing great at dropping it when we ask her. She is kind of obsessing about it to the extent that we say all done, clean up, and she still barks and whines at where we put it away. We just ignore her until she focuses on something else. She usually eventually gets her cardboard and calms herself down. The cardboard has been a great tool. We will save some unchewed boxes for after flirt pole practice because the existing scraps she had already chewed on weren’t exciting enough to entice her. New boxes are probably a better bet when she’s that excited. She actually kept returning to the cabinet where the flirt pole was throughout the day and into the evening. Not constantly. Her obsession eased up, but around the kids’ bedtime, we found her staring at the closet again and pawing at it. That’s actually a time when her arousal goes up, so it makes sense. I imagine maybe she was thinking, “Man, that flirt pole would feel great right now” because she had some energy. But she dropped it on her own. As we’ve discussed, I’m glad I have a better attitude now and can see what’s happening for her more clearly. I’m glad she likes it so much! And we just have to develop strategies around when and how we use it because it really gets her excited.

I have to share this with u. We were walking around the complex and a lady was walking toward us to go upstairs to her apartment and cleo looked and it was the quickest she went back to sniffing the grass. Maybe took 3 or 4 seconds. Even while the lady continued walking toward her she didn’t look back up! I wanted to cry🥲

Cleo…

My pittie Cleo has been fearful of strangers since I adopted her almost a year ago. She’s almost 2 and I noticed when I would take her for walks she would bark at anyone that would look or talk to her or walk near us. We started working with Paula a few months ago and I already notice a difference in Cleo’s confidence when we go outside. I can’t walk her where there’s a lot of people yet, but we eventually started walking around my apartment complex and now if she sees someone she looks at them but goes back to sniffing the ground and doing her own thing and hardly barks the way she used to. There’s still a lot of work to do but I’ve seen huge improvements that make it worth it! It takes time because Paula doesn’t just teach commands she gets to the root of the behavior and builds up from there. And once it starts to click and you notice progress it feels amazing! Just have to be patient and trust the process.

The latest home repair project involves a crew of roofers.  It’s very loud work, tearing off the old coverings, banging nails and sawing wood.  I’ve been timing the potty breaks to before the crew arrives, during their lunch break and after they leave for the day.  However, one lunchtime potty break, Belle and I were walking to the back yard and six feet directly above Belle one of the workers began speaking in a very loud deep voice.  This startled Belle, but she didn’t bark, lunge, or drag me into the bushes.  Instead, she stopped and tried to see where the voice was coming from.  I said ‘let’s go’ and together we walked away from the workers and, after the potty break we walked back into the house without incident.

I’m headed for to the airport and Belle is snugged-in at Shadowridge. Hand-off went well, probably the best she’s done. 4 other dogs in the lobby, she looked at them but we kept moving. She went right up to the tech and sniffed her, small tail wag…