I didn’t need to train Toodles, my first dog. Andy trained Tico (her older brother), and Toodles followed his lead. She was a good girl with no bad habits who never got in trouble. I adored her, but would never describe her as “fun”.

Training Tootsie was entirely my responsibility. I was able to spend lots of time with her, but in way over my head. I went about things entirely the wrong way–especially for such a sensitive little girl.

Forcing her to go for walks with no prior leash training didn’t help her anxiety. I said “no” entirely too much when she was young and even yelled when she didn’t get the message. Again, not the best thing for any dog–much less, an anxious dog.

I finally called in professional help. After working with us for several months, she made me a believer in positive reinforcement. I also learned Tootsie needed new challenges and a couple of hours of playtime every day.

Tootsie was a great little dog. We had one major disagreement: She wanted to play all the time. I did not. Eventually, we settled somewhere in the middle. I made sure to give her 20 minutes of play time throughout the day. She’d wait, more or less patiently, for play time to roll around.

Mavis benefits from my mistakes with Tootsie. Instead of focusing on what I don’t want, I hope to stay focused on showing her what I want. For example, instead of yelling “no” when she gets underfoot in the kitchen, I’ll get her to sit a safe distance away.

Tootsie had free run of the house and occasionally snuck into the spare bedroom or office to pee on the carpet. Mavis won’t have that option. The carpet is gone, for one, but I also put up a baby gate to keep her in the great room.

Tootsie was wild in the car. I go lots of places where she could have come along. My vision is a big enough challenge. I only drove her for grooming and vet appointments–both in the same place less than a mile from my house.

I got Mavis a car seat. Believe it or not, nobody ever rides with me, so I’m leaving it on the passenger seat. Yes, the airbag is turned off. Taking her along will be much easier and, eventually, she’ll jump into the seat on her own.

To keep from overwhelming Mavis, she’s starting off with just three toys–a squirrelly, a rubber squeaky toy, and a tennis ball. All of Tootsie’s toys have been put up for later. Her tent is gone too, along with her box fort.

Mavis and I are starting with a clean slate. She’ll show me the games she wants to play, just like Tootsie did. I’ll post a few pics early next week. As always, thanks for stopping by.