Mavis was sentenced to 10-14 days in the cone of shame after being spayed on the 20th–the day I got her. In truth, she was less bothered by the cone than me or her fans. I’d never seen her without it and was thrilled last Monday morning when the veterinarian took it off.
Without the cone, getting through the doggie door is easier. She’s also able to slide under the couch. Enticing her to come out is a challenge. Getting down on the floor to play with her doesn’t work. Food, treats and toys don’t work, either. She comes out when she’s good and ready.
Mavis has a furry squeaky toy, a rubber squeaky toy, and a squeaky tennis ball. She enjoys all three–individually or in combination. Sometimes she includes me, sometimes not. She enjoys a leisurely game of fetch, tug-of-war, and getting her belly rubbed.
Whether she sees them or not, barking dogs make her anxious. Otherwise, nothing seems to bother her, especially at home. She’s not much of a watch dog. She barks at me occasionally, but pays no attention to anything going on outside–including trash pick up and deliveries to the door.
On walks, she’ll stop briefly for a car going by or a garage door opening. I finally figured out whining to be picked up means she wants to get home ASAP so she can pee on the rug. Leading her onto grassy areas works. Eventually. Once she’s taken care of business, she’s happy to lope along beside me.
Mavis wants to meet every person, dog or cat we encounter. I took her to the pet store for a harness she can’t slip and a replacement leash for the one she chewed up. She had a ball. I got fussed at because she hasn’t yet had all her shots.
Once I get her harness on (she thinks it’s a game), car rides are no big deal. She lets me snap her into the booster seat and then lays down. The more we go, the more she enjoys going.
Training is going well. I’m using a modified version of clicker training. The click lets her know instantly what she did for the treat. Instead of clicking, I say “yes!” and give her a Cheerio.
We work on commands for 5 or 10 minutes several times a day. The first command is to “touch” my extended palm with her nose. I’m guessing “touch” is first because most dogs catch on right away and, in the process, learn the reward system (“yes” and a treat).
Once she masters a command, I add another. Attaching a hand signal to a command helps. After a bit, Tootsie responded to the hand signal without the verbal command. I’m guessing Mavis will too.
“Sit” was complicated. I didn’t use a hand signal and had to work with her habit of sitting to munch the treat she earned for “touch”. Tootsie lived for treats and woofed them down. Mavis takes time to savor hers. Momma must have taught her to chew her food and clean her plate.
She’s learned “lay down”, “roll-over”, and “fist bump.” The latter was going to be “high five,” but putting a hand up was too much like “touch.” “Stay” and “leave it” are works in progress. I’m proud of us.
I’ll keep you posted on our progress. As always, thanks for stopping by.