Yay for Jazz. He is being such a good boy. He does still think the birds and piggies look delicious, but he is trying SO hard! And he truly is a nice dog.
This morning I decided that since Jazz is so people-oriented it would be better if I coached John on having Jazz stay with him in the bathroom and while he is getting ready rather than crating him and having the inconsolable barking start immediately after I left and before John left.
I got up early again and took him for a 2 mile walk, did about 10 minutes of training (just sits and downs), prepped a kong for him, and basically performed the same morning routine; EXCEPT I did not uncover the birds and I did not crate Jazz when I left. I gave John the Kong and had him give it to Jazz in the bathroom while he was getting ready for work and Ike and I were leaving. I left a new-ish marrow bone on the counter so that John could put both the Kong and marrow bone in the crate when he left.
By the time John was ready to leave Jazz was asleep in the bedroom! YES!! Major or minor this is a great breakthrough.
John woke Jazz up and tossed the end of his kong and the marrow bone into his crate and left for work. Jazz didn't utter a peep.
If we could only figure out a way to get him over his excitement about the birds and pigs I would never let him go.
2 months ago
8 comments:
I knew it! Jazzy is home! You just don't know it yet! (but we do)
I wish it were so. : (
Question. Is he really trying to eat/kill the birds/pigs or is he just overzealously curious and want to sniff/meet them?
Sometimes dogs want to do something so badly, but don't really mean harm, but can't figure out how to chill enough to not freak out the other animal (cats are the usual suspect)
I think it is more that he is over-zealous. I don't know that he wants to kill them. He is much more visual than any dog I have ever encountered - as he would be. He sees and responds to EVERYTHING, shadows, reflections, etc.
I'd love to have you over to get your impression re the animals as I don't see it getting better any time in the near future. He bats at the cages (both G-Pig and Bird).
We have had other dogs in our house with higher prey drives than Ike but none have ever been as over stimulated by the birds and pigs as Jazz is.
I am inclined to agree with Katrin. I know from prying dogs off of cat cages at my old job that the ones who wanted to play generally sniffed and batted a paw, the ones with worse intentions went teeth first.
Basically, I think that if he really wanted to harm them -- you'd know. You're dog-savvy.
And of course they overstimulate them. They move funny! And this dog is
1.) a herding breed -- predisposed to look at things!
2.) hearing impaired -- can't listen to them and therefore makes up for the lack of hearing with sight and smell (and of course they smell good).
The good news is that the eye-focus can be a huge advantage in training. I'm also getting the impression that he doesn't want to be alone, which sucks for seperation anxiety but I think he'll also use that in his decision making process ("do I really want to run over there? I might not be able to see foster momma anymore if I do").
Good luck!
With your willingness to work had and his only being there for such a short time anything is possible! You just need my middle name...Faith!!!
I hope so....Katrin is going to stop by today and check out his behavior.
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