Update on CC
Just a quick update on CC. He is going to and staying in his ‘place’ when told to…We do this 10 or more times in a row. Outside we have been doing “down” on focus and he is getting very close to that even when either Linda or I throw the ball to try to entice him from his down position. While he does give into temptation usually once in the beginning, he is taken back with the way that you showed us, back to his original down place and he gets it from there. Heeling and sitting is perfect. We have also taken him out in the development looking for trouble. His first was to encounter another dog that was on its own property but barking and carrying on as CC walked by. He started to get antsy but a quick “no” stopped that and he walked by a little nervously but no barking or pulling towards the dog. He started to take a look back on passing but was corrected with a “no” and he never looked back again. A new family was moving in down the block and there was quite a bit of activity there so I hooked him up and took him down that way. It was about 10PM. Night time is a normal time for them to be extra skiddish. As we walked by, 3 children decided to come charging out of the front door and jump off the front porch while screaming and carrying on. CC was definitely startled and did bark but I quickly told him “no” and that stopped it. To reinforce it, I walked him by that house for another 10 minutes, going down the street and returning. Each time, stopping in the area of the house where he could see it. He just sat when I stopped and did not react again. This morning, CC was out for his “peepers” break and he decided to lay on the front deck. The garbage man came into the cul de sac and CC just laid on the deck. The garbage truck backed up with its reverse beeper – something that normally would set CC off. Nothing... They loaded up the garbage can onto the fork, picked it up and dumped it into the truck. CC looked up but then put his head back down and showed no interest in them. The truck pulled away and drove down the street and CC still remained unperturbed by it all. Normally he would have charged out to the invisible fence line, barked uncontrollably at them while they dumped the garbage can and then chased the truck as far as the invisible fence would let him. Nothing!
This is NOT the same dog you saw a month ago. He is not perfect but he is getting to a point where he is a model Spanish Water Dog. He will even go into his crate at bedtime with no command.
Linda, CC and I want to say THANK YOU! The other 2 are next!”
***WAY TO GO Mick and Linda! Don’t thank us, thank yourselves for being into the program 100% and following through. By allowing yourselves and CC a consistent lifestyle, with the whole family speaking the same language, CC has been given the opportunity to flourish into a less anxious, more confident dog. This training may very well have saved CC’s life. When this picture was taken (above) I heard someone say that this changed CC’s life and I heard Linda whisper next to me, “no, actually this has changed mine as well.” I teared up, reminding myself of the beauty, strength, and loyalty shared in the dog-human bond.
