I know a lot of people worry that they are abandoning their dog. I think there are real benefits to dogs being left in a kennel or home boarding environment (a GOOD kennel or boarding situation of course!). Today I saw one such very tangible and positive benefit.
Many here who have met Lily will know she can be a very reactive dog. She gets very overexcited at other dogs and will bark her head off. It can be really difficult to get her to focus on anything but the other dog(s). She will generally snap at dogs for the first few times she meets them, too. Especially larger dogs, which she doesn't like towering over her. At the same time, she does go for boarding and kennelling and I know she is fine with dogs AFTER she gets to know them.
So I had asked Tara and Lisa if I could bring her along to an obedience class and work with her way off to the side, to gradually acclimate and desensitize her to other dogs. They had said yes but not til today did the timing work out. I arrived with Lily to a room full of dogs, mostly big dogs and one yappy terrier cross, the type of dog that really makes her get all excited and barky.
To my utter disappointment :lol:, she walked in, looked around, and was indifferent to all those dogs!! Even two big akitas that wanted to come meet her, and even the barky terrier cross that whined to get over to her. I could not initiate ONE single reaction from her. I walked her past all the dogs to the treats table, walked her back, let her kind of hang out... nothing. The only time she got fussy was when a springer wanted to stand right over her -- and she was only indicating her annoyance with his rudeness, while at the same time being interested in him (typical girl!!).
The last time I had her at the training centre, she was constantly distracted and barking at the other dogs (the first few times I could hardly walk her thru the door before she was going nuts).
All this is definitely due to her being boarded on and off, where she has been exposed to lots of dogs, and more importantly, not just a few friends, but different new strange dogs. They have stopped being a big issue for her.
I got on the phone and complained to Tara that she had wasted my day by getting Lily so used to other dogs that there was no point in desensitizing her any more.
:rotfl:
So instead I will do some agility with her I think or clicker training. I spent the whole class off to the side doing clicker with her and teaching her 'wait' and some other things because I couldn't even get her to get riled up with the big akitas!
She is a much better adjusted dog now because she gets to mingle with many different dogs when boarded or at kennels.
Many here who have met Lily will know she can be a very reactive dog. She gets very overexcited at other dogs and will bark her head off. It can be really difficult to get her to focus on anything but the other dog(s). She will generally snap at dogs for the first few times she meets them, too. Especially larger dogs, which she doesn't like towering over her. At the same time, she does go for boarding and kennelling and I know she is fine with dogs AFTER she gets to know them.
So I had asked Tara and Lisa if I could bring her along to an obedience class and work with her way off to the side, to gradually acclimate and desensitize her to other dogs. They had said yes but not til today did the timing work out. I arrived with Lily to a room full of dogs, mostly big dogs and one yappy terrier cross, the type of dog that really makes her get all excited and barky.
To my utter disappointment :lol:, she walked in, looked around, and was indifferent to all those dogs!! Even two big akitas that wanted to come meet her, and even the barky terrier cross that whined to get over to her. I could not initiate ONE single reaction from her. I walked her past all the dogs to the treats table, walked her back, let her kind of hang out... nothing. The only time she got fussy was when a springer wanted to stand right over her -- and she was only indicating her annoyance with his rudeness, while at the same time being interested in him (typical girl!!).
The last time I had her at the training centre, she was constantly distracted and barking at the other dogs (the first few times I could hardly walk her thru the door before she was going nuts).
All this is definitely due to her being boarded on and off, where she has been exposed to lots of dogs, and more importantly, not just a few friends, but different new strange dogs. They have stopped being a big issue for her.
I got on the phone and complained to Tara that she had wasted my day by getting Lily so used to other dogs that there was no point in desensitizing her any more.
:rotfl:So instead I will do some agility with her I think or clicker training. I spent the whole class off to the side doing clicker with her and teaching her 'wait' and some other things because I couldn't even get her to get riled up with the big akitas!
She is a much better adjusted dog now because she gets to mingle with many different dogs when boarded or at kennels.
