Finally it feels like winter, rather than just like horribly windy weather.
We had sun this morning and early afternoon and I took the dogs to the Phoenix Park for a long walk (90 minutes). I've started my NEW approach -- they are each clipped to a seatbelt harness so not all grouped in a crate. Then they each get to come out, one by one, *when they stop whining and barking*. Lily has really set them all off in a whine and barkfest whenever we go somewhere and the car stops (yet another discovery for me about how three = a pack and introduces new pack behaviour in previously polite cavaliers...) -- so after a talk about this with Lisa and Tara this is my new approach, to reward them with coming out only when they are quiet. But it only works if I can manage it one by one.
Needless to say, Lily was the last one out. The boys were so much better without her outside and barking her head off -- she always barks when excited so this little show lasts about the first 5 minutes.... :roll: . Eventually I was just walking the boys back and forth and leaving her to bark and bark... some people walked by and I am sure thought I was cruelly neglecting that poor little dog barking and barking at us in the window. icon_blshing
But actually it didn;t take that long. I would start walking towards the car whenever she stopped, then stop and turn my back on her as soon as she started up again, repeat, repeat, repeat til I go to the car and opened the door. To my surprise she stayed quiet while I got her out; I thought we'd do a couple of opening and closing doors as well. :lol:
Now that she was mostly barked out they all three were much more manageable and more interested in getting moving than having a little repertoire of annoying behaviours before we even started.
Anyway after that we had a nice long brisk walk after all that; it got cloudy and very windy and cold but felt nice and fresh! Leo dove into the creek and swam despite the chilliness. :shock: But was dried out pretty quick again in that wind and from running around.
Does anyone else like those cold walks better than warm days? I like crisp winter walks.
PS they are all on the couch and dog beds now with pizzle sticks but only Lily, who will always do anything for food, has enough energy to gnaw away.
:roll:
We had sun this morning and early afternoon and I took the dogs to the Phoenix Park for a long walk (90 minutes). I've started my NEW approach -- they are each clipped to a seatbelt harness so not all grouped in a crate. Then they each get to come out, one by one, *when they stop whining and barking*. Lily has really set them all off in a whine and barkfest whenever we go somewhere and the car stops (yet another discovery for me about how three = a pack and introduces new pack behaviour in previously polite cavaliers...) -- so after a talk about this with Lisa and Tara this is my new approach, to reward them with coming out only when they are quiet. But it only works if I can manage it one by one.
Needless to say, Lily was the last one out. The boys were so much better without her outside and barking her head off -- she always barks when excited so this little show lasts about the first 5 minutes.... :roll: . Eventually I was just walking the boys back and forth and leaving her to bark and bark... some people walked by and I am sure thought I was cruelly neglecting that poor little dog barking and barking at us in the window. icon_blshing
But actually it didn;t take that long. I would start walking towards the car whenever she stopped, then stop and turn my back on her as soon as she started up again, repeat, repeat, repeat til I go to the car and opened the door. To my surprise she stayed quiet while I got her out; I thought we'd do a couple of opening and closing doors as well. :lol:
Now that she was mostly barked out they all three were much more manageable and more interested in getting moving than having a little repertoire of annoying behaviours before we even started.
Anyway after that we had a nice long brisk walk after all that; it got cloudy and very windy and cold but felt nice and fresh! Leo dove into the creek and swam despite the chilliness. :shock: But was dried out pretty quick again in that wind and from running around.
Does anyone else like those cold walks better than warm days? I like crisp winter walks.
PS they are all on the couch and dog beds now with pizzle sticks but only Lily, who will always do anything for food, has enough energy to gnaw away.
:roll: