Papillon Kisses

I gave it a go last night, but made mistakes before I even started. 1. Choosing the wrong place and time. Malcolm is more anxious at night and downstairs where he can see light reflections. I thought the treats would negate that but it probably wasn't enough. 2. Starting at all. It says to stop if the dog is concerned, but Mal was trembling before we even started. I thought he'd stop shaking as we got going but no. Sorry Mal. We got to the first of the 15 second stays, so about 1/3 way through Task/Day 1 (they are called task sets in my handout). At that point he kept readjusting his sit thinking that it wasn't good enough to earn the reward. He knows stay though, so I'm not sure why that happened. Perhaps it was all just too much. I stopped it there and asked him for a high five. He thinks (well I assume from body language) that high fives are a lot of fun, so we ended on a good note and with a bunch of treats. :) I'll try again today during be daytime as see how we go, and get back to our VB if still struggling. I did learn that the shaking lessened if I talked and gave him more feedback/reassurance.

I know this is an old thread but I thought it silly to create another. I need to start this program. Any tips? I am finding it very daunting and I'm not quite sure why. ???? I think I'm mainly worried about inadvertently stuffing it up and not training the actual relaxation part. That and it looks like a massive undertaking. ????

Naww, look at him. ☺️

I think the trolley is partly what makes it safe. It's like a little wall. I suspect he'd love a crate, but there might be other little nooks in the house.

He is so adorable. ????

Oh look at him in his red cape!

But would an African Swallow have the required air-speed velocity to grab a Chihuahua puppy?

I've seen plenty of obese black labs, both entire and neutered, both sexes. In fact a solid black dog will often look fatter than the same shaped gold, fawn or cream dog next to it - it's an optical illusion. But black is slimming!?! BRB buying gold & cream coloured clothes :laugh:

Or to give him a spot with similar features. It's pretty clear to me that he wants a comfortable, cosy hideaway. Which is particularly understandable for an elder, especially if the house is otherwise disturbing with kids running around or something. I'm glad you're looking into this, KismetKat. I'd prioritize that before getting the baby gate. I think it's important to give him somewhere to go before cutting off his source of comfort. A vet check wouldn't go astray either. Dogs can hide out if they aren't feeling well.

Just check up on dosage first. We would not want to make him sick! I've seen some pet formulations in pet stores which you could use as a price and dose/ingredient comparison. And if money is tight there may be more important things to spend it on. Medication with a more substantial evidence base trumps complementary medicine. These really are just the little extras. Veterinary care is important, but apart from that what does Scottie really need? To be loved. To be kept comfortable, with a warm bed and food in his belly. To be treated with compassion. He has all those things in spades. x

Selegenine has anti-depressant/anxiolytic properties. If you can't see a vet behaviourist due to the cost, there may be vets in your area who have an interest in behaviour medicine. Sometimes low doses of meds are prescribed in combination, but usually only by vet behaviourists as additional expertise is needed. I mentioned the sardines as it's probably a cheaper option. You can get omega 3 liquid supplements as you're probably aware, but they probably have a fishy taste. There are various chews too but most have added grains. I've sent you a PM about a Facebook group you might like to join. Oh and I agree with Perse — Scottie is blessed to have you as his mum. :)

It sounds like you and the vet are thinking Scottie might have something along the lines of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction? You might be interested in these two links: http://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/AVA_website/pdfs/NSW_Division/VETS%20%2B%20NURSES%20COMBINED%20-%20Kersti%20Seksel%20-%20Canine%20Cognitive%20Dysfunction.pdf http://dogdementia.com/ If Scottie can't have any grains for medical reasons, is there a grain free formulated food out there that is suitable for seniors and has some of the features of Hills? I've noticed that Hills has added omega-3s, vitamins and antioxidants, and l-carnitine, which are things I've seen added to super premium kibble. What are you currently feeding? Is Scottie completely grain free or just gluten free, because sometimes people get that mixed up? Alternatively perhaps you could add in supplements that can/may help with brain function and anxiety. You would need to make sure they are ok with his existing medications and any other health issues. We've been told to give Malcolm omega 3 supplements and/or treats, so he's been enjoying cheap tins of sardines in springwater, dried salmon, etc. :) Could other things help Scottie feel calm: Adaptil as mentioned, a night light if disoriented by night vision loss, Through a Dog's Ear for Seniors if he's not completely deaf (also available in iTunes). Oh and here's another tooth/gum gel that hasn't been mentioned here is Maxi/Guard Oral Cleansing Gel. We got ours from our vet. http://addisonlabs.com/products/maxiguard-oral-cleansing-gel.php Let us know how Scottie gets on. I'm so happy to hear his bloods are ok, amongst the other worries that must be a huge relief. x

I've read that not all dogs respond to Adaptil, so it's possible Scottie might respond differently. I get the collar cheaper by getting online store prices matched by physical stores. Online stores can have inferior overseas stock that isn't up to the standard sold in Aus. Anyway, I'm rambling and will pop over to the other thread. I wrote a long response but it got eaten, ugh. Fantastic news about the bloods.

Apart from the fact that it's a kitty litter tray, it looks like it could be a nice place for an older dog to rest. The tray is kind of like a bed in a way, and look how it's tucked away in the corner there, seemingly away from all the goings on in the house. It might also be cool if he's feeling hot. Would he like his very own bed in a similar situation, a little nook away from it all, but with a more suitable filling? You could positively reinforce him using the bed, by giving him his treats or toys there instead? Perhaps an always open, never locked crate?

That's the one that caught my eye! I was even thinking it had a nice long turtle neck collar. :laugh: I checked them out to see if I could alter them, but the top ones looked too small and the bottom ones too big. I think little Secret needs a bunting jumper though. *pages Kirislin*

Thanks for the update. Poor little man. If most of his world is quiet now, and then suddenly hearing noise in a particular frequency or whatnot could be very startling. I guess the question is how can you make Scottie feel more comfortable and relaxed at this time? I know he has a crate he can retreat to. Have you ever tried an Adaptil collar?

That's not always the case. It depends why the dog is reactive and what it is reactive to.

What Ness said. But also, not all people or dogs are interested in competing. Some just want to have some fun.

Small dog owner problems: When you see some really cute dog jumpers in Spotlight ... and then realise they are actually hot water bottle covers.

I'll try to not go too off topic but is that with K9 Nose time? If so - you'll have a blast and are in 1000% the most capable hands in the entire world :) Seriously amazing group of trainers. There's a few more places doing it in Sydney now! I'm interested in going to The Dog Project in Wollongong. Positive Paws in Campbelltown also run classes. K9 Nose Time at Castle Hill are too far out of the way for me. :)

I probably didn't explain myself well enough. Because Malcolm shut down AND because of the degree of qualifications required, I didn't pursue it. Any sort of class didn't seem to be for him. And that's ok, you work with and love the dog that you have. We do our own training and other fun stuff together. :) Speaking generally though, as I think Jules also is, I don't see why just basic obedience isn't ok, doing agility it with a dog who can sit, has recall, isn't going to go bolting mid run and attack other dogs, in a class where other dogs aren't going to attack him. Which sounds like what Willem's club did. That may have previously been doable for Mal for various reasons, or it may not have been. It certainly wouldn't be doable now. But I wasn't going to put him through a gazillion obedience classes just to find out. I hope this clears it up. :)

When I first got Malcolm I wanted to do dogs sports with him as he's an athletic little dog (more so when he was younger), but that flew out of the window when I learnt you had to pass the club's *advanced* level obedience classes.... and I had a dog that shut down completely in in basic small group classes. So it wasn't for him, but it always came across to me as very snobbish. I understand having a certain level of basic training, but it was like they only let the perfect dogs have any fun. I'm very excited to be starting Nosework classes in July!! In Nosework classes, dogs of ALL abilities are accepted and the dogs are all kept separate to each other if needed and brought in one at a time to the room so there is NO interaction with other dogs and the environment isn't loud and chaotic. The act of sniffing works as an anxiolytic (they can't sniff and worry at the same time or something) and other parts of the environment can be modified too, so it's perfect for dog-reactive dogs, anxious dogs, elderly or disabled dogs... basically any dog that has a nose. http://scentsabilitiesnw.com/blog/why-nosework-works.html

That makes me feel a lot better! Yes, I hate people who don't have effective control of their dogs and let them rush because "they're friendly and just want to play!" Well your dog is actually being rude and you're breaking the law. We eventually passed the house where the dog had came from. Two tradies were out the front packing their ute. They looked at me like I had three heads.

Good luck on the weekend from Malcolm and me, too!! Stand your ground with the trainer, you know your dog the best! We had a completely uneventful walk today, and thank goodness it was uneventful because the last one certainly wasn't! I'll preface this by saying we've been instructed by our VB to avoid all dog encounters at the moment. We walk in quiet times, in known areas (main roads are great), and don't even go down streets which have dogs barking behind fences. So last Friday Mal was sniffing a fence when an on-leash poodley type dog approached from behind. The dog and handler were very quiet so by the time they came closer, it was too late to make a calm getaway. We were also boxed in. So the admittedly well-behaved, more-focused-on-walking poodle mix came within less than half a meter of Mal, Mal looked at the dog and I think registered it, then went back to sniffing the fence! I know sniffing can be a displacement behaviour but I was really pleased, as having a dog suddenly appear by his side can scare him. It was only when the dog was further ahead that his body language changed: ears up, stiffer body, alert. Next dog encounter wasn't so good. We were walking when I saw a leashed dog in the distance coming our way. As instructed, I did a u-turn and went down a seemingly quiet street. I could hear a dog whimpering with excitement from further down across the road but assumed it was behind a fence. Famous last words. The biggest Ridgeback I've ever seen in my life came hurtling towards Malcolm with no owner in sight. It actually did just want to (completely inappropriately) play, but Mal's stress levels were through the roof and Mr Ridgie Didge was ignoring both of us asking him to back off. And this is the exciting part: Mal remembered his training from years ago when we did lots of quasi BAT, and instead of snapping at the dog and escalating the situation, he stood behind me so I could perform a body block. I went into full mama bear mode and ROARED "NO! GO HOME" complete with stop sign and pointing gestures. Oh my was the Ridgie shocked, he gave me a look like I had destroyed his feelings (are ridgebacks super sensitive?) before running back home. Maybe I overplayed my hand: I don't like yelling at dogs and am conscious that I need to remain calm around Malcolm, but I saw impending disaster. Malcolm would not have been able to do that years ago with a dog that was so large and full on; his fuse was a great deal shorter. I've also seen him dangling by the throat in a Rottie's jaws which doesn't help. I am seriously wondering if Mal's Adaptil collar attracted the dog. He really did come from no where, I don't think he could have seen us, and he was unbelievably excited to see Malcolm like he was a long lost friend or relative. Coupled with the feeling of total rejection when I told him to go, it just makes me wonder. This was a full grown dog btw, not a puppy. So anyway, I feel like a total b*tch but I'm SUPER PROUD of my boy. He was very stressed — he wanted to bolt out of there, was breathing hard and doing a series of crying yelps — but he didn't take too long to recover. He was exhausted when we got home though and I admit I was shaking for a bit. I think I need my own counter-conditioning and desensitisation program. Edited to add: Apologies for the super long essay. But anyway. Would you have done anything different with the ridgeback? Maybe I should have seen if I could get him to sit. I don't know. I felt I needed to get him away ASAP, which was probably true.

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