I can’t imagine it has been a 12 months. However certainly it was December 28, 2021, when I welcomed boisterous eight-old-month Lewis into my life.
If you wish to see the listing of issues I first recognized as difficulties, right here it’s. However as an alternative of making a progress report based mostly on that listing, I’m simply going to put in writing in regards to the methods now we have discovered to dwell nicely collectively.
Lewis’ and My Achievements, Successes, and Enjoyable
• Lewis’ door-related behaviors are good. He waits till I try the yard and inform him to go forward, and can proceed to attend if I cue the opposite canines to exit first. I by no means did particular coaching on launch cues, however he is aware of when I’m cuing the opposite canines and never him. Ready on the door is for the canines’ security, not some sort of dominance rule!
• I taught Lewis by classical conditioning that using within the automotive is cool and results in nice adventures. I needed to go slowly at first, as a result of he had points with each the crate confinement and the motion of the automotive. Sooner or later, I’ll write a put up about it. He loves going locations, together with to the vet, the place he lived for greater than a month as a pet.
• Lewis and I’ve an ideal play relationship. He’s recreation to play something. Tug, balls, fetch, and something that includes operating. (See the video!)
• He loves coaching video games, too.
• He has actually taken to nosework, shock!
• He’s progressing properly in Dr. Mindy Waite’s husbandry research, funded by Worry Free. Right here’s a video of a session.
• He settles the place I ask him to on the mattress at night time (relatively than pushing Clara round).
• I haven’t labored a lot on extending crate period, however he hangs out within the crate typically, and I ask him to go in there for brief durations with the door shut for administration. He eats most meals in there.
• I taught him the family’s sleeping schedule; he’s now not on vet clinic time. In reality, I needed to rise up sooner than standard yesterday, and he stayed in mattress and declined to return alongside once I supplied to take him exterior!
• He has discovered to get pleasure from walks. He walks decently on lead, largely as a result of his regular tempo is slower than mine due to sniffing. However now we have labored on it as nicely. A lot of his concern of recent issues is gone.
• He’s made a few human mates on our walks and reveals reasonably good greeting manners even whereas being thrilled out of his thoughts.
• He has a good recall, and I do know we are able to work it as much as nice.
• He has been very cooperative throughout some durations once I or my associate was not feeling nicely and I didn’t have time to play and do issues with him. He was in a position to loosen up and settle for the downtime with the remainder of the family. This was a very long time coming, however who can blame him! Teenager!
• He has made mates with the neighbor canines on either side of the yard: doodles on one facet and Danes and a Border collie on the opposite. We incorporate them into our video games; when he’s enjoying with me, he may even run to every fence to incorporate them (or, typically, taunt them). He goes on his personal typically, and typically I cue him to do it (“Go see your pals!”). You’ll see this within the video.
• He holds again from going for dropped meals or different gadgets and doesn’t lunge for different canines’ treats.
• He waits his flip quietly when I’m coaching different canines (thank goodness!). He may even station in the identical room whereas I prepare one other canine, though we haven’t labored on it a lot since I wrote about it final Might.
• He stays mouthy however now not grabs sleeves, and infrequently tries to seize issues out of my arms.
• He’s affectionate and continues to be good-natured.
• He’s enjoyable!
Video
Listed here are some highlights of our 12 months collectively.
Copyright 2022 Eileen Anderson: all textual content, photographs, and video
Associated Posts
Most of my different posts about Lewis are linked within the textual content, however listed below are his intro put up and the “listing of challenges” posts yet another time.