Day 12: Dodge can sit on command!
Nov. 8th, 2012 11:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
koalathebearYesterday, poor Dodge was a bit wretched:
Dan had to do an emergency dash to the Qbyn Vet yesterday because he thought Dodge might have pulled a stitch out - he was licking it a lot. Turns out the stitches are fine but it's mildly inflamed so the vet gave him some more antibiotics and painkillers and he had the Cone of Shame put on him for few hours. He was good last night though so we took the cone off before dinner and he even went to sleep without the cone because there was no more licking.
We bought Dodge a new collar of his own. Dan picked orange as Dodge's colour
He is sleeping very quietly in his crate at night and at dinner today, we crated him and he lay down and didn't let out a peep.
We've also discovered that he walks very nicely on a loose leash. No pulling - very well-behaved. He walks a little behind us but very nicely.
And most excitingly ...very unexpectedly, Dan managed to teach Dodge how to sit today. Huge progress given that when we first met him he wouldn't let let us get within 3 metres of him so it was impossible to lure him into a sit. I really thought we were never going to be able to get him to sit
I am so relieved because I have to confess that part of me was worrying that Dodge was too damaged to be trained very much - he seemed so traumatised. I was wondering how on earth I was going to teach him anything when he kept darting away from me but today Dan held his collar so that he couldn't back away and then guided him into a sit. After 2-3 times, he did it on his own and was much more relaxed.
What's great is that because the sit on cue is new for him, it's given him an alternative to running away so if we put him in a sit, he doesn't dart away nervously when we approach him. I guess he doesn't associate 'sitting' with being afraid.
He is such a cute little dog - so eager to please :)
Dan had to do an emergency dash to the Qbyn Vet yesterday because he thought Dodge might have pulled a stitch out - he was licking it a lot. Turns out the stitches are fine but it's mildly inflamed so the vet gave him some more antibiotics and painkillers and he had the Cone of Shame put on him for few hours. He was good last night though so we took the cone off before dinner and he even went to sleep without the cone because there was no more licking.
We bought Dodge a new collar of his own. Dan picked orange as Dodge's colour
He is sleeping very quietly in his crate at night and at dinner today, we crated him and he lay down and didn't let out a peep.
We've also discovered that he walks very nicely on a loose leash. No pulling - very well-behaved. He walks a little behind us but very nicely.
And most excitingly ...very unexpectedly, Dan managed to teach Dodge how to sit today. Huge progress given that when we first met him he wouldn't let let us get within 3 metres of him so it was impossible to lure him into a sit. I really thought we were never going to be able to get him to sit
I am so relieved because I have to confess that part of me was worrying that Dodge was too damaged to be trained very much - he seemed so traumatised. I was wondering how on earth I was going to teach him anything when he kept darting away from me but today Dan held his collar so that he couldn't back away and then guided him into a sit. After 2-3 times, he did it on his own and was much more relaxed.
What's great is that because the sit on cue is new for him, it's given him an alternative to running away so if we put him in a sit, he doesn't dart away nervously when we approach him. I guess he doesn't associate 'sitting' with being afraid.
He is such a cute little dog - so eager to please :)