Bennett, learning and growing...

Hey everyone,
I hope you're enjoying the cool rainy day. We are loving it around here. The dogs are running in and out and just having a great time!

Once or twice per year I meet a dog that's not a definite yes or no during an evaluation. You all know I'm strict! It usually is a shy dog, or maybe under socialized as a puppy. In some situations no recall or name attention, maybe the dog doesn't speak prefect "dog" language, or they have too much energy. When I see potential in not only the dog but a committed owner I sometimes take this project on. Not only to test myself, the YLD staff and the new owner...but our pack. A balanced dog pack can have an amazing effect on a skittish or even exuberant player. They can calm a new dog, correct bad manners or even help Fido out of his shell and build confidence. We know our dogs here well enough to design play groups that will benefit and even rehabilitate a playstyle. Where am I going with all of this?

Bennett

He came to us almost a month ago for his trail day. He has great manners and listens better than most when not distracted. He has a very sweet temperament and is an all around great boy. When we started our intros with other dogs he got very excited, which was a good signal to us. We humans could see what he was saying and trying to communicate, unfortunately the other dogs didn't! Bennett tends to give off two or three different signals or gestures at once. This can be confusing to dogs that don't know him well. With his ears, tail and legs he might be inviting a dog to play but his hackles and lips may be sending another message. We think Bennett may have had a very close pup friend or two that he played with frequently and they developed their own language or body postures. This was fine when they played together, but with a more diverse group of players it just wouldn't work.

Summer helping Bennett to play with a lower energy level.

Cammie Husky getting into the mix.

Over the last few weeks Bennett and his parents have made consistent progress. I have been letting him play for a few minutes at a time with the same group of older and wiser dogs. I've done this to help teach him boundaries, proper body language and create consistency for him. The older dogs typically ignore or walk away from exuberant players or if they become unsure of a situation. To a younger pup this loss of interaction and play is the worst punishment possible. It's really made Bennett think about his gestures and what to change during the next interaction.

Learning the dynamics of group play and energy. In the pack is Bennett, Gracie B, Sunny and Ginny. This week we were able to have 5 younger dogs join the fun!

Summer has been a huge help to us.

My personal favorite pic.
Bennett did over 3 hours this morning and as you can see...totally wore himself out!

When we want to change a behavior, routine or problem solve a situation there are a few critical ingredients to keep in mind.

Mental stimulation-opens the door to communication between human and dog.

Physical stimulation-bonds us and takes the edge off. Makes paying attention not only possible but fun.

Consistency-if the rules are always changing we have no foundation or place to grow and learn from.

Patience-it takes time to relearn something that you've been doing for years. Try brushing your teeth with the other hand tonight!

I'll keep you posted as to how Bennett's coming along. We hope he continues to grow and learn with us and look forward to seeing him in a full pack someday!

mike
a tired dog is a happy dog!

yldmike@gmail.com if you need anything!