Two steps forward with reactivity, three steps back...

[tiva]

Vanya had a rough time staying under threshold yesterday. I had a rough time managing the environment so he could stay under threshold! Oy.

I've been traveling for 11 days, promoting my new book, so Vanya wasn't getting much training. My husband is sweet and takes care of Vanya's basic needs, but Vanya didn't leave the farm for nearly 2 weeks, much less practice calmness around novel stimuli. He basically hung out with the guys on the couch and found deer carcasses in the back field (not a bad life, of course).

Anyway, so yesterday the vet came to the farm (to check and make sure that Miss Tiva's new bumps weren't a return of her mast cell cancer--good news! they're not! and to extract 5 little teeth that were in bad shape from 14.5 years of playing with big sticks. Tiva is in great shape, happily). Vanya and Tiva absolutely adore our wonderful vet who comes to our farm with her van/vet clinic that's set up for surgeries, etc. Dr Chris gives the dogs super-wonderful treats and tons of attention, and when her van pulls onto the farm, all the dogs are thrilled. Vanya was so thrilled he instantly forgot all of his manners and tried to jump into her van through the open window. Then, when I tried to put him inside the house so Tiva could have her checkup and surgery, Vanya lost his marbles. He screamed and wiggled and and thrashed and shrieked. Even with his harness plus gentle leader on, with 2 separate leashes, I couldn't get him from Point A to Point B--I finally picked all 58 lbs of him up and hauled him across the farmyard.

The good thing about this: all this kookiness looks a lot like his extreme response to new dogs. But with the vet, and other people, it's all about a desire to greet, mixed with an utter inability to get control of his impulses when he's frustrated from his desires. This suggests that his extreme reactions to new dogs may be as much about greeting desire and frustration, not about aggression.

What was frustrating to me is that the dozens and dozens of hours we've put in, the thousands of repetitions, the endless endless practices--it's not enough. More, more, more! Sometimes, when I look at Vanya, I think: how much is enough, sweetheart? Can I ever do enough repetitions so that you can stay calm when you want something?

Anyway, when the vet finished with Tiva's surgery and it was time for Vanya's checkup, he was thrilled to bits and was a wonderful boy with Dr Chris. When his visit was over and it was time for him to go back out, he refused, wanting to stay with her and her freeze-dried liver treats forever. She finally came out of her van to walk with us back to the farmhouse, so I didn't have to haul Mr "Let Me Stay with the Nice Vet Forever" across the farmyard. My, he looked beautiful as he did a lovely dancing heel by her side, gazing into her eyes (hoping for her liver treat)--he looked like he was ready for the Westminster Show.

An hour later, I had to run into the village for some milk, so I brought him along for a practice walk in the village to work on greeting new people nicely, and then a practice walk on the bike trail to walk calmly by Jake the Mellow Lab. As we drove into the village, he started screaming from his crate. When we tried to walk through the village, 7 dogs came by (in 4 different groups). We didn't get far from my car, which I was using as a blind--when Vanya begins screaming at another dog, moving him out of sight can calm him down quickly. Each time I got him to calm down for a moment, ANOTHER few dogs would come running by (luckily, thank heavens, none of them came running up to us, even though some were off leash). Finally, I just gave up, cut my losses, stuffed him back into his crate, and got the heck out of Dodge. I'm surprised the people in the parking lot didn't call the police--we sure were disturbing the peace. Oh well. This was my mistake: I should have known he was far too worked up from all the excitement of the vet visit to handle the excitement of a town visit as well.

On the way back to the farm, we did stop by the bike trail to do pass-bys with Jake the Mellow Lab. Vanya actually showed no interest whatsoever in poor Jake, who looks pretty ill. That sad dog seems to be kept in his kennel 24 hours a day--they used to take him out for walks, but this time his kennel had a lot of poop in it, and Jake seemed either ill or just too dejected to come out of his dog house and greet us. Poor, poor Jake. This reminds me that, for all Vanya's challenges, he really does have a wonderful life: tons of downtime lounging around the house hanging out with people, 20 fenced acres to run around in as much as he wants, a long walk or bike ride or ski every day, another dog and plenty of people to play with, and an endless supply of rodents and bunnies to track.

Sometimes I can't figure out why, exactly, I'm trying to get him to calm down around new things. Sometimes I just want to give up and let him be a farm dog who never goes off the farm to freak out.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Nancy, I know you wouldn't give up on handsome young Vanya. You may get frustrated, but you're so stubborn you won't give up.

Your vet sounds awesome! And poor Jake sounds like he could benefit from your vet.

[tiva]

Thanks, Liz. I don't mean that I'd ever give up on Vanya himself, but just in the socialization project. I wish we had a nice relax class like yours.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Yeah, it was a great class. I'm now figuring which "normal dog" class she's going into next - it will either be a 6-week class focused on heeling (it's supposed to be great fun, and I'd love for Inara to walk nicely) or my trainer also suggested a C-Wags class (like Rally) because she really wants Inara and I to compete.

And sometimes I question myself (or others question me) as to why I continue to try and make Inara a "normal" dog. But she's stuck being my only dog and dammit, I know she can do it. Same with Vanya - that little bugger has such potential in him!