Well, the one road which is 1) really difficult at times to train in (due to narrow path, tractors, HGV's...) and 2) Louis most exciting place ever in the world, second only to its destination.

Today we made GREAT progress. OK, so he didnt suddenly decide that he should walk all the way down on a loose lead or anything BUT (and I did still need the headcollar; too strong/too risky there) we only had to click per step at the very begining. Even crossing parts where he would lunge over to sniff etc didnt happen. It took us AGES to get there but I was still really pleased with how he done as that was really the worst place for walking him. Even though he can be good elsewhere, it was noisy, tuggy, lunges.....but today he walked all the way without screaming, lunging, dragging....he done really, really well.

Also, we seen labs in the distance and he didnt stare, pull, etc

AND;

Since his mum caused/mucked up the 'inadvertant speak', yesterday we started from scratch. In one session he knew he was being rewarded for speaking. Today, he was speaking after command!

Bless him, he still is a little unsure as he was looking at me and curling his lip, then stopping and looking at me, then I had to smile and nod, then he done it.....it was like; 'I think thats what I'm to do...maybe not....mum do I do that?'

Well done Louis! It is difficult to keep control when it is the road to excitement and I hate narrow pavements which don't leave a lot of room for escaping being dragged under a lorry! If you can maintain some level of control there you know you are doing really well.

I taught Polo a speak on command that went wrong, so may need to go back to scratch with that LOL.

Had a fab fab walk with Polo today. I meet up with a friend and a group of doggies on Wednesday to socialise him with. He was good when I got him out of the van even when the other dogs were being rowdy. There was a car with an open boot and a lab sat in it and as Polo rested his eyes on the lab he let out one bark so I stepped in front of him and he then calmly sat for me and didn't bark any more.

We then followed the other dogs up to the common whilst he was on lead. No barking at all from Polo. I took him through the gate and let him off lead and asked him to walk with me as he tends to get a bit OTT if he just rushes up to greet the dogs. By delaying it a few minutes he then greets more calmly. He was just so good.

Also when play gets raucous between any of the other dogs Polo tends to want to stick his oar in and gets too aroused but he came away when I called him and told him to mind his own business!

He took a treat from my hand and the terrier stuck his nose in my hand at the same time and Polo nipped his nose - which might not sound terribly good but the fact that it was just a nip and him not going off the deep end was incredibly controlled of him.

All in all he was a very good boy and got a big kiss and cuddle from me.

Thanks! I was really pleased as he didnt even start when people were going 'erm, what are you doing? and some vans asking for directions n stuff.

well done Polo! Sounds like he really is accomplishing so much! You have obviously been putting tons of work in.

It's not easy for them learning to control themseves at times, so really well done there.

Thank you too!

Yes people must wonder what the hell we are doing with all that clicking and treating - must look bizarre!

It is so nice when the work really seems to pay off. It has been two steps forward two steps back with Polo for so long and just tiny steps of overall progress. I was so caught up in the dog/handler loop of stress but I am seeing real noticeable progress with Polo now which is giving me confidence and therefore giving him the confidence to trust me now I'm sure.

Well done you and Loui sounds like a much more pleasant walk and he's picking up the speak command really quickly

Well done Polo sounds like a brilliant walk and lots of great progress

Wow, I've missed a lot. I love reading all these success stories, sounds like everyone is doing so well Long may it continue

We have progress We had two horrible, stressful agilty lessons previously, in one where he snapped at yhe new dog trainer. One class we missed due to the staffie through the fence/broken finger incident. One was cancelled due to my trainer going into hospital. So two bad lessons, two missed lessons, i was in no frame of mind to return. I was ready to quit. I was stressed, Cain was stressed and i was sure wed be ostracised by the other owners after his behaviour in the last class. But my dog trainer convinced me to try again so i dragged us over there and....we actually had a great class.

I put in down to 1) Putting his DAP collar back on. The 8 very shaky weeks we have had coincide with his collar removal trial and I am now convinced that he is not yet ready to cope without it. I think we gave it long enough to see that it does affect him, he doesn't need for day to day life but when he is stressed, his threadhold is significantly lower with out it. 2) I have a wonderful caring dog trainer who completely re-jigged the class structure to help Cain.

He let his two assistants run the rest of the group (we were behind any way having missed a few sessions) and he gave me and Cain a 1:1 class but in a group setting. We did some work, took a break for a wind down stroll and some Ttouch, then more work, another break etc. It worked well as we still want to encourage Cain to cope around other dogs, but the focus was keeping him calm and everything positive.

One of the other owners saw he was wearing a Ttouch body wrap and talked to me about if it was helping, so that made ne feel better that we aren't total outcasts One man who knows us from training class (he's in the class above) came over to say hello. I lost my nerve and wouldn't let him touch Cain even though Cain does sort of know him and looked like he wanted to approach. As he walked off, I told myself to stop being such a baby as Cain already knew him, there was no reason to think he'd react! I muzzled Cain for my own peace of mind, called Mark back and let Cain approach. Cain went over to say hello. He did once jump up but we both agreed it wasn't aggressive as he didn't growl, bark or raise his hackles. I pulled him back down and then he stood there nicely while he got petted. It's been a while since I let someone touch him

Class was good. We moved some of the equipment a little way off so he could still see the other dogs but was not over his threshold. He practises the equipment he'd already tried like hurdles, solid tunnel, weaves and A frame. He also did loads of new stuff like the dog walk, the tyre jump, the material tunnel and the see saw. He was amazing and did it all happily, I thought he might freak out at the see saw but he didn't He's got to learn a bit of self control when coming off of the dog walk though, gravity takes over

He even went off lead it was all very carefully done with eyes everywhere, but it was like line him up, unclip lead, run and jump, treat and lead back on. But he was very focused. He even did two jumps in a row off lead. And the dog walk followed by the A frame off lead. Very pleased He only lunged twice, both times at a tied up collie and Dave said it looked excitable rather than aggressive. This is a huge improvement as last time he was lunging at EVERYTHING and I lost count of how many times he did it. He was watching the other dogs running around quite calmly.

Was it the Ttouch? Was it the collar? Was it the new lesson management? Or a combination of all three? I don't know, but this was the first agility class I've come out of that I feel that we both actually enjoyed he was very drooly at the beginning, visibly a bit stressed, but looked so relaxed by the end of it. I think Cain did amazingly well, kept so calm and focused, he worked so hard and now he's sleeping like a log

Aw Well done Cain! Sounds really positive and encouraging. x

Good on you Amanda and Cain-sounds much better.

I managed to brush FOUR of Izzy's teeth tonight before she growled!

I decided yesterday I had to give her a brush before we went to the dog show so I muzzled her and brushed her and she would deffo have bitten me had it not been for the muzzle. I hadn't given her a proper brush for over 2 weeks. Fortunately she has a different coat type to Parker as I dread to think what he would look like had I not groomed him properly for 2 weeks! I do him thoroughly every other day.

So proud of my kismet... Due to the social dog walks being banned from my local woods and moving some distance away, we have not been able to attend them, we have been avoiding other dogs on walks for the most part...

Yesterday we decided to go for a walk in a field I have been avoiding for a while because of the number if other dogs we used to meet. I knew kismet had not had much socialisation recently so I made sure she was wearing her muzzle, we walked as calmly and with as loose a lead as possible as we were approached by dog after off lead dog, she was fantastic. A little stiff and nervous at first, but she watched pharaoh greet the dogs politely and she began to relax.

I met a lady with her two lurchers we knew from our old agility group and after kismet had politely greeted and played a little with her dogs, we started to catch up... Soon we were joined by another dog walker and her three jack russells, then a man and his whippet... At one point I looked round and realised kismet was relaxed and sniffing about surrounded by dogs, not the least stressed!

Then today we went to the woods and again she was perfect, walking past other dogs, greeting a few polite doggies and just walking like a normal dog... Albeit a muzzled long lined normal dog, but never the less walks have become so much less stressed and so much more enjoyable!

I am seriously considering allowing my friend to bring her new rescue foster around for a playdate... Soon... a few more baby steps yet, but soon