Well done Kestral and Cain. Sounds like they are both doing really well.


Izzy got loads of those burry sticky fuzzy things on her coat and I had great fun getting them off this morning but I still have all my fingers at last count!

Izzy's "DON'T TOUCH" coat is really good as I think she is getting more relaxed and I feel more relaxed knowing people shouldn't be reaching out to scare her. Someone with a JRT asked me where I got it from today as she thought it was a good idea and she wanted one too.

The groomers say they are happy to take Izzy on (after me explaining her aversion to personal grooming) so I must just remember to take her muzzle when we go in a couple of weeks time. I think they will miss Cherry as she was always so good there and such a character as she used to talk to people with her "woo woos and arroo rahs"!

Unfortunately I think his squeakiness is a common GSD trait and even if I resolve all of his behaviour issues, he'll always be aggravating as that's just his personality!!!

Kestral did brilliantly, it's great to see her put a dog of Cain's size in his place And I was VERY impressed with her "Stops" Yes Cain had another very good agility class, although he's getting a bit too canny with the Watch Me command and spends half the class staring at my face hoping for treats

I think the coat is a great idea, especially if it's making you and Izzy more relaxed, fingers crossed people continue to pay attention to it!

Izzy had a yellow Lab jump on her today It looked really nasty and the couple just walked off and I called at them to stop whilst I checked Izzy hadn't been bitten.

I did say that if they had told me it was unfriendly I would have not allowed her to approach. They then said it was my dog's fault! (it wasn't -she had only walked over to say hello)

My big achievement was ignoring the owner when she was walking up to me saying it was Izzy-I just ignored her (she had a bloke with her as well) and kept walking away. I am a bit scared now after Jamie getting attacked in a similar situation.

Well done everyone. Cain & Kestrel sound like they are getting on well.

Polo has been a little star recently. Our little set-back seems to have come before his progression onwards. He is now far more relaxed again.

I have taken him to sheepdog training twice now and he is a different dog there. I can let him straight out of the car to run around with the other dogs and everyone is really great and chilled about him there. He will lie down at the gate to the pen right next to dogs and not bat an eyelid even though I am leading him on a line. They let a trained dog in the pen with us to help shift the sheep and Polo barely noticed its presence!

He was much better at reactive dog class last week, despite there being a german shepherd and a collie he has not seen before. He only had two little barks at a collie he mostly reacts to and I regained his focus a lot quicker. He did 'lock on' with his eyes to her a couple of times and just whined before looking back at me. MAJOR improvement and he really seems to dislike this dog for some reason.

I met up with someone with a few dogs today. One teeny tiny timid dog that squeaks when a dog comes near her. Polo nearly jumped out of his skin and removed his nose promptly away from her face. I called him away quickly as she was snack-sized should he have fancied her.

Just catching up. Great news about Polo, so many good experiences there! I am so glad that you're back on the up now It's horrible when you have a wobble but then they can go on to really impress you afterwards! Well done for keeping faith and well done Polo

Izzy took a piece of sausage from a man in a fluorescent jacket on Wednesday. He was a council worker and he suddenly appeared and she ran barking at him before I could recall her. I then recalled her and apologised and explained her aversion to certain types of clothing and he was really nice and said he liked dogs. I asked him if he would mind throwing a piece of sausage at her and he said fine and he offered it to her instead and she was happy to go and take it from him.

She was also much more confident at agility class on Tuesday night-another handler commented on how well-behaved she was.

Maisiesmum - Thats great news, glad sheepdog training and socialisation are going well - sounds like things are really improving for you

KerryOwner- Glad you've had some good chances to get Izzy used to some men in yellow! Sounds like shes progressing well

Have had a good couple of weeks with Kestral - even the OH commented that she has improved round people (he hardly ever comes out with me, so can see her progress better).
She met a nice lady in the park last week who she was friendly towards using our meeting tactic.
We went for a walk with Cain and Amanda (Moon's Mum) again today which went really well again. At the end, Amanda very kindly got her mum to come along and meet Kestral - using the no looking, throwing food, then hand feeding, then touching and looking method the meeting went perfectly I am thrilled that when she is introduced to people properly she is just fine around them - no nervousness or barking at all.
It is not perfect long term to have to meet people in a park before hand and use the greeting method, but its great news that something seems to be consistently working.

Heres a little pic of Cain and Kestral together (big size difference ) from todays long walk.




Also Kestral happily had her nails clipped this week - in one session All the clicker training has paid off. She ate a big piece of frozen chicken whilst I clipped away!

Hope things have been going well for everyone else - keep us updated

Oh it's all going fantastic for you lot, I haven't been in here for a while, but it's all looking good, I'm so pleased for all of you, and lovely pics there Whichpets, so glad your Kestral and Cain are having such great get togethers, it can only be a good thing

All is going brilliantly here, no blips yet and it's been aaaages since Zena had a spat, even though we are meeting quite a few dogs in new places, both with Claire with Lily and Alfie, and other friends I walk with with their dogs, however, I do still put her onlead for initial meet ups because I can never be 100% (not just yet anyway!).

I went on a long, new walk the other day across the main road because I didn't have a car. When I came back down the other side of the farm, I had to walk past the farmhouse on a public right of way, a proper made up road, but really just a track to the stables. Anyhoo, as I approached the house, there on the driveway sat a collie, who barked incessantly at us, snarled and started approaching us like that There was no way in this world I was gonna walk BACK the way I'd come (1 1/2 hours earlier!!!), so I had to bite the bullet here. I put Zena onlead, and told it to "go away" in my stern voice.... it didn't, it kept coming, so I moved Zena around so that she was actually behind me, as I moved forward towards this collie who was still giving it the verbal with it's teeth showing I carried on telling it to go away in a louder and louder voice, but it went around the back of us as I passed it, so I then got Zena in front of me as I walked backwards as it was snapping and snarling at her rear end, or at least trying to, as I was by now yelling at it to p*ss off!!!! When I finally got past that driveway, it left us alone, but just stood there and stared and carried on barking, but I was just thankful that it didn't follow us any further.

I cannot believe, that Zena was quite happy to do exactly as I asked of her, ball in gob, she never once went for it, nor seemed preturbed as it almost reached her back end with that attitude before I pulled her forward in front of me again. I can't quite believe why she made no reaction whatsoever with it. I'm assuming it's because she knows, that once that lead goes on for an altercation with another dog, it's ME who's gonna be in charge now, so she feels safe, confident, and totally relaxed! Quite unbelievable coz that could have been a real nasty one for me, with a loose dog, owner in the house and Zena kicking off at it!! Bladdy h*ll thing have improved for me haven't they!!!

Well done Izzy and Polo both making great progress

Well done Kestral and Cain sounds like they are enjoying their walks together and great pics

Well done Zena letting mum handle that naughty collie

Not much to report with Ted we've not had a great few weeks mostly my fault i think as i've lost confidence in him a little bit

However he's hurt his knee so is having a week of short on lead walks and the last few days we've been walking earlier because of the fireworks so seen quite a few more dogs than normal he has been really good and there have been no reactions. I was really pleased with him this afternoon as he managed to sit nicely while i stroked a horse (through the fence) he did lunge once but i had him sit while i leaned over and gave it a stroke. He then passed another one further on which was stood by the fence again he was interested but we got past without him reacting. Think i will have to walk their more often and practise.