Helena, Lana isn't so big, she's really only medium sized but is long and I am short so when she's up on her hind legs which she does a lot then I can't pull anymore. She also jumps up for whatever I am using to pull and wraps her arms around it and around my arm scratchin me like mad

I can look back and laugh about the damage my other dog did, like the time my son sat on the couch and fell through because the dog had been lifting the cushions when we were out and ate everything from underneath until there were only springs left When she came out from under the cushions, the cushions fell back into place so we didn't know about it until my son fell through. The couch still looked good but you couldn't sit on it anymore.

I don't shout either, we learned that with my previous dog. I shouted at my son one day, he was 9 at the time, only to see my dog running to her bed and cowering. We decided then there would be no shouting in the house.

Luckily I am very optimistic so I always think Lana will be fine when I leave her, so no negative vibes from me

I do have a garden, it's shared of course with the other tenants but because of this it's huge, almost like a park. No one else really uses it except the downstairs cat. Lana goes ballistic when she sees a cat so I'll start taking her down there more often and playing with her.

Great news about Zena letting a strange man stroke her. My postman was brilliant with Lana when I first got her as she was scared of men as well. There are still a few men she takes a dislike to but she's really come on, although she lets very few men pet her but at least she just dodges out the way now and doesn't start barking at them.

Off now to run up and down the stairs while recording what Lana does. I am expecting to be superfit and slim in a few weeks time

Lol, so am I!! I've just done a circuit around an agility course, with Zena following of course!!!!! Stairs are good for the heart, remember that, but I'm not sure about an agility course when you already have heart problems for me!!!! Oh I did laugh about that sofa!!!! The dog was trying to hide it from you!!!!

At least you have something to work on with Lana then, that jumping up, it's not good, you have to find what works for you. With us it's a slipper shoved in Zena's mouth, she won't jump up then, she stays on all fours no matter how excited she gets at o/h arriving home, and screams her head off instead of jumping up and wiggles around him, but that's good! Your next mission then, should you choose to accept it, is to work on that playtime with the jumping up or rather NOT jumping up, it'll be fun if nothing else, inbetween running up and down those stairs of course!!!

This was my trialling with Lana today.

Went downstairs out the front door, walked round the back listened, nothing, I was thinking great. Went back, opened main door and I could hear her. She barked all the time I came up the stairs, I stood outside and told her to be quiet which she did, then opened the door.

I listened to the tape whilst timing on my watch. She started barking after 35 seconds more or less once the main front door closed, she must have realised I went out it today, wierd or what as yesterday when I didn't go out it she didn't make a sound She continued barking and at one point she was howling/crying and running about.

There was one difference today, I took my backpack with me which I usually take when going shopping, whereas yesterday I didn't take anything with me so that might possibly have made all the difference.

I'm amazed she didn't know I was coming back up the stairs.

I was out for 2 minutes 20 seconds.

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Did it again, with backpack, didn't go out front door and not a sound from her in 1 minute 30 seconds.

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3rd time went out the main front door, walked down the lane a few steps waited 25 seconds and came back. Not a sound in the 1 min 55 secs

I swear she was embarassed having to listen to the first tape Almost as though, is that really me making all that noise and fuss.

Took her to the shops with me, was in two shops where she could see me through the window and she was fine. Went later to the park and to another shop where she can't see me but she stood outside and didn't make a sound, this is the shop where she usually barks continuously except for the other night when I came back out and told her to be quiet. Thinking this is maybe progress or maybe me being optimistic again

I would like to have done it more often but I'm knackered going up and down those stairs, been up and down them 7 times already today, her two walks in the steep hilled park, plus round town plus going to the shop far away and it's steep uphill all the way back. I wish sometimes I lived in Holland where it's nice and flat. You can't go anywhere here without going up or down steep hills. Not sure I'll survive long enough to get fit and slim

I think tomorrow I'll try by not going out the main door the first time and if she's fine I'll then go out the door and up the lane a bit before going back. I really wish I could manage it more often but about 600 stairs a day plus all the walking is more than enough for me although I could get so fit I'll be able to run up and down them 20 times a day soon.

Sadly on Monday I will have to leave her on her own for an hour so hope that doesn't set her back.

I'll get another tuggy toy for her or use an old sock and see if I can stop her jumping up.

Cardaph, like Helena I am about to draw my pension (although maddengly it has been put back two years - just my luck to have been born in the wrong year!) and we should look on our dogs as the key to long life etc. through enforced exercise and added love and interest. Dogs are supposed to reduce blood pressure too aren't they...........hmmmm Not sure about that at the moment I don't think that you should blame yourself for how Bessie is now, even a young rescue dog can have huge issues in their tiny brains, and what is fine with some is a disaster with others. You can never tell. I hope that you are feeling better now after your tummy troubles. If you feel that a behavourist is the way to go with Bessie then please do keep us informed of how things go.

I have put another magic bottle of whisky on the thread.......it is so magic, that if you don't like whisky it will actually pour out wine, gin or whatever you want!!!! It only lasts until midnight mind you. *Pours a large glass.

Helena, once again you have written oodles of common sense, and I will have to read it through carefully again. Your comment about the horse struck me as funny - can you imagine if horses suffered from SA?!!!!!!!!! Now that would be a massive problem Some of what you say I have been doing with Jimmi since day one; he has fifteen minutes twice a day of training (just the basics of sit, high five, cuddles - this is when he wraps his paws around my wrist, but it often ends up with claws down my arm! - etc.), and we have wonderful together time when I lie on the sofa to watch Deal or No Deal etc. Sad I know, but I love it! Jimmi always snuggles up next to me, no matter how hot it is At the moment he is snuggled up in his cage in the kitchen quite happily, whilst husband is watching trains or war or something and I am in here in the study. I followed Jane from DT's advice, and extended the rug over the top down one side, so now as the cage is against the wall there is just the front and one side open. He seems to love it even more now, which is a great help, but I appreciate that both Lana and Bessie are not keen on their crates so this is not an option for them. Today's session re leaving him alone in the house went very well - we are up to a whole two minutes now!!! The good thing is that there was not a peep out of him whilst we were outside the front door, and although he was ridiculously pleased to see us once again for the first two times we returned, he was quite calm by the third time and came out of his cage in a wonderfully sedate fashion.

1cutedog, I shouldn't laugh but I can't help it.......some of your descriptions are so funny especially that sofa thing with your last dog!
Lana is very complex isn't she, but you do really seem to be getting somewhere with her and I can tell that you are doing everything that is reasonably possible to sort this out.
I suppose that when you consider that not so long ago in history, dogs were just "there", were fed on scraps, and only had the basics in care, we have rather rapidly turned them into important members of the family with the attending privileges and attention. They have quickly exploited this, and are now manipulating US even if they don't know it. There was no such thing as a rescue dog until relatively recently, and in order to survive they had to fit in with the household and not make waves. Hah......how our ancestors would have laughed at the notion of behavourists for dogs, or a thread such as this!!! The thing is, Helena is right (once aflippinggain!) in that we perhaps behave in entirely the wrong way with our dogs sometimes, and when we finally lose patience and want nothing to do with them for a few hours or whatever, suddenly and miraculously their behaviour improves. Boy is it hard though - I love dogs, adore them, all of them. We have a dog because we delight in the company of a canine and love the fun that one brings.

Drat, must go and answer some emails. Will wait the next installment from 1cutedog and Cardaph.

*pours another large drink

can I also have a drink from the magic bottle if my troubles are not dog related? I promise I won't bore you with the details once the drink kicks in

It is a permanent fixture on this thread Cintvelt, for as long as the thread lasts!! Problems in our lives are not caused exclusively by dogs are they......Perhaps if you become overwhelmed by the need for unburdening yourself, you could type it all in code?? You know, every other word being relevant or something!!

That way any Dogsey mods would just read your post and think that you were spouting complete rubbish, and there is no law against that Cheers

Cheers! And thankyou for that! I really needed it!!!

Bitkin, thanks I think I'll have a glass of wine tonight. That's great you are up to 2 minutes now and Jimmi is laid back with it.

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't do any running up and down stairs trialling Lana today. I was up and down so often anyway and it was far too hot today for doing more. Will do it again tomorrow.

My DAP diffuser came today. I plugged it in and wondered as all the windows were open if it would work or all go out the windows. Once it was plugged in Lana, contrary little madam that she is took herself away to the bedroom

Hey 1cute dog you really seem to making some progress! Hope it continues.

Bitkin oh thanks for the kind remarks I didn't feel too old when we got her this feeling has just come on with all the problems lol. Bad luck on missing the retirement deadline glad I got mine, have been retired 3 years now and absolutely love it.
No tummy still playing up have gone right off food which isn't me!
Well I have made the appointment and we go on Wednesday 30th June so you can be sure I will report how we got on and any amazing techniques which are guaranteed to work!!!!(there's another pig flying by!)
Drat I missed the free drink!

Hi ladies I've finally found time to thoroughly read through the latest happenings with Jimmi, Lana and Cardaph. I will await your report with interest Cardaph, it will be interesting to see what they come up with and hopefully you will come on in leaps and bounds.

1cutedog, I know where you are coming from not just with all those stairs, but also the hills, I am the same here, live in a valley in the middle of the South Downs, and everywhere we go to walk it's always an uphill struggle when you've just got out of bed, but the walk home is fantastic! I too, dream of the day we move to Norfolk or suchlike! Even the little holiday home we bought recently, although situated in East Sussex which is lovely and FLAT, guess where our little home is? In the middle of a forest up a mountain There's no escape! The fact that you took Lana with you but she DIDN'T bark at all outside that shop, well that's got to show just how much things are progressing I think!

Anyhow, I'm so pleased you've both managed to get out for at least 2 mins without any serious disruption, and the fact that Jimmi was quite nonchalent about greeting you Bitkin on your third arrival home, well says it all really doesn't it! Then again, it makes me wonder, did he have time to partake from that whisky decanter perhaps????

1cutedog, we were thinking about having a little Dogsey whipround to get a stairlift installed for you, but thought again when we realised Lana couldn't cope with the additional waiting time, coz I'm sure you're much faster by now up them, you've had enough practice!!! Talking of stairs, I got to thinking, rather than you having to actually keep walking down and back up again, what about gently dropping a ball down them, would Lana think it was you actually walking down them??? I haven't come up with an idea yet though about the opening of that door at the bottom, but I'll work on that! If you dropped it slowly enough, it might replicate some form of footsteps? A big heavy ball, a football?? Just a thought!

Bitkin, I'm glad you have a routine with Jimmi where you have a bit of fun time with him, that's good to know, it can only help to move forward with the trust thing. I'm also glad he likes Deal or No Deal snuggled up on the sofa with you, and that brought back some very fond memories of my dear old mum, she used to love that, highlight of her day sadly!

Now go easy on that decanter tonight ladies, or maybe down the whole lot if you've managed to get up to 5 minutes of freedom at any one point during today!!! and good luck to you with that behaviourist Cardaph I hope it works for you!