oh yeh, I think its a good thing, bound to help. Good for her!

Louie on his walk this morning stayed a whole 10 minutes whilst anxiously wanting to meet this dog - I sat him and stayed him as this dog isn't good with other dogs yet her owner leaves her offlead and expects everyone else to suit his needs

And then when Belle (the dog we were with) bolted - his stay ended but when I shouted his name - he turned around despite being a good 20ft from the dog Belle did too.

And now - the bunny is indoors and although the rabbits are good with the dogs and being pestered by them Louie gets a bit much sometimes - he is only 7 months though. He never bites just nudges and wants them to play. So I sat him and stayed him and turned one of his ears inside out as he tends to ignore me after a bit (I tell by the ears twitching) he has currently been sat/laid for 30 minutes with the rabbit running and hopping about just watching it - but hasn't moved I will release him in a minute to play with him then when he gets too much again I will sit and stay - but so far so good!

Haven't posted on this thread lately as haven't had any spectacular progress as winter has made the parks very empty. Fantastic as Cain is getting tons if regular off lead play sessions but it's not really helping his socialisation On one had I look forward to Spring so his socialisation can continue better but I dread it as the frustration of never letting him off lead as there is always SOMEONE in the park, no matter the time of day, returns

But we've had two small success in other areas. Yesterday I was home and decided to teach Cain " Speak" with the view to teaching him "Quiet" to control is barking. Being part GSD, he's very reactive to noises and barks at the garden fence and people walking by the front window. The recycling men came so I thought I'd use them to train Speak as he always barks at them. Well would he bark? Would he heck! No he sat placidly watching them through the window :rollseyes: He would bark when tempted with a treat it toy either. He didn't bark at anybody going past!! It was then I realised just how much more settled he is and how dramatically hid barking in general has reduced since we got him, he doesn't bark too much at all. I did managed to teach him Speak yesterday in the end....by barking at him first Smart little cookie learned it in just one session!

Success number two - I walked him in the snow, which has trodden down into ice, and he didn't pull me over! Heel work not perfect but I think we're finally sort of getting there with his pulling.

Success number three, may seem like a small thing but was a huge thing to Cain. Although he is excellent when left home alone and not destructive at all, he does miss us. When I am home he literally follows me EVERYWHERE! I mean to the toilet, I mean if I get up to pick up the remote control then he will get up in case I'm leaving the room! He used to follow me to bed and lay by me until my mum called him down to put him to bed (he sleeps in the kitchen). I always made an effort to ensure that my bedtime was boring for him, once in bed I stayed there and did nothing interesting so he knew to let me rest. Over the last few months he would follow me upstairs but instead of laying right near me, he would rest on the landing at the top of the stairs. Over recent weeks he's got to the point that he knows when I'm going to bed and won't even bother to follow me up, instead sleeping at the foot of the stairs. If I am out for the night and he is home alone with mum he will take himself off to his crate in the kitchen by about 9pm and out himself to bed early. Well last night I was home with my mum and my bf (who Cain also adores) and suddenly I noticed Cain wasn't in the room. He had taken himself off to bed in the kitchen (despite the fact he has a second bed in the living room where we are - he knows proper bedtime is the kitchen). It was the first time he chose to relax in a seperate room from me - even more amazing that he did it when my bf was there as Cain literally idolises him. Cain still follows me everywhere during the day, but I felt this was a big break through for him and I hope a sign he's feeling a bit more secure

So lovely to hear that Cain is doing better!

I know what you mean about being followed EVERYWHERE..Sadie does it and Louie's learning too - I don't mind it too much as I know it's not anxiety (they will both leave my side and do other things) but learning how to tip toe over two dark coloured dogs in the dark isn't easy

Glad to hear his barking is more under control, and well done with the bin men Cain! - I taught Benjie bark in the hope that I could teach him quiet - lets say you've had more success (OH not keeping it up - his dog)

Have you tried him on a long line in the park with people about? You could employ the help of some friends just to stand there whilst he wanders around - then it's under your control and Cain learns not to react so much? A "Please ignore me" vest might be a good investment until he's improved loads with people...

Anyway - well done you and well done Cain

Many congratulations on getting your dog to be more confident and thus more competent.

Life is obviously becoming less stressful for him if he does not need your constant presence.

Bella [20 week BC] finally went for a wee while on her lead, Was so harry and pleased with her i must have looked like a muppet jumping about in the street this has took six weeks of letting her know that it is ok to do her business while people are around. Now just have to show her that other dogs are ok and that they dont want to eat her

Well Done Jonsey! And your pup of course

I bought Louie a new harness and rather than buying a big expensive non pull one - I took apart his old one and put one of the O rings onto the front - I already have a double lead - well it has a seatbelt attachment as well so it's basically an all purpose lead...

Today was the try out day - he can pull me a little - if he really wants to get somewhere (to a bush to sniff) other than that - it lets him correct himself and I don't have arm ache or lead burn

I recalled Parker away from a moggie that was inches away from him the other day!

We were walking on the field around the corner from where we live and there are flats adjoining the gield. Parker spotted a moggy sitting in the window and jumped up and pressed his nose against the cat's nose! He didn't bark but was just glaring at it for ages. I called him and he came to me and got a treat but I then made the mistake of letting him loose again rather than leashing him and moving away from the cat.

You can of course guess what happened next.......

I managed to NOT eat every single one of the box of chocolates that I had around for Christmas, in one day.

Indeed I still have some left and I have shared some with others too. I am dead proud.

Lol at you there Dee, yes, you should definitely be in here with that great achievement there!!!!!

Well, I changed my morning walking route, and there are lots more dogs on this new walk, but, it's big enough for me to avoid most of them and take different options, and everytime Zena has eye-balled a dog in the distance who she thinks might be thinking of coming over to us, I've just given her the leave it command, and she's totally ignored it and stayed with me and her ball. Over the past 3 weeks of doing this, I've gradually, got closer and closer to other people and she's still ignoring other dogs that have come over to us, she's greeted them nicely whilst I've slipped on her lead, and then ignored them which is what I'm aiming for really, I don't want her interacting anymore with strange dogs since her big punch up with the staffie/lab cross the other week, it not only frightened the life out of me, but it's made me realise she is unpredictable with some, strange dogs, so I have to address that. We have walked with people we know with dogs, one of which a little 3 year old jr who she knew as a puppy which can be aggressive with other dogs, and all is fine, she is just like she is with Lily on here, they just stroll along together one following the other or side by side. Then we had a teenage lab come hurfing over to us yesterday, before I had a chance to see it, and although initially Zena's hackles went up, the dog immediately went into submissive mode, Zena's hackles went down, they had a sniff, then they had a bit of play, so I turned to Dave and said yeah, this is our aggressive dog Anyway, it's been a whole month now, having bumped into loads of other dogs, where there has been no aggression so I'm happy with that.

Now hand over some of those choccies Dee!!!!