Lana suffers badly from seperation anxiety, couldn't leave her alone for a minute without her getting distressed, re the long thread on here I had to go into the bank today and couldn't take Lana so left her in the house. I was away for 9 minutes, came back and listened to the recording. She was fine for 5 minutes then gave a little cry and then a minute later another one, but that was all. I was fully expecting to hear her bark but just two little cries and she seemed to settle again.

This is great! I was thinking about making one of these posts myself. We've made huge leaps and bounds with two of Dahlia's issues:

1. Dahlia was reactive when we got her. Not out of fear. Not out of aggression. But out of sheer excitement and frustration at not being able to greet every single dog she saw. She's super friendly and would want to go say hi and when the leash stopped her, she'd go nuts -- barking, lunging, and looking like an aggressive maniac. More than once I got "is your dog aggressive?" and it was embarrassing! She made such a spectacle of herself. Well, after a few months of frustration, I looked up some information on it and WOW there were a lot of reactive dogs! So I started working with her instead of just trying to manage it by keeping her close and apologizing and shouting "she's not aggressive!" I had a few failed attempts, but finally latched onto a game called "Look at that" where I had her look at the dog and rewarded her for staying calm. I would talk slowly to her and praise her (calmly) for staying relaxed with a loose leash. I took all tension off the leash (I realized pretty quickly that I was part of the problem -- I would tighten up the leash in anticipation). Well, after quite some time, she is almost completely non-reactive, though she's clearly interested in the other dogs.

This morning we were faced with two very reactive dogs across the road (being jerked around by their head collars...*sigh*) and during THAT, a person came running up behind and around us with a dog (I didn't hear them coming -- I'm partially deaf and so I don't always hear people coming up behind me until they're right on top of me). And while Dahlia was interested and alert, she did NOT go crazy. I was so happy with her!

2. The other issue is her extreme sensitivity, especially to being run into. Poor Dahlia is always underfoot. She wants to be near us. But that also means we run into her a lot. And when we do, she shuts down. Ears back, paw raised, sometimes laying down. She looks like we abuse her! It would take her a few minutes to recover from it. So I decided to do something about it. The only time she could be run into without looking like that was when we were playing, especially when we were playing tug. So I started introducing more and more "run ins" when we were playing. Purposely stepping close and shoving her side with my leg, pulling her into my legs so she ran into me. Every time we'd play tug she got run into over and over and over again.

On a walk a few weeks ago, I ran into her by accident. And she did NOT shut down. Instead she perked up and looked excited and we played tug with her leash. She now seems to see running into her as a game. If I run into her by accident in the house, I see the same perking up, but if I don't turn it into a game she just settles down. No more shutting down!

I was so proud of my Holly ( greyhound) the other week! She got 1st prize in "Best rescue of the year" at the dog show fun day!! I'm so proud of her.
Last year, Jenny and Danny (lurchers and very difficult apparently!!) got runners up and a cup at the same show in the best overall rescue achievement!! I'm so proud of my little honeys!!

I am exceptionally proud of Cain and the progress he is making. After he had a little set back, it's been ONE WHOLE MONTH since he had any negative reaction at anything at all!!! He has not growled, lunged or reacted badly to anything at all in a whole month

There was a time when we first got him, just 6 months ago, he was terrified of everything and would lunge, bark and growl at anyone or anything that cane too close. Now, he's like a different dog.

In the last month he has
1. Allowed a TTouch practitioner, a total stranger, into our house, welcomed her with a waggy tail and let her touch him all over including rubbing his gums!!!
2. Travelled on a number of trains without incident
3. Played nicely with a number of dogs (although still thinks jumping on their head is fun!), including walking nicely with Krlyr's dog Kiki on a totally extended 10m long line
4. Progressed with his training and learned at least 5 new commands
5. He is getting a bit more relaxed around the house and is starting to not feel the need to follow me absolutely everywhere, he will stay by himself just a little bit more. He is also far less reactive at the front window and barking is hugely reduced.

Today was brilliant. I decided to walk him up to Richmond Park, which is a total mission. We walked there (1 hr), around the park (2 hrs) then home again (1 hr). During this walk Cain encountered deer, horses, other dogs and literally countless people. We mist gave walked passed over 100 people throughout the whole trip. Along the River Thames when walking to the park we went by countless joggers, families and speeding cyclists and he didn't react to any! He used to lunge at every jogger or cyclist that went by. He did disolve a bit over other dogs and totally went to pieces over the horse, but in an excitable bouncy way rather than fearful reactive!

On the way home we walked across Old Deer Park which is a large flat green. It was fairly empty so I could see people coming. Here I managed to put him in a Down Stay, drop his lead, walk away and then release him when I threw his ball. I got him to recall to me every time (with the help of his favourite squeaky ball!), he must have ran 10 or more times....off lead in a public place!!!! Even though it was quiet, I'd have never trusted him to have dropped his lead previously.

He is now absolutely spark out, snoring deeply on his bed and I doubt he'll move for hours

I'm getting less and less worried about his reactive behaviour which leads to happier walks. Of course I know never to fully relax, his behaviour relys on me seeing and assessing situations and controlling them to ensure he never feels the need to defend himself. But to walk along a heaving tow path buzzing with joggers, families and cyclists, and have Cain stay calm by my leg in massive progress. Then to be able to drop his lead long enough for a bit of a run, and have him COME BACK is just the icing on the cake!

Who knows, one day I may be able to let him off a lead and walk him like a normal dog but for now, this will do

Well done Amanda! And of course well done Cain I know what you mean about being constantly on alert, I think you tend to stay a lot more cautious than you should be after owning a dog that's not "normal", but I suppose overcautious isn't too bad a thing as long as the dog is still getting everything it wants like time offlead, mixing with people and dogs, etc.

Well done to everyone else who's having positive experiences as well, hopefully there will be lots more to come

Well done everyone! Some great achievements on here

Ours seems minor but was a big thing in my eyes! Kia reacts to strangers who try to speak and/or touch her. If they ignore her then she tends to be a bit wary but otherwise fine. But today she has allowed me to speak to 3 complete strangers (on in a confined environment on the train!) and she just sat at my feet! She even allowed on lady to pet her which is almost unheard of! The woman was dog savvy and bent down allowing Kia to go to her and I warned her of the reaction she may get but boy did I eat my words! It was almost as if I didn't have a fear reactive dog anymore!

Aswell as these three people there were a couple who did get Kia's usual growly reception but it's all little steps and the other three mentioned were big achievements for my girly!!!

Oh, and Amanda, we were in Richmond park today too! Shame we missed you. I did think about texting you aswell... Next time eh?

S x

Woo go Kia what great progress!!! That's so great she let those people stroke her. She's definately getting there isn't she.

I can't believe you were up Richmond Park as well and we missed each other, what a shame! Cain would have loved a doggy pal to walk with, he liked Kia. Definately next time

Time to ressurect a thread that I don't think should be forgotten as it's a great idea

So here's our contribution. Cain went OFF LEAD with another dog for the first time EVER!!!

We went to visit Krlyr and her gorgeous gal Kiki. They greeted each other on lead, Cain jumped on her head just the once, got told off and actually listened! He was then very well mannered with her. Then went for a walk together with Cain on a long line. When we got back to the field Cain was a lot calmer so we let them off together. They just pottered around together, Kiki tried to get him to play but Cain was just too tired lol However just to have him relaxed, wondering around politely, OFF LEAD with another dog was utterly fantastic considering they've only met three times before. Hopefully next time I can let him off when he has a bit more energy and they might play together. It'll do Cain some good to learn to play without pouncing on the other dog.

I'm dead chuffed

Well done everyone!
I'm working on lots of issues with Bentley and wanted to post yesterday but felt silly to start a new thread; great idea!
We were in the field almost home yesterday and a lady with two children were approaching. For a while Bentley was child reactive and would go crazy barking at them. I stopped and asked him to sit in front of me and then 'wait' whilst the lady and the children walked past......and HE DID IT!!! He looked over his shoulder as the buggy went past as it was the squeakiest buggy I have ever heard but I am so very proud of him for that. He got a treat and a big fuss
He is now ripping up the hallway carpet

You should be, he's a good boy and it's all thanks to your hard work

Casper was back at the vets for another weigh in today and we walked from out the back (they let me use the bigger scales out the back today, easier than trying to cram him onto the ones we used last time!) into the waiting room to find about 4 dogs out there, and he didn't bark once He did have a little bark at a dog in the petshop when we popped in but the dog was barking back so I excused him. We went around to a different aisle and he totally relaxed once it was out of sight which is a big change, in the past he would've been dragging me across the shop to get to the other dog, and very on edge, but he was happy sniffing away down the aisle despite hearing/probably smelling the other dog and even tried to sneak up the stairs to their stock room