Apologies in Advance
Apologies in advance if my blog is a little rambling this week. I am still reeling from our impossible loss of Sunny, but trying to pull it together and get back to some semblance of work. At least doing something helps take my mind off the gaping hole in my world, so here we are.
I get ocular migraines. Got my first one when I was headed to my 6th grade Science Class final exam. I thought I was dying. I had them a lot during the 20 years I worked at the Marin Humane Society, especially during my last 10 years there as Director of Operations. No doubt stress-related. When I left the shelter in 1996 to launch Peaceable Paws, they stopped, and I hadn’t had any more headaches for decades until a few years ago, when I started getting just a few a year.
After losing Sunny on Friday, I cried all weekend, and Monday night I was violently ill – abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. (I know, maybe too much information…). Then Tuesday I had two migraines, and Wednesday started another shortly after I woke up. But the Wednesday one was different. I usually have them on my left side. This one was on my right. They usually just affect my vision. My right hand started to go numb. And just as my husband walked in the door from running errands, my speech started slurring – I could barely talk. This had never happened to me with a migraine before. Very concerned that I could be having a stroke, Paul bundled me into the car and we spent the day at the Emergency Room. Long story short – my CT scan was normal, ER doctor diagnosed tension headache. Go home and rest.
Fortunately, it was a slow week. After an Expert Witness Zoom on Monday I only had one client scheduled, and not until Friday. I was fully recovered by then, so at least it didn’t mess up my schedule.
One Delightful Client
I was really looking forward to my Friday session. I first met Margie some twelve years ago when she brought her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Amos, to our puppy class. Definitely an exceptional canine caretaker, in the intervening years she has attended two of my academies (and gotten married and had two kids!). She came to see us again last summer – her aging parents had acquired a Lab puppy and Margie was puppy-sitting while her folks were away. At just twelve weeks, Jima was turning out to be a handful. On the plus side, he was very confident and social. On the challenging side – lots of puppy energy! Margie was concerned that they had taken on more than they might be able to handle, despite being experienced Lab people.
Margie has worked with him some since then (and he came to a Level 1 Academy shortly after his first trip here, just for a Basic Good Manners foundation), but she doesn’t live with her parents, and they haven’t really been able to do the necessary, consistent work. Jima is now a very high-energy, confident, social adolescent Lab (read: big and strong) and for now, at least, is living with her – perhaps a permanent placement. She was looking for some additional guidance.
When she initially called to make the appointment, Margie said she wanted help with impulse control and leash-walking. When she arrived, she was pleased to tell me that the leash-walking had gotten considerably better, so we would focus on impulse control.
Jima greeted me with a full-bore Labrador body-slam. And yes, she has worked with him on polite greetings. She said he’s not usually this excited about meeting people; friendly, but not so over-the-top. I suspect he remembered me – and Peaceable Paws – from his fun academy week and was just expressing his enthusiasm about being back. We started the session with an off-leash hike on the farm to wear him out a little while we talked. Jima had a great time rolling in the muddy pond, rinsing off in the creek, and galloping around the fields and through the woods. And yes, it only wore him out a little…
Our Program
Many of my clients with high-energy dogs are not providing enough opportunity for physical exercise. Margie was not one of these. Jima had several good off-leash running sessions every day, and Margie works from home, so he’s not shut in a crate all day. She did note that on the odd occasions that he goes to daycare he is definitely calmer when he comes home, but that’s not a regular thing for him. She also shared that in addition to crating him at night, he is crated more than they would like in the evening, simply because his habit of grabbing things that aren’t his and running around with them prevents them from relaxing on the sofa. (Gee, a Lab who wants to pick up things in his mouth… go figure!) And yes, they do their best to dog-proof, but there’s always something, especially with two young kids in the house.
It's so refreshing to do a consult with a client who already has a strong foundation in the basics of behavior science. With Margie I could skip right to the program, without walking through all the nuts and bolts of how dogs think and learn. Here are my comments about the various things we agreed to implement in Jima’s world:
1. Wild to Mild Class at Peaceable Paws with Lucy (once a week for 4 weeks) – starts 4/19 – then perhaps more classes with Lucy – Wild to Mild again, perhaps Nose Games, or…
2. Day Care regularly two times per week. You have noted that Jima does come home from day care less amped. This also gives you a much-needed/well-deserved break a couple of times a week.
3. BMod Academy at Peaceable Paws for one week – May 5-10. This will give him some concentrated work on his impulse control protocols, and give you a longer stress break.
4. Tethering – You can tether him as needed so you can have him with the family but not have to worry about what he’s getting into - i.e. so you can eat dinner without interruption, sit quietly watching TV in the evening, or engage in other activities that he doesn't need to participate in.
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/tethered-for-success-the-dos-and-donts-of-dog-tethers/
5. Nose Games – Great activity to engage with the boys, good mental and physical exercise – and he can find the boys if/when they get lost! Several times a week - at home for now – maybe a class later.
6. Walk & Settle – Daily, when you are walking with him anyway, have Jima settle on a designated spot (leash on or off). Reward him for staying calmly.
7. Wait at the Door – This is an excellent impulse control exercise – I encourage you to increase your attention to this one.
8. Recall – you are already doing this indoors in the evenings – keep it up! I suggested you also start working on it outside – on a leash at first, just doing the “Run Away Come” to convince him that running after you is fun. You could try calling him in your best party voice, running away, and then whipping out a tug toy or something he does get really excited about, so he starts to associate “Come” and running away with an irresistible game of tug. We also may want to work on this in private sessions or in a Recall class.
9. UPenn Relaxation Protocol: Similar to the Karen Overall protocol but a little simpler. You will continue to work on this (mat) sometimes in conjunction with tethering, sometimes on the mat without being tethered.
This Week at Peaceable Paws
Making the grief a little more bearable... I am thankful for the lovely spring weather, all the beautiful flowers, and the amazing array of wildlife. A multitude of deer (haven’t seen any fawns yet) and turkeys hanging out in the fields, a fox making an appearance near the barn at feeding time several nights in a row; turkeys and foxes chattering in the woods, peepers peeing in the pond, birds singing everywhere… This morning as I opened the gate to the barnyard to take the horses’ feed out, a bunny dashed across the yard (HAPPY EASTER!!) with our Kelpies, Kai and KC, hot on his fluffy little tail. To my relief, when I called them both dogs stopped in their tracks and came right back to me. No bunnicide in front of my very eyes, thank you… Score one for positive training – have a great week!!!
Warm Woofs,
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
www.peaceablepaws.com ; info@peaceablepaws.com ; 301-582-9420
I am so glad to hear you are recovering from your stress migraines. You just went through a traumatic loss, please take care of yourself ❤️ Jima seems so sweet, being a lab lover myself, I completely understand the struggle with everything going into the mouth. So glad Jima has Margie, and Margie has you!