SOS-Mayday-Mayday

October 22nd, 2012

So the morning and mid-day was as smooth as silk.  He had three little spin-barks.  One spray with the bottle.  Snapped back to normal.  So then at about 3:00 PM it began.  He became anxious to get outside, but seemed to be handling it.  I am really trying to get him on a schedule.  So a short time after that I took him downstairs and let him go out in the backyard to do his thing.  He was good for a short while.  He came in by his self, but didn't seem to want to be outside either.  Kept laying on my feet, but didn't want to be picked up or to go anywhere.  He finally threw a real spin in front of the door, when he does this he is being a brat.  He wants me to let him out the kitchen door, instead of going through the doggie door.  He was house trained at the prison and had to wait by the door to be taken out, but has been here six weeks and knows he can get out on his own.  However, from time to time he will do this at the stairs or the doors.  Any of the doors.  I am still just spraying him.  I finally just cuffed him (put the leash on) and took him upstairs.  Played in her room for about an hour, but wandered around in between playing. Just restless.

About 5:30 PM, he just starting barking.  No spinning.  Just barking, like at a dog.  This just started getting out of hand.  He was not even responding to my no, no or my spray.  I had a bad feeling about the alpha roll, but didn't know what else to do.  He didn't seem to take it seriously, squirming, not holding still.  I held the bite until he stopped squirming.  Paused and then released.  My fear of the roll loosing it sting if I used it too often was inevitable, and I knew it from common sense.  What was I gonna do now?  Just as I was pondering that familiar question, "what am I going to do about Drake"?  The phone rang and it was my friend April, a dog trainer.  I discussed it with her and she gave me another option to do instead of over using the alpha roll.

She suggested that I get a little crate, one of those solid plastic ones.  She said I will lend you one the approximate size I need.  Big enough to fit him in, but not big enough that he can stand or turn around.  Do not leave him in longer than a couple of minutes.  As always, remember this is a correction, not a punishment.