what's up doc?

nothing much except for everything! This past week it seems like i could not get enough sleep. It has rained a ton so i have not been able to work with Bryce as much as I want and need to. Hopefully tomorrow night it wont be raining and we can work on stay and down. He seems to be responding to class and is less fearful than when we started. He is started to reach out and sniff others during the weave and also not slink back.

We are still working on his fear of strangers though. I took him to an adoption event on Saturday and while he did well for him, he was still afraid of people. Therefore giving his usual growl, which does turn some people off. I did notice though that if people hesitated to touch him, that gave him the time to think about what they were doing, which then resulted in a growl. The more people were encouraged to just touch him, with permission from me of course, the less he seemed to growl. Who really knows what is going on his head though.

Today I had to go to Bangor. Santana, Buddy, and Bryce all stayed home with Husband. He let them Buddy and Bryce play for a few hours. I got a picture message and Bryce and Buddy were taking a little rest in the dining room. So cute! Im glad Bryce can take the time to chill out.

He is getting better with his accidents. I know what signs to look for now so I think the last few times have been my fault. Oh well...what can you do except just put him outside and praise him for doing it outside.

This coming week will be interesting! I am going to Arkansas with the rescue to pick up some more sweeties that need to come to Maine. Im thrilled to go and help out and see some of the country I haven't seen before. Bryce will be staying home with Husband, Buddy, and Santana. He is getting better with Husband. Tonight I just witnessed Bryce follow him into the kitchen WITHOUT Buddy. WOOOHOO! Thats a huge step since Bryce still seems to think Husband is out to get him. And Husband just came in to visit me.....no growls from Bryce! I cant believe it! Here's to hoping that it is the start of something huge!

Ive been soooo busy!

It seems like I havent done a thing but Im so beat after work I just dont want to hop online at home. So here I am! Just finishing up a few things. We have been to another training class. We do a weave at the beginning of every class. Each dog must heel while weaving around the circle full of dogs. Bryce does ok when its his turn to weave but the cool thing is that he is starting to reach out and sniff the people weaving around us!! He still will try to hide behind me at some points but he is getting more comfortable.

Two classes ago, we started releasing them for a bit of play time after we learned a new command and worked on it. He wouldnt relax at all and seemed freaked by all the high pitched voices and all the dogs running around. This last class, (he is laying in the dining room with a ball as we speak...tail waggin, so cute!) he figured out its not all bad so he wasnt as afraid but still very unsure of what was going on. Last tuesday, we learned "stay". This is going to be hard for me to teach because I dont teach it well. Also, with his insecurities, he is like my glue dog! He likes to stay really close. He did surprisingly well with it to start with, however, I do need to practice more. We also took graduation pictures! He seemed very excited about the lab next to us and was kissy face with him. Hoping the pictures came out ok.

His other milestone since my last post, he figured out belly rubs!! I was having a night where I just wanted him to chill out. So he was on a leash and I was just trying to keep him in a "down" position. So I started rubbing his belly. He loved it! So much that he rolled over and just wanted more. Chris came in and started rubbing his belly too. That was really awesome because there was no growling or hiding and he was in a completely submissive and trustful position. I just wish he would translate that to other situations. Like when Chris comes home from work. ***sigh*** he will figure it out!

by golly he learns fast!!

We have gone to two classes of training. Bryce is still very afraid but is getting better. He has learned heel but gets so excited that he forgets what he should be doing and darts ahead of me. Leading me to correct again and we go through this cycle. I want to praise him but when I do that causes the excitement. hmmmm...what to do....

This week we learned how to train "front". Basically its come when called and sit directly in FRONT of me. We did a little training yesterday and went for a walk today. I let him walk with a loose leash, would stop and teach "front". About the 3rd time, he got it. Came right to me and sat. He sat crooked, but he still sat! So I think the crookedness will get taken care of in time.

I have faith this class will help him to be more confident. I noticed he has not had an accident in the house in quite some time and he doesnt run to be under or behind furniture anymore. Yeah!

road trip!!

Saturday was a very long day for both Bryce and I. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I have been on the road to all ends of the state. Im beat. I took Bryce with me on Saturday to Skowhegan to a horse show. He did pretty well. We used his new collar and training techniques and he seemed to do pretty well. He growled for a few minutes but quickly got over it. He wasnt too sure of the horses though. A few walked by him and they were so big he went back to trying to hide behind me. We walked down to the arena to watch a class my friends' were showing in. Another exhibitor was there with her horse who happened to be super friendly and very very nosey! The mare looked down and saw Bryce at the same time Bryce was reaching out to sniff the mare. They touched noses for a minute, smelling each other. It was sooo cute!

After we left the show, we took a ride up to Guilford to meet up with my best friend. We are planning on going camping at the end of June and wanted to check out the site we would be staying at, to make sure it is safe for the kids and dogs. She brought her Bassett Hound, Beauford. Beauford is a friendly guy who has tons of energy for a little hound. Bryce and Beauford met and loved each other. So off we went...two adults, two kids, and two dogs in the car for a ride to the spot, just north of Monson. The sites are great and Bryce got to run around a bit with Beauford. Bryce rode great with the kids (they were in teh backseat, he was in the front seat with me, on the floor....he LOVED it!). He didnt much care for the kids when we were all out of the car but he never lunged at them or seemed aggressive with them at all. My friends' kids are like my neice and nephew so I try really hard to make sure the dog and the kids are ALWAYS safe. I think Bryce will be going camping with us and we will just be sure there is a crate available so Bryce will feel safe.

We left the house around 730 am and got home around 5. He rode very very well and overall had a great day. He is learning "heel" and not to pull on the leash. We are correcting the fear growling so with lots of exposure to new things and people in conjunction with the correction, I really think he's going to be fine. It may take a little longer than we originally thought or hoped, but with the right person, he is going to be a great guy who is extremely loyal and well behaved!

New things to learn...

Bryce started his training class last night. My friend Cindy worked him since she had taken the class with this particular trainer before and we were starting the class one week late. Going into it, he was afraid with his tail pinned and trying to get away from everyone and everything. He learned how to heel and as the night progressed, I could see a difference. He wasnt completely confident but his tail was less tucked and he started to open his mouth up to breathe, in addition to yawning.

Everyone heeled around the room. There were about 11 other dog/human pairs there. A few times there was another pair around him in all directions and he just wasnt sure what to do. Cindy would just correct him and keep moving forward. He was responding to her very well. Bryce did want to hide under the tables whenever they walked by them but he was never allowed too.

Everyone was also heeling around everyone else, like a weave. He never growled when others came into his space but he did back up a little. This exercise will be done at the begining of every class so Im excited to see his progress by the end of it.

He just always seems worried about what else is out there. I really think this class is going to give him some direction and he is going to be able to learn to focus on his human instead of the rest of the world.

and one time at band camp.....

Wow, what a weekend! Chris left early on friday so by the time I got to camp with the three dogs, he had everything lugged down to the site. What a great hubby! I forgot to bring a leash with me for Buddy (they got packed in the truck, so they were already at the site), but Bryce is always on one if he is not where he can be contained. So i ended up clipping bryce like normal and putting the loop of the other end on buddy's collar. They drug me down the trail following tana.

Cindy and Rodney showed up shortly after. Buddy was a jerk and wanted to eat Ali and Baxter. He got a muzzle (the soft mesh ones) until he could prove there wouldnt be a fight. Bryce met Ali first and really liked her, then he met Baxter. They got along pretty well. I put my three to bed though so I wouldnt have to worry about them.

Saturday am, we got up and hung around for a bit. We still had four other people that were going to show up. Hindsight, I think it was better for Bryce this way. Being introduced to a few new people at a time. Ali and Baxter were running around and staying around. I decided to try Bryce off leash, and left the leash attached for a bit. It didnt take me long to realize he was going to stick right to the other dogs, so off leash he went. I did leave on his harness so that if I needed to grab him quick, Id have something to hang on to.

Bryce proved me wrong though. The rest of the weekend, he stayed around and came when he was called. He and Buddy got a little mischevious and took off a couple times. I couldnt see them but I could always hear them. I would just call and they both would come barrelling back to me. Cindy brought an extra crate so that was used a couple times so we didnt have to worry or if any one of the 5 got too excited.

We took him down to the trail to beach on the lake and he was able to do some swimming. The eyes were definitely different than they were at Penny's. Normal eyes, I would call them! lol...just like he had done that before and he seemed so proud of himself that he had gotten the toy from the water and brought it back. He spent a lot of time at camp running down to path from our site to the water, drinking it and playing in it (about belly deep) and then running back sopping wet! The dogs had toys and balls to play with but they seemed to just want to carry around sticks! hehe...too cute.

As the weekend went on, Bryce got more and more comfortable with the people. He still did his fear growling thing a few times but overall the intensity of the growl got less and less and continues to be less and less now although it has not completely stopped.

Back to the drawing board...

Carissa took Bryce last weekend. Things seemed to be going well for the most part but because of some situations Bryce wasn't okay with, She decided that she wouldn't be able to take him. Poor guy. He really wants to be loved and wants to be a dog but just has not idea how. Because of this, he doesn't know how to respond and is fearful. We are back to looking for an adoptive home for him.

We will be taking him camping with us in Oquassoc this weekend. Im hoping it goes well. I am bringing a travel crate so he will have a place to be if he feels threatened or I just need some time without "glue dog". I do think he will do fine though. Buddy and Santana will be there as well as two new friends he will get to play with all weekend. We are on vacation next week so hopefully I can get him out and excercised a bit more than normal.

The four of us went on a road trip today! My friend Penny invited us up for a few hours. Bryce entertained himself in the car by sticking his head out the window and getting his lips and ears blown around. Everytime he stuck his head out, the wind pushed his face to the right so he had to start over again, and again! lol. he also decided he would puke in the car. Great times! good thing i keep blankets over the backseat and it was just grass and spit. He likes to eat grass and I have yet to figure out why!

He was a bit afraid to go into the house but did very well. Followed Buddy and Tana-girl in. Acadia, whom he has played with before when she and Penny came to visit us here, wasnt sure what to do with the visitors but she warmed up. He was unsure of Penny for a while and of Roger, but did take treats out of Roger's hand after he saw everyone else doin it. Must have been the peer pressure! hehe Roger was also sitting in a chair so I think Bryce felt less threatened by it.

He got to experience swimming! Penny and Roger have an above ground pool. I put Buddy in, back feet first. He wasnt too sure so turned right around and got out. After I showed Santana how get in, she got back out, then a few minutes later hopped right back in. Roger said he saw only a little black butt, then a splash! haha...too cute.

We showed Bryce how to get in. He was unsure but after I showed him, he swam around a bit. We called him back because I was a little nervous about his safety (the pool isnt big or deep but still...)...he was swimming back and he had HUGE eyes! Fearful looking but excited. He got out, shook off and seemed to be pretty proud of himself. Probably about 30 minutes later he was playing on the steps of the pool but still wasnt brave enough to hop in. Ill take it though!

He had a great time playing and running around Penny and Roger's yard. It is fenced in so he was able to just let loose! Good for him!

I know the right person will come along...its just a matter of when. In the meantime, myself and everyone around me will just have to love him. :)