Willow here.
Just bin on a walk - only in the village but it was a gud'un as they say round here.
She has been 'torturing' me with 'how not to pull on my lead' lessons - how is a dog like me s'posed to get to my favourite playing field if I don't run there with my fastest feet??
So, before I evn got my walk in she made me walk up and down up and down up and down - you get the picture - I was bored out of my head - she has the cheek to say my little walnut brain - huff.
Now, we'z home an' sitting in the summerhouse, I loves the summerhouse and I am doing the collie-snooze-thing. I fall asleep with one eye open - gotta keep that eye on my human coz you neva know what she is goin' to get up to next, probably gardenin' I s'pose.
An' that fluffy white 'not-dog' is with us and she keeps giving me kisses - what is that about??
Kate here.
Willow has NOT been tortured despite what she wuffs, but she has been getting lots of lessons on how NOT.TO.PULL and finally I think (I hope) the penny has dropped as today's walk was one of the easier ones we have had recently. Her desperation to walk and to play is understandable but exhausting (and to be honest hard work on my hands) however today there seemed such a positive reaction to all the training - better contact between us, she is engaging with me more and responding to my actions rather than just dragging me and determining the speed (fast) and direction (straight to where she can come off lead and play).
Yesterday was the break through day - I felt really mean as it meant that as soon as she started to pull (for such a small and scrawny woof - she can lean in and set her shoulders - difficult to hold her) I would turn away from the park or the playing fields and continue the training - the neighbours must have wondered what on earth was going on - so yesterday - there was a light bulb moment. Today was the pay off. Long may it last!
Great to hear she is responding to your training, sat outside in a sunny warm garden here, Lilly is close by in the shade.
ReplyDeleteyes it was lovely and warm here today too - such a pleasure. Your garden photos are looking lovely 💚
DeleteMany congratulations on the lead training. I don't think we ever really got it right with Ellie. Love the cat-dog interaction. I'm not sure Willow entirely trusts the cat yet but she's definitely looking more relaxed and settled in general all the time.
ReplyDeleteIt hasn't been easy (and is still on going) but all our collies have been stubborn/strong willed and would rather lead at full steam and I know that Ellie was part collie. Wills is very wary when Pan shows interest/affection as she just can not 'speak cat'. I am sure that will eventually settle (I hope!)
DeleteThat's good news - she seems to be learning well. Being cautious with Pan is probably a good idea but the photos show how well they are doing. Congratulations on all your hard work which is paying off.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Ellie
Thank you Ellie - I know that today's small win is a positive one and we will still need to practise - I am really chuffed (relieved!) at her progress :)
DeleteGood to see that the message is getting through...on walking and cat front too!
ReplyDeleteThought we'd cracked it until walking in the lakes on Saturday and it just all went to pot! Back to square one today - so after breakfast off to practise being a nice dog on a lead again - wish us luck!
DeleteOh the training, doesn't it seem relentless, I remember well. It's all worth it in the end though. I see people with dogs which can't be let off a lead, or straining on the end of a lead and walking on two legs because they're pulling so much, and I wonder why they haven't put in the effort to train them, it makes for a much happier dog and a much happier owner. Glad to see that Willow and Pan are becoming friends, I've had dogs and a cat but never together.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. We'd made lovely progress, feeling a little (too) smug until the weekend and we are back to the beginning - so lots more training. There were so many misbehaving dogs lunging about that it seemed to trigger Willow's full on pulling and steam train behaviour.
DeleteOh those photos of dog and not-dog kissing and snoozing together warm my heart! xxx
ReplyDeleteThey do us too - we hold our breath. It could so easy have been a different result, just grateful that the old cat has the patience and wisdom to know the dog is just a daft and empty headed creature haha
DeleteSo lovely to see Pan and Willow are a team, I would like a dog and am not sure how Mollie cat would feel, we plan to introduce my sons dogs gradually over the Summer. Well done on the walking/training. I used to walk rescue dogs and most of them pulled on the lead and were too stressed to be trained, it takes time and patience and you cracked it! Betty
ReplyDeleteThank you - still lots of practise needed, think Willow's little walnut brain is part sieve, as all the training vanished on Saturday!
DeleteOh my! That photo on the bench is just adorable. X
ReplyDeleteThank you - they do it quite a bit which I love x
DeleteI love to see Willow's thoughts on her world..... it all sounds very good to me. I hope Pan and Willow's relationship improves, under your watchful eye! x
ReplyDeleteWillow must have thought she'd got past being the submissive half of the cat/dog pecking order and deemed a cold nose on a cat bottom was acceptable - apparently not. Pan was very quick to put a stop to that and the poor dog took her self off to bed to recover her ticking off by the cat haha
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