Hi, Marina,

Well, drop it is a command, and it takes training.

The focus on you takes training and proofing.

I'd use this pack protocol time (stick with it) to really read up on both focus and drop it, and definitely the recall.

The prey drive (squirrels, etc.) you explain might dial back with much better pack structure, but it might not, too. Maybe that would be way down the road for me, meanwhile knowing that the dog cannot be loose (off leash or off long line).

If you need pointers to threads, let me know. The advanced search function is very good. Expand the date range to a couple of years and plug in focus, recall, desensitize, desensitizing (different searches). Fetch will have instructions for teaching the release into your hand, and so will drop.

It might be dead on here on this holiday weekend, but I'll bump you up, if so.

I'm so excited -- we are making progress! One week into the program, and today for the first time Lenney was really, significantly, calmer in her kennel -- like about a 75% decrease in barking, whining, etc. Wow. I don't even care that it 10:30pm on New Years Eve and nobody's gonna see this post for days... I just want to put it in writing!!!

Also, on our walk this afternoon: there is a point where we get to a "fork in the road" (from there we can either go to the park or to the lake); usually Lenney pulls in the lake direction (her fave), and I, depending on the day, either follow along or pull her in the park direction. Today she slowed right down and looked at me, really waiting to see which way I would go. You should have seen the big smile on my face! I am so-o-o encouraged at the moment. What a great way to bring in the New Year!

 Quote: Marina Latulippe

I'm so excited -- we are making progress! One week into the program, and today for the first time Lenney was really, significantly, calmer in her kennel -- like about a 75% decrease in barking, whining, etc. Wow. I don't even care that it 10:30pm on New Years Eve and nobody's gonna see this post for days... I just want to put it in writing!!!

I see it!!! I see it!!

GOOD FOR YOU and GOOD FOR LENNEY!!!!

 Quote: Marina Latulippe

I am so-o-o encouraged at the moment. What a great way to bring in the New Year!

I've only been blessed for the last 4 years with a dog in my life, but it is so worth it

way to go

Well, two more days have passed. I've come down from my New Year's Eve high as we've had a bit of a backslide on Lenney's barking and carrying on in her crate. Yesterday was pretty bad, today has been moderately better again (so far). We're taking it day by day... We're too far in to give up now!

On the plus side, I think I have learned more about leadership this past week than I have in all the time since we adopted Lenney 2-1/2 years ago! Am picking up lots of tips from other posts on the forum, and am doing a lot of self-evaluation (ie. trying to see my actions/behaviours from a dog's point of view); have even found Turid Rugaas' videos on Calming Signals to be helpful at this point.

A big eye-opener for me: I am beginning to realize that a big reason I may have lost Lenney's respect has been from over-correcting. I think I have often give a "Level 5 or 6" correction when a Level 1 or 2 would have been sufficient. I realize that a lot of what I thought was Lenney being stubborn, was more likely her not understanding what I wanted. I feel pretty awful about that. Since starting on this Establishing Pack Structure program, I have been so-o-o careful to avoid corrections (once in a while a little "Uh-Uh" still slips out) -- and I have noticed that she is often really very responsive with just the slightest pressure change on the leash. Admittedly, no squirrels have run across our path this past week, but still...

Anyways, enough rambling. As I am new to this forum (actually, I've never posted on any forum before!!) I am hoping that it's not bad etiquette to give this kind of update on our progress. Maybe in the future someone else will find it helpful? (I certainly would have loved to read about other people's experiences as they went through the program with their own dogs.

Thanks for your support, Connie and Dave!

"I am hoping that it's not bad etiquette to give this kind of update on our progress. "

Not only is it not bad etiquette --- it's the backbone of what makes a board helpful to others.

Well, here we are 12 days into the isolation phase and counting. Lenney is slowly accepting the crate -- vocalizing less and less. No big breakthroughs these last few days, but I have noticed that she seems very sensitive to my moods... when I'm irritable, she breaks into a big barkfest in the crate (even when I'm not in the same room). When I make a conscious effort to calm down, she calms down, too. Have been spending oodles of time checking old desensitizing threads, and have learned so much, but know I'm still just scratching the surface. A very important one for me: learning about redirecting instead of correcting for distractions. This will make a huge difference for us, I'm sure -- I hadn't realized that my corrections (in the past) were probably aggravating her reactivity.

Make them into NON-distractions because the dog's attention is on you.

This doesn't come in a week (or two weeks).

Alright, so I've climbed out of my little abyss of self-pity, gave myself a kick, and am back on the "I CAN do this" track -- even if that means I have to fake it 'til I make it (thanks, Connie).

I was in a much better frame of mind these last two days, and it showed on our walks. Today, I did a few minutes of engagement work (armed with turkey bits) before we set out, and it sure seemed to make a difference -- Lenney was much less distracted, much more interested in me. Duh, go figure!

Last night we eased up just a little on the crate training -- had Lenney on a short leash and lying at our feet for a couple of hours while we watched The Basic Obedience DVD. It was actually a good chance for us to practice our leadership skills -- Lenney tried pushing herself (well, her head) onto both my husband's and my lap, demanding attention: we just pushed her away firmly and totally ignored her... a big turnaround for us -- and probably a surprise for Lenney!

On a "whew, that was close" note (which I know had more to do with a stroke of luck than with training, because Lenney's recall is NOT consistent) -- on our walk yesterday (along a fairly well-travelled country road) I was suddenly shocked to see the clasp of Lenney's leash (which I had fumbled with a few moments earlier) lying on the ground -- ie. not clipped to her collar. It only took her a moment to notice, and she took off running, then stopped and turned around to look at me from about 50 feet away. Well, I don't usually have great presence of mind in "emergencies", but I just dropped instantly to my knees and as enthusiastically as I could, called her name. She ran right into my arms. Damn, why don't ya have a big raw steak in your back pocket at moments like that???? Well, I jackpotted her with everything I had left, and thanked my lucky stars!

Incidentally, a few words of wisdom for anyone else undertaking the Establishing Pack Structure program... Don't feed your dog anything "out of the ordinary" while he/she is in the Isolation Phase. We gave Lenney an egg (which we normally do about once a week) -- she loves eggs, but they always give her a bit of diarrhea the following day. Then we were stuck trying to figure out if her vocalizations were tantrums, or legitimate "I-gotta-go's"... We got it right twice, but the third time (at 11pm), it was a tantrum -- and now we are back to dealing with more complaining again, because she thinks it will get her out of the crate. Sigh. Another lesson learned.

You are doing SO WELL!!!!

Every paragraph contains a giant step forward, from not rewarding demands for attention to a good recall to the jackpotting for compliance under distraction .... and standing tall!