[HadassahSukkot]

I wanted to let you all know we've been working hard these last four days or so.

Sunday we had lunch out, so she had to learn to sit under the table and not see us (we had held her the first time) and not cry. Towards the end, it had been a while so DH walked her out to the car and let her rest in her carrier. (windows down and it was very cool out so the car was no more than 15°c/59°f) DH took her on an hour long walk that evening.

Monday we had company in the late afternoon and went out to eat. She stayed under the table for half of our meal and went back out to her carrier (too overwhelming at the new restaurant with so many people). Long walk that evening.

Yesterday I started the intensive walk with her. I'd been taking her all last week for about 30 minute walks but was getting overwhelmed with how tired I was and her being just so jumpy/pulling etc. It was making my lower back injuries and wrist injury from long ago car accidents act up.

I packed a baggie with some of her dry food that she refuses to eat unless it is given to her in a Kong, and I grabbed the ball with the rattle she likes so much. I shortened her leash and we went off. I decided to go a way I know there are a few dogs, but relatively so few that it shouldn't be a huge issue. We did the start/stop (like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqURxL6v4ds) until she would stop pulling and any chance I saw for a bench, we would stop and she would rest and look around rather than be pulling and jumping at people who pass.

We tried a 30 minute walk towards the field in the morning, but there were so many dogs it was very difficult in the end. She was too panicked to pay attention. It was a great start, but not awesome.


When the boys were gone for speech therapy in the evening, I decided a walk by the river might be interesting since there is noise as it passes, some ducks in the water (sometimes), and the occasional passing cat, jogger, walker, mountain biker or leisure biker. We have to cross a busy street with a light to get there and pass the ice cream place. She did great! So since that's about a half mile from where we live, we walked the long way around to the other side of the street where there is just a cross walk and wait to cross, then walk home. I think we got a good two miles in. Lots of start/stop but by the end she was looking at me a lot, less focus on where barking was coming from if we didn't actually see the dog concerned, and more of a reserved interest in who was passing us vs launching at everyone.


I decided this morning to try again, and we took a different way and thankfully most people have their dogs indoors this time of the morning and there were less dogs barking behind fences on the way. I noticed she tries to launch at parked cars to find ours (I'm guessing since we have been coming/going so much she expects our car to be where parked cars are?) so we walked through a public parking area and around 10 cars with the start/stop until she relaxes/start again until she got the picture that our car wasn't there and we were there to walk. Got across the street well, rested at a bench and watched the lady at the restaurant unpack garden chairs and put pillows out before walking to the river. I got her to sit and pay attention to me rather than follow/bark and growl at the big dog passing us. The rattle toy helped a LOT with that. Hard to pay attention when mom keeps rattling.

We got walked past that obstacle and we had a dog with an owner at the next set of benches. Dog launches at us. So, I get her down and seated, focused on me, lower the energy and walk in the grass opposite slowly, stop, sit, walk slowly and over to the bridge. I was surprised how well she handled that! Again, the rattle helped!!

We passed some farm area with chickens and that was fun for her. We were having a bad start/stop issue with her pulling so I was really patient and got her going well until I could get to another bench. I didn't realize it, but she had spotted a cat and the cat waited until she was calm enough to walk past and go towards the river to do some hunting. I praised her for doing so well and we stopped at the benches where the dog who had launched at us was before. She did great, sniffled and rested.

We walked back home, and since she has some anxiety near the kindergarten area I decided to try walking near (but not by it yet!) to see if we can lower the energy she has and I spotted one of our neighbors who has a French Bulldog off leash. So that was... interesting. I tried our trick and the Frenchie came over to scare us. I ended up with a dog leaping in my arms and an owner running across the street to retrieve his dog. That took a good 10 minutes to redirect and fix what we had good going for us. By the end I got her cooled down and calm again, and back to the start-stop-start walk again until she was totally relaxed.

She's been given some kibble and lots of treats and she's been down almost two hours to nap, waking to check on me and back down.

Once DH is home we'll go again and I'll try the fields if it is not too windy.