Tinsel's Journey

Yup, a martindale is the collar of choice around here since they first showed up on the dog scene. I have several types, including show leads that I have used on dogs ranging in size from westie puppies to Great Danes. Unfortunately he doesn't like to be leaned over so to be able to adjust it once it is on him isn't something we are pushing right now. I keep his lead really loose so I have time to react if he pulls back - at least so far. To keep the collar loose enough to easily go over his head makes it too loose for total safety. He has snapped a warning when I have inadvertantly caused him pain. A couple of times when I've hit a snag in his coat and once when I was picking him up and pulled a hair. He could have bit me every time but didn't so I know he doesn't really want to. He's still quite nervous about some parts of his body being handled namely his ears and his legs. We are working on it. One of the ladies recommended a LUPINE martindale. Not sure if it would be much different to adjust and haven't seen one here but would like to see how it works.
Right now if only I could get him to consistantly go out to the dog yard under his own steam and come out of the crate once the door is opened would be an accomplishment to cherish. Oh well, somehow we will find the answers to these two dilemmas and maybe figure out how to build more "grooming" trust before he is really knotted up. He was doing so well with the grooming too.
 
He is beautiful! We have had our rescue, George, for four months now, and the last month has seen the biggest growth in him-I just look at him and grin my head off I am so happy for him as he learns to relax and play and just be a dog. The magic is Gracie-he loves her and since she loves me, he decided that he didn't need to be afraid of me. He now bows down to invite me to play with him, jumps on me in the morning and gives me kisses to wake me up, comes and eats treats from my hand. Anyone who loves shelties knows what it means to see them happy, and especially to see rescues who respond to love and patience. I think that what you are doing with Tinsel is an ongoing act of great love-blessings on you and Tinsel!
 
HI Joanna
I was thinking about the grooming...
have you tried to see if he will he take a filled Kong with goodies and relax with it for you to be able to get at him better for grooming? Or is he too stressed out that he won't eat while this is going on?
 
We worked on trying to encourage him to take the final step to going outside today without me lifting him up. Still a no go but he was trying to summon the courage. I can get him to the door but not through it unless I pick him up and place him at it. Easier said than done because if I walk towards him he scoots off through the house at a trot. Don't want to chase him so I do the leisurely stroll and when he does stop I pick him up. Doesn't do a lot for him or me. I've started putting a "jackpot" treat on the runner going through the carriage house and once I put him down and he starts down the two stairs I click him. I know it's not the purest way of doing this but I am getting desperate.
However, he went up to the door when my sister came to visit and he went over to her and touched her hand to see if she brought him something. He's also sitting - a lot! This was not a behaviour he did much prior to Saturday's training session. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I would have seen him sit before we started the shaping of it. We didn't get to work on it today, had 2 sessions of target, 2 sessions of body touch and 2 sessions of "please go out that door", but we will start with "sit" tomorrow. He doesn't know the command yet but seems to have picked up that if he sits he might just get a treat. He gets this funny look on his face every time he does it. It reminds me of Thomas, our New Forest gelding. You can see him thinking up ways to get me to do the things he wants me to do. His trainers both said they had never met a horse with more character while still being honest - well now I think I have a dog with the same deviousness streak. He certainly is getting the dust moving in the old girl's brain!
 
ohhhh, what a smarty pants, lol
You are going to love that character!! Glad to hear you're having a few really good sessions.
i don't think it's totally wrong to work with what you have and putting treeats down may just get him over that and encourage the walk out the door even more... If he wasn't so fearful then it'd be a different story, I think!
 
Toffee's Mom: Might help and I will give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm also going to take it to the family room to his "TV" watching orthopedic bed when Rhiannon is upstairs sleeping. She can't be confined at all so she can get in the way. She also wouldn't tolerate him threatening me so if he did snap in her presence she would go after him. Belgians are very protective of their people no matter how gentle they are and Rhi is no exception.
 
I think part of the problem is that I have inadvertantly reinforced in him that he is suppose to wait until I carry him to that doorway. He has no problem now walking from the hall to the doorway and down the stairs IF I carry him to an exit point. Now he seems confused at what I am expecting him to do and doesn't have the confidence to try this new thing. It's the same thing with his crate. As soon as I come down in the morning I remove the door to his crate. He will whimper to come out, lay in the doorway of it, and while I make his food, dash out and go to a safe spot. I expect he was forcibly made to stay in his cage at the mill since puppyhood. Once I can get him to let me pick him up and take him back to the door to the carriage house he goes down the stairs, tail wagging, spinning circles and runs out the door to the yard. He pees immediately and comes back in happy as a clam, pops up the stairs and does his spinning to the kitchen for breakfast. I tried walking him on lead clicking and rewarding every step but he literally shrunk when I opened that door. To do my barn chores I have to put him back in the crate for an hour. Getting him back out can take some time but it is improving with clicking and rewarding any forward movement. Poor Phoebe, our westie, gets crated or put outside while we do all of this training. I might need to insert a catheter in my arm and have an IV of lovely dry white wine dripping in.
 
IV's for everyone!!

Tinsel sure is training you so well Tagg. Proud of the boy. Imagine your joy when he comes bounding out of his crate to you. It is soon to happen, I feel it in my sheltie bones.

I met my puppy mill boy, Tobey up at rescue. He was a shy tri and didn't come to anyone. He shared a huge enclosure with three other rescue shelties. He didn't make friends and kept to himself not even bothering to eat. I hand fed him but he didn't approach me for any kind of affection.

One day as I was leaving the rescue, I saw a dog boinging up and down over and over in his enclosure. I went over to the enclosure and it was Tobey. When I looked at him he stopped jumping. Then when I would turn to leave again, he would boing again. I showed my husband and he knew that we were going to be 'parents' again.

Tobey marked immediately on the couch at home and then shrank into the couch cushions for two whole days. I had a crate for him and he didn't mind being crated but for some reason he preferred the soft couch.

He came up and sat on my lap on day three and the rest was just the biggest love that I could imagine.





Kate
 
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Tagg i thought you probably knew about Martingales but didn't want to assume anything if it would be of help to you. I so love following Tinsels journey and look forward to my daily fix. Hugs to you and Tinsel or should I say cheers!
 
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