Since I had the good fortune to have had a great dog, as far as training goes, previously, it's taking me a bit more time to adjust to Beckett's lack of core skills. Yes there are times I just look at him and think "OMG... I'm waaaaay over my head on this one" and at other times I recognize I have to step back, inhale, recognize the little victories, and work from there.
This morning, both Darrin and I woke up and asked each other if the other had been up through the night to walk the dog. LOL.. we both slept through the night. The next realization was, oh, I wonder what gifts Beckett has left for us. LOL To our surprise, no gifts! He still when through his stance of needing to be cornered to clip on to him for going out, but that too was without too much growling. My mid-morning break run to the apartment also met without any gifts. I'll cling to this step because I fully expect to slip back and forth on this one. So there you go, a whole paragraph on dog movements! :P
It seems I have landed upon Beckett's 'treat' preference. Its mild cheddar cheese. I prefer it hardened from being exposed to the air, and had tried Beckett on this initially without success. Last night I opened a new package and he did indeed come to me, eventually, to get his treat and then he returned until each little piece consumed the slice I had taken from the block. Ah, now I have something to base training on. Apparently haven eaten my Christmas cactus plants back, as well as the Alberta Maple has given him an appreciation for real treats. Darrin still hasn't replace his glasses and as yet hasn't been able to laugh about it so I don't mention it to him. LOL The earphone are funny topics to bring up though so maybe the glasses will pass soon too.
We have tested Beckett to see if his 'issues' with women were indeed real or if it was a situation where timing and poor luck put poor Garin in with Beckett when it could have been anyone. The end result, Beckett does NOT hate females that we have introduced to him. Darrin took Beckett up to his office last week and Beckett did very well getting up through the stairways to the third floor and then was okay with Deanna one of the Drafting Techs. Then on the weekend Maureen, who was kind enough to do a bit of custom work on Beckett's winter coat, dropped up. No barking, no specific growling at her nor and evasion of the space she was sitting in. Now if only I knew the magic method for getting past the exercise of anxiety and fear of being approached to go out. I feel like it's reinforcing his fears each time we have to corner him to clip on to his harness.
This boy is going to be a celeb if this keeps up. You guys with WIN http://www.wheatenrescue.org/ are fantastic for support in what we are doing and with hints on how to avoid possible pit-falls as we progress with Beckett's rehab into being a mentally healthy dog. I'm grateful that he appears to be physically healthy, except for the low weight and horrible condition of his coat, both of which are easily addressed now. Just a reminder, this boy is being cared for by both my partner and myself. I'm just the guy with the blog. LOL Darrin is the kind hearted person with the fantastic ability to rapidly calm Beckett down where as it takes him a little longer to deflate when I'm tending to him.
Darrin has all of the attributes to be the one that Beckett will crawl up on while he's reading and laying on the sofa. I've prepared myself for that day, with total acceptance that it isn't any indication of of preference, it's just the comfort path I see Beckett following. It also means that Darrin will be putting Beckett's coat on him for walking too because I'm just not as successful with the process as he is. LOL
I'll add pictures to this posting later on. Right now I'm at work and need to get back at it.
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