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Upon completion of the walk-over, the puppies were simply ecstatic, and the next time they went over they did it faster, and more confidently, and with much less stress! The first time that the pups did it, their stress was exhibited through terrible whining, hesitation, and avoidance behaviour such as sniffing the planks and attempting to return the way they had come.
Petra said that this reaction is expected, and through repeated attempts, the confidence in the pups will grow. This increased confidence is also expected to show through in the way the dog relates to obedience, and eventually protection. In obedience, the pups are working on lax heeling (essentially just walking politely on leash) as well as sitting and laying down on command. The walking politely is generally good, provided that you keep the pup's attention on you and don't allow him to get ahead of you. That's when he'll begin to pull. Sitting is going well too, though we're still positioning the pup into the sit and he gets up as soon as you take your hand off of him. Down was a challenge. These pups are not bred to be submissive, and down is very stressful for them because it goes completely against their will. To teach the down, we learn to do so by standing tall, and avoid bending over the pup while encouraging them to lay down. |