More good things!

Gigi has made some new HUGe gains of late.

Yesterday she seemed to actually enjoy her bath. She's still scared to DEATH of the hose....but she DID bravely allow my daughter and I to wash her with a bucket, rags, and our hands. We tryed to make it pleasant as possible. She really love it. I didn't have to have a huge grip on her, though we did keep the stream of cookies coming.

OUr game plan is twofold really.

One we'd like to be able to have her over some of this fear before winter comes, to make indoor bathtime easier.

Two, we'd eventually love to be able to come within a 20 foot range, with the hose, without her being scared out of her mind.

Husband thought I should be using the hose a bit yesterday. I didn't agree (due to how fearful of it she is). After two weeks of bathing as we did yesterday, we'll try to gently introduce the hose.

In the meantime, I'll let her near the hose daily.....pretend she's a horse, and work on desensitizing her - but not actually using it ON her. That should help - I hope!


Another big deal ! G bravely allowed husband to pick her up. That wasn't a possibility in the previous months. We needed to be able to do this in the case of emergency or other extreme situations where you might need to lift your dog! Way to go G!!!!

I was able to take her to the petstore in the middle of a busy day yesterday! while I was browsing the horse section, she layed down as she calmly waited!!!! Another HUGE step! She was terrified when I first started taking her in public!

Another big deal...........though she will stand slightly allert, until I refocus her, she doesn't want to mess with the yard rabbits. Before she'd about knock me over trying to *get* them. she's such a good girl. She merely needed to learn how I wanted her to behave.

Our obedience lessons.
After realizing she didn't know stop stay, nor would she cooperate when she got loose from me, I"ve been working on basic obedience. (due to her being a several year old dog with MINIMAL socialization - a group dog obedience class just won't work yet) So we are working on our own in the yard.
She loves to work with Mom, though she's smart and wasn't it to be a whole lot funner. After the sit and stay command, and I've said Gigi Come! She lingers, and I can see her thinking. *how can I make this more fun and show mom how athletic I am?!!!*
When she comes, she BLASTS, running for all she can, then comes to a dead stop right in front of me. Kind of what I want, but not quite.
Occasionally she runs right past. Not so good.

I had to show the husband how good she is doing, an d made the terrible mistake of giggling at G's swift come to mom. Now she thinks it's great to make mom giggle. Bad mom. *blinks*

I'm proud of her, and we continue to work.

We've only had one bad incident on our walks in a month. She will now ignore dogs in yards, birds, rabbits, dogs BARKING at her....she just still doesn't behave if we walk past another walking dog. I'll keep at it. She's come such a long way in every other way, that I know there is hope.

Anyways, I dont' have time to proof read.....but I need to get her latest accomplishments logged!

Go Gigi. Man she's come a LONG way in 5 months!!!!

Comfortable

Just a quick entry today.

G's had a major comfort advancement this week!!!!

She trusts me, and looks to me for comfort and safety. She likes everyone else in our home, but yet was still wary.

My 19 year old son said it best. If Gigi came and sat by you, you could pet and touch her. If you sat by Gigi, it wasn't okay to touch or pet her. She'd either make a yip noise, jumping around, or she'd swiftly move away. 15 feet away.

It had to be on her terms.

In my workshop, Gigi has a chair. My buddy lays in her chair while mom works. She definately didn't like visitors to our room.

This week, she's really become much less wary. She doesn't jump and run away if someone awakens her. And she's allowing someone (besides me) to approach her when she's resting. She'll continue to lay there while the person (my 3 kids and husband) pet her.

major, major advancement for her!

She even looks proud of her more confidant self when she lets someone in her bubble!


Go Gigi!!!

Gigi Meets Barklay the really big scary horse

She's been to the farm enough that I felt it was time to come into the barn while I care for Barklays hurt foot. It's a private farm with only 2 horses, so a good situation for getting her aquainted.

She was calm walking down to the barn. That was a bonus because I was lugging over a gallon of hot water.

She was fairly quiet when we entered the barn. She eventually realized that there were really BIG ANIMALS in those stalls!

She didn't bark, she was just alarmed. Barking dogs shouldn't be at the farm, so Gigi passed the test thus far.

This part made me very sad.

I need to soak Barklays foot in a bucket of water for 30 minutes. Something he doesn't do without me standing there keeping his sore foot in the bucket. It's hurts, so I'd want my foot out too.

So he didn't need a dog bothering him.

So I elect to put her in a horse stall. It's lit, with soft bedding. This part made me sad. I put her in there......she wasn't upset. She didn't whine. She didn't look at me like why are you putting me in a cage mama? She just went in a layed down. I don't know how to take that. It made me sad wondering what went on in her life previously to cause no reaction? Or is that a good sign? gosh. It just seemed so odd of her.

my friend came down and gigi stood up wagging her tail when mj spoke to her.

I continued caring for hurt horses foot.

I get all done, and let gigi out after barklay was in his stall again. She roamed free in the closed barn, while I dumped buckets, and swept floors etc.

Then I had to go into barklays stall.

I do not understand this either. She was so scared of him....that Gigi had her tail tucked as far as it would go. Yet she lurched at him. Was she thinking she had to defend herself? Or was it her usual gleefully hello? (I'm working on that)

I suppose overall it was a good experience. We'll do it some more. The horses didn't care a bit that she was a bit goofy at the end. I take that as a good sign. If they sensed something odd, barklay would have turned on us.

Gigi visits the horses

One of the new aspects of Gigis life with me, is she gets to go to the farm. She made her second trip tonight.

A few nights ago she visited both farms with me. I left her in the car for both. She needs time to adjust to the sights, noises and sounds. After spending my time with Barklay, I spoke with the farm owner at barklays...my friend. She reminded me that the next door neighbors breed BM's. She's going to introduce me next time I'm out, and they are around! That'll give me another opportunity to ask breed questions and tendencies. I keep coming off as a fool or dweeb, when I ask on the forum I fear. (lol) I don't think I explain well enough? anyway. And we'll also introduce her to my friends new puppy, a great dane.

She's going to the other farm more frequently. That's the tricky farm. It's a working farm, and busy. And there are chickens, turkeys, goats, and lots of horses. Other dogs like her waiting in cars. etcetc. when we went out the other day, she was scared to death when I took her out of the car. She seemed as though I would leave her there. So we got back in and went home. Tonight she calmly and happily napped while I rode Onyxx.

She seems to really enjoy going wherever I'm going around town. I'm loving it too. The farms are nice because it's treed, secluded and just plain heavenly.

Once she's accostomed, I'll take her on walks out there. There are 40 beautiful rolling acres, with a real teepee on the property.

It was another beautiful day with Gigi.

The Chiro and run of the house again =)

I came home to see GiGi free in the house tonight!

Imagine my pleasant suprise.

You see? She now shares a home with a dog whos about 2 times her size. And she's 90 pounds, not too little!

I think Thor, her new pal, has always gotten a bad rap. He's so gigantic he could be confused with a black bear. I believe it immediately puts other dogs on the defensive. Once they get to know each other, they are fine...but early on, I have always thought that was the issue? Why Loving thor brought out such passion?

Things seemed fine initially after we slowly introduced them. Though I'd not had a ton of time to work on GiGi's leash training, and her HUGE reaction to any other thing with legs. people, dogs.

I swear it's been our simple walks that have helped. It seems that way?

I'm jumping all over the place.

Anyway, after a few days Gigi jumped Thor. Pinned him down. He's very ill and feeble and old. I don't know if she was just trying to play? It didn't seem aggressive, but it wasn't going to work either way. She did it a few days later....

So we slowed down, I starting really thinking on things. And I really started working on our walks, and her reactions to other dogs.

She's a big pleaser, and really wants to do as I desire. That's a huge plus, that and she's smart.

So for about a week and a half we've kept her on a leash, hooked to my arm in the house.

I'd grunt yet remain causal as we walked past thor.

She seems to understand now?

We are day one in. And still being careful, and watchful...but she went all evening without the leash scenario...and all is good.

Phew. We would have made it work either way....it's just a bit easier if she and Thorie can get along. HIs days are too short to be stressful. xo

And soooooooooooooo

because of Thor we have a chiropractor out about once a week, or every other week. Just depends on the doc and thor. He's basically keep my baby going right now. It helps his immensly. He has his pride, it's helped his incontinance problem. etcetcetc.

So not knowing Gigi's background, she got her first adjustment tonight. The poor Baby was SO SCARED. Tail tucked. Like deeply tucked. We don't know her well enough to know her reactions.....but she's so kind we were just slow about it all and trusted that she would be okay. He snapped the adjuster thing a few times, she didn't like that atall. She tryed to be a bit braver when I was talking to her touching her face.

Honestly I didn't think he'd be able to adjust her. My Brave girl, let the doctor work on her. He didn't do too much. She's in pretty good shape overall. He said it will really help later on as she ages.

I assume next time it won't be nearly as scary for her.

My friend was over tonight. He said 'tammy you really love that dog'.

yep I do, she's won my heart very swiftly.

my sweet happy dog.

Our Second, frightening trip to the Treat Store.

We were savvy again about when we visited.

It was just about closing time, on a friday night. Who else it out with their Dog, on a Date for friday night? Only us, we've found, for the second week in a row.

I made a few other stops first, just so she'd get some time running around town with mom. Seeing new stuff, hearing unusual noises.

Then we went to the Scary Store. Something about the colorful dog leash isle scares the heck out of poor GG!

Since the shop was empty, and the teens working remembered us from our first visit, GG got lots of hellos and pets. That helped settle her, and helped her feel like it wasn't such a scary place to be. Though she was still nervous, she wasn't with tail deeply tucked, and wasn't trying to pull on the leash. (our leash training/work is starting to show - thank god).

We roamed a bit, and then hit the scary row. She was much braver this time.

She still doesn't seem to understand that the dog reflecting in the mirror is her (the store door actually), but she wasn't so up about it this time.

Over all it was a far more controlled, and comfortable trip for her.

Tonight we had a bit of a test as well. The neighbor doesn't keep their german shepard tied up, nor is their yard fenced in. She's also an older dog, who could get hurt easily just by GG jumping near her.

We'd not encountered the GS for a week. Tonight as GG was getting her last potty for the night, we got barked at. A lot of barking.

phew, I didn't get pulled on. I didn't get knocked down. GG, though she heard Shelby, she just went about her business.

It's working. GG's a great Gal. I'm so pleased.