Darkest Before the Dawn

I believe this. In life, In potty training. In child rearing. In general.

Just about the time you're ready to wave the white flag and surrender, you get a break. The tides turn and you get a chance to catch your breath. I realize this was my fault. I left him unsupervised and ultimately that is my job. I also understand that sometimes you need to do laundry and that at some point, Toad needs to learn to behave in my absence.

Families of my adopted puppies often write when they are frustrated with teaching potty training, when the mouthing is pushing their buttons, or the puppy conveniently has forgotten how to "sit". My advise is always "stay the course". I promise them that it will soon be over, to just be patient for a little more. Typically within a few days they contact me again, crisis has past.

Toad and I were getting to that point. I hadn't realized how close to the edge I was until this "explosion" of stuffing and the chunks of foam from his crate pad "just happened".  My legs were tired from being in unnatural positions trying to block his pumpkin head from getting in and around me. My hands were signalling instructions that my mouth was just too tired to say anymore. My body was a beacon of information that Toad was learning to read without my conscious effort.

Somehow in the falling apart, it comes together. I think we become more focused on the end goal. We firm up with the Universe what we want. We change the energy that surrounds the goal. And magically, with this new untapped zest, it comes together.

While I was cleaning this mess, I thought about the need for him to learn "back up" and "wait". I realized he was asking for some good old chewing/destruction. He got new tartar buster bones and cow hoofs. I re-started the training for wait and back up. And.... it clicked. He was backing up and looking at me as if to say "well why didn't you just ask?" Getting in and out of cupboards or the fridge is a breeze. He's learned a bunch of new words, like go around and roll over. He can pick a hand and is getting pretty darned good at waiting. Leave it is now in there, and we need to proof it.

In life, the same thing happens. Something happens that pushes you to the brink, and while you're standing there on the edge, the view becomes so clear. Your intent solidifies and you energize. You find the support and the ways to get through the challenge. All you have to do is "Stay the Course"

I have no Plan

This is where we begin. This barking, lunging, can't hear, can't focus, can't process mess. I take in litters of pups and sometimes adult dogs. Today is Toad's first experience with puppies. He was like a wild child trying to get to them (they were, of course tucked safely in a crate).

Buffer playing with a Pup

Deep Breath. I'm used to Buffer. Buffer weened puppies, taught them body language, play and manners. He adored the pups. They literally walked all over him. I'd find him with his front feet up on a baby gate watching them play. He'd physically roll my chair away from my desk when it was time to feed the pups. He knew what day/time to teach them to not jump on people and would walk through them like they were bowling pins. That lesson stuck for life (I never could see what sign he saw). So I was kinda hoping that Toad would be similar.

The pups are 2 1/2 weeks old and I'll have them for about 6 more... I'm hoping that by the end of their time here, Toad will have come around. That's the time frame. Currently he's marking new spaces, like he's drawing a line around me... the coffee table, the sofa, the side table, non of which were ever marked before. I'm hoping to find the balance between ignoring the bad behavior, rewarding the calm and quiet behavior.

Toad is very pack oriented. When a new dog comes it he finds it upsetting. When a dog goes home, he reacts as well. Any disturbance to the pack. One would have thought adding puppies to a pack would be well received. I understand that there will not be another Buffer with the pups, but I was hoping for less "enthusiasm"... yeah we'll call it enthusiasm~!



Toad gets crated while I have Bosun modelling the behavior I'd like, which is calm, no big deal.

The pups got moved from a bathroom off my bedroom to their room. Toad can hear them more clearly. When I leave their door open for training session he watches and is super interested in the smells I carry on my clothes after working with the puppies. He is already up to 4 minutes of calm behavior and not reacting to their cries.

I do suspect he will get used to the pups... perhaps it was all that puppy goodness smells that over excited him. As he gets used to the smells and sounds he should naturally calm down.

In the meantime, he's getting rewarded for good/calm behavior and loses privileges (like watching them) for too excited! He's a smart boy... he's already starting to catch onto the system. I like that he's interested in them (Bosun wants little to do with them until they are more stable/older).

Always an adventure!