This morning I had the opportunity to be at home while work is going on at my house to convert my garage into a dog room so the dogs were out and about in the living room with me while I worked on the computer and work proceeded in the garage.
The carpenter, Paul, came at his usual time, greeted Ailsa & Baker and while Ailsa was super pleased to see Paul, Baker was more reserved, but calm. Fine. I am pleased that Baker no longer looses his chips sounding like a mad man when Paul comes in the morning or when he comes and goes during the conduct of his work. Usually, if I am not home, the dogs are in their crates. They learn the "crates-are-great" game when they are puppies - Ailsa took to it in 2 days.
Basically, I always give them a treat for going into the crate. Period. Even if I put them in, treat leave, come home 30 minutes later, let them out and leave again a second or third or fourth time, going in the crate means they get a biscuit. As a result they will go bonkers to get into the crates and will all pile in one crate if the doors to their crates are closed (creates quite a picture). I know that some people don't like to treat their dogs as often as I do, but it is a personal choice - my guys get less in a meal to make up for what they get training. Also they get a treat NOT a meal.
I have also learned to play another game with the troops - the "I-must-not-scream,-bark-and-carry-on-to-get-out-of-the-crate" game. In this case, when I get home, which ever dog is not carrying on gets out first. She or he who is still carrying on is ignored (I stand still, say nothing and contemplate the fact that the ceiling of the office needs dusting). At first it seemed to take FOREVER before they would calm down, but as soon as one does, I calmly say "Good quiet", lean over, and open the door. You can imagine that at first the very act of either saying something, or leaning over, lead to resumption of the chatter. SOoooo, I'd stand up, say nothing, look at the ceiling some more... and try again. Given that one dog is already out (Jura) and has been outside, done "his business", come back inside and now has a toy (a ball - Lord knows where he found another one), there is great impetus to conform amongst the ranks.
The remainder of the ranks are getting good at the game - now Ailsa is usually the second one out and finally Baker. Given that it is usually in the evening that they are "bad" about coming out of the crates under control, it happens that the next activity once they are free is either to go into the crates in the van to go to Dog School (Super Yea) or to go into the kitchen to prepare supper (Super, Super Yea) - either way these are activities that they see as gigantic rewards. Their better behavior is a reward to me for finally deciding to not raise my voice, spout out useless commands, etc. as all that did was escalate, rather than extinguish, actions that were driving me mad and exhausting all of us. Having "the puppy" Ailsa in the house is especially good as it is making me be less complacent about behaviors that reinforce a lack of self-control in the dogs.
Back to this morning - when the man came to install the window shades Ailsa was all waggy tail and Baker insisted on checking him out and then both retired back to the living room with me and let the work proceed. About an hour went by when the most ferocious growling and barking erupted. I got up to find that the nice guy from Scoop-n-Doo had come to work on the backyard (Yea) and apparently Baker took singular exception. I was shocked that Baker was not willing to accept him even with my being there, our speaking, letting him smell him, his not engaging him by direct line of sight, Ailsa thinking he was cool.
Consequently, I suggested a cooling off period and invited Baker in his tizzy to take to his crate, which he did without a further ado (and he got a biscuit). At that point it was not worthwhile analyzing his behavior or trying to fix it; it was better to give the dog a safe place where he could perceive no harm, do no harm, and quietly settle down. One of the other workers in the house who had watched the whole set of events commented that it was neat that Baker thought of his crate as a safe haven and that he calmed down so quickly. I thought "Touche´" - that is one reason we have crates - to provide safe havens - Had anything happened it would have been Baker who paid the ultimate penalty. After the yard was made clean of their "poo" and Ailsa had happily escorted the Scoop-N-Doo man to his truck we went back inside and let Baker out where he remained happily in a supervisory role until I went into work.
On leaving the house again, as I was putting on my coat & gloves, I found both Springers in their crates waiting for me to hurry up and go so they could eat their biscuits. OK, OK, I know my role!
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