As for the bad dreams, Tatty has nightmares fairly regularly. We just let her sleep on unless she is shaking too in which case I reassure her gently and stroke her. The length of nightmare seems to be dcreases as does the frequency. and we got her at 9 weeks! Emma and Tatty, France ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 8:27 PM Subject: Re: Claustrophobic Berners and Bad Dreams also
> Shelley, > > I can tell you that with my Star it has just taken lots of work, really good > treats and lots of patience. > > I have had my girl in classes continually for the past year. They have been > everything from 2 levels of obedience, a drafting class (having the harness > on, learning the commands), an agility class and we are just finishing up > Clicks and Tricks.... Upcoming is yet another obedience class. The classes > have all been to expose Star to many different situations. For example, I > have her cart in the living room so she will come to realize over time that > it isn't going to attack her. Time will only tell if she will ever be able > to actually pull a cart without freaking out but if she doesn't pull a cart, > she is still the love of my life... The agility class - Star's big > accomplishments included learning not to freak out around the equipment and > also to step on a board that was placed on the floor. > > My trainer considers Star and I to be among her advanced students because > Star has come SO far in the past year.... I am SO thankful for a trainer > that doesn't measure my girl's accomplishments by only the black & white of > what the class is supposed to be! > > Around the house... Star has learned to get in and out of the car without > totally freaking out even if we are parked by a wall or another car. She > originally thought that the Den and the bathroom where way to small. She > learned to get over the den first as it is the larger of the two rooms. With > in the last month, she is now walking into the bathroom. I have her food > dish and water dish just inside the bath room. I have found initially she > had a VERY long neck because she would stick only her head in the bathroom > and than take a mouthful of food out in the hallway to eat. > > I encourage her with very, very, tasty tasty treats. No hot-dogs, cheese, or > normal dog treats have worked with the high stress environments. Lucky for > me, at the doggy day care where my clicker classes are held they sell Lamb > Jerky, Turkey Jerky and Beef Jerky by a company called Solid Gold. While > these sell for $10.00 a pound and I can go through as much as one bag in a > week or less, she is willing to work for the treat at times when nothing else > is a high enough reward for her. > > Star now will go through any doorway. (another thing she just "Didn't Do" in > the beginning.) And looks forward to trips in the car, going to PetSmart, > going to the Vet, etc. > > Set backs have been related to choices I have made... For example, having to > crate her while I had workmen remodeling my bathroom and fencing the backyard > so she wouldn't get out and run away was so traumatic for her that she is now > sometimes fearful of men. (Once the fence in the backyard was completed I > stopped crating her but the damage was done and we started over learning not > to freak out over people in the house.) > > One item I would have never believed to be a problem originally but is - the > gentle leader... She can see it on her nose and it is just to much of an > invasion of her space to handle at all.... > > I will be very interested to hear what others have to say about > Claustrophobic Berners. I can tell you that my trainer told me that until > Star she never would have believed that a dog could be claustrophobic at all. > > One last thing, I would like to toss out. Sometimes, when Star is dreaming > she will make these "I am so terrified" sounds. I think it is just horrible > that in her dreams she is still haunted by the life she only spent 6 months > in! No BMD should ever have to face the terror that is still apart of her 1 > year after she was rescued. I am curious as to how others have faced this > with their dogs. > > Thanks to all, > Marilynn and Star. >
