Good to hear! She may have thought that going to her area without a treat was a punishment, but now she sees you are not mad, but that you give her a reward for being in her area.
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of freddyscribbles Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 11:27 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Chihuahuas] Research + Practice = Break Through! (hopefully) Just a quick note on the continuing drama with Pia. We've been going on walks. And working on dominance issues. When I took her back to her hallway this time, I did some work with the 'sit' command and some treats - she loves lamb. This was done in 'her' area. I also made her sit before she could eat. Trying to force a positive association with the 'quarantine' area. This is the first time - and hopefully not the last - that she's been in her enclosed area, mostly in her bed, without screaming or freaking out. And I could walk by without incident - eg. begging for attention or to be let out every time I passed. The bathroom and my bedroom are across the hallway from each other. And it's the space between these that she is kept in. I can't imagine that ignoring the unwanted behavior hasn't helped too. I've also started keeping her on a leash when she's in the house with me until boundaries and rules are established. Otherwise she wanders everywhere which isn't really in the 'okay behavior' realm. So fingers crossed that I'm making some headway with this little girl.
