23/11/2024
I started my little Saturday project planning to record a new video for my group class participants. For the video, I needed to be heard and Churro was not on board with the plan. In her mind, there were treats and positive attention to be earned and she was READY TO GO! BARK BARK BARK! LOL. Churro has that cattle herding heeler bark that cuts like a knife. My oldest son would say she has the ability to cause damage to the human ear. One of the ways I choose to work on this type of a challenge is to identify the pattern and interrupt it. In this case, I chose to interrupt Churro’s pattern of bark, bark, Lisa says “shh” …”yes”…and Churro gets a treat. I had jumped too far ahead and we were not having a really good conversation yet. Once I realized that (not before that piercing bark had my jaw clenching a little bit), I interrupted the pattern with a quick trip outside. I stayed calm, didn’t reprimanded, but just showed her that “bark, bark, bark” actually equals: Churro gets to step out on the porch on her own. This works well for her because she is never outside without one of us. She doesn’t actually know what to do if we aren’t there with her! So, it’s boring. She sits in front of the door for thirty seconds, I let her back in and we start over. Consistency is the name of the game. If you want to work with me email [email protected] or visit my website for more information at www.kinderk9.com.
