29/05/2026
Yesterday me and Lottie returned to work in the pouring rain for our first 121's in 9 weeks!
It was lovely to get back to two of my regulars and see the huge progress they've made during our break:
First was Strawberry (Cocker / Lab cross) who struggles with emotional regulation and anything slow or calm. When I last saw her she would start squeaking after just a few paces of slow lead walking because she found it so hard and frustrating. We used a predictable pattern to help lower arousal levels and reduce frustration and they've been practicing often. Yesterday we saw a huge improvement in the duration of time she can walk alongside her mum with ZERO squeaks. She even came to offer it on several occasions without being asked, when she had the option to zoom around the field instead! Patterns and predictability are essential for dogs who struggle to manage their emotions and arousal levels.
Then it was Ivy and Olive (Cocker sisters) who are typical cockers who love to hunt and occasionally switch their ears off. We started working on turn taking skills so mum can train them individually without having to put one away. Stay in a sit or down on a mat is essential for this. Before our break Olive would immediately spring from her sit and persistently jump the second she thought her mum was going to step away from her. Yesterday mum was going a good five paces away without any stress or errors so we started progressing the sit stay while a ball was being thrown.
Super happy with all the girls' progress 👏
I'm only starting with a couple of sessions three days a week for now while I continue my frustratingly long recovery, but it certainly is good to be back! ♥
