03/13/2022
Dog training is never a linear process, but raising a puppy is even less so.
You go through huge ups and downs. Behavior problems that didn't exist before suddenly pop up.
Like Beatrice's prey drive suddenly turned on when she was 12 weeks old.
Hormones are running wild as they enter adolescence.
Reactivity, aggression, and other problem behaviors are coming and going as the dogs mature.
For Beatrice, adolescence brought some interesting changes. She used to be an angel outdoors, now she is a menace. At the some time she used to be really hyperactive and hard to manage inside, but now she is an angel inside the house.
Her biggest issues right now is dog reactivity. This is causing us the biggest challenges, but we are also having small wins every day.
The most important thing I can do to help her is listening to where she is today. Not where she used to be, where I wish she was, or where I imagine she is, but really where she is.
If she has a hard time walking in a certain area, we don't go there. If she has a hard time just going for a walk, we stay home. It all shall pass and she will be better than ever - as long as I'm listening to her cues.
[Brown Mountain Feist chewing on a Charlene Bear treat held by a hand. She is wearing a red Charlee Bear bandana.]
