Demoting Digit!

[kim & Tilly]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

lol (w00t)

 

[Jazzys dad]

Love it. Not sure who's versions best tho ( methink dij) Big chortle !

 

[urchin]

yeah, i thought as much JD - he has a much more natural writing style then i have!

 

[urchin]

D-Day + 24

It was 9pm before Dij and I could head out for our evening walk – and even then it was still like a griddle underfoot. We headed into the shade of the park, and had only got 100 yards in when I spotted Rocky: Digit’s nemesis. Concentrating hard on not appearing bothered in the slightest, we continued on our path – a trajectory which took us within 30 paces of Rocky, or Well Within Barking Distance as it is otherwise known. And my boy! Go on, ask me what he did – go on, ask!

Absolutely Nuffin! No barking, no snarling, no straining at the lead, just the slight whine of a functioning Enemy Proximity alert. So of course I thanked him, in biscuit form, for his alertness and contribution to the continued safety of the pack.

It all went a bit wrong when we got to my friends house for a cuppa. He decided that at her house, he didn’t have to listen to me anymore and set about ignoring my every instruction. So, although I was still internally grinning smugly over his restraint in the park, I had to give him the cold shoulder for the evening.

Called in at the supermarket on the way home from work today and was seduced by the short-coded aisle of delights and…..i’ll let Digit tell you the rest!

Went out walking late tonight and blummin eck it was hot! Saw the eeeeevil Rocky and he wasn’t on his lead and he was running around but I looked at Anty and told her he was there but she said she’d seen him and was keeping an eye on it, so I didn’t have to shout at him….which was good coz Anty was well pleased! And we saw Lucy the Lurcher with her people and she’s ace and she likes to sniff me when I’m not looking but if I sniffle her she goes all coy and runs away! Then we went to Anty Janes and I was feeling all big and clever coz Anty was pleased with me and telling Anty Jane what a good boy I am, so I thought I’d just do my own thing a bit…..Anty was not impressed!

 

Anty came home from work today with a steak biggerun she could eat! Luckily I was under the table being a very good boy ….Wooooo-hooooo!

 

 

[Millie]

:thumbsup: Well done Dij, you are getting such a little star :huggles:

 

[urchin]

D-Day + 27

It's all about consolidation now....making sure that Digit truly accepts his new place in the ranks. We've been working hard on 'not pulling your aunties arm out of its socket' - which seems to be the hardest thing for him to grasp. Our walking pace reminds me of when soldiers break step to cross a bridge - speeding up, slowing down, so as not to make a regular pattern of footfalls. It's actually incredibly difficult to walk at an irregular pace without falling over your own feet - or your whippet!

Other people in the park are starting to notice the difference now, as Dij begins to realise that straining towards his friends is not going to get him there any quicker.

One of the side effects of taking our walk after the day has cooled down is that it's very easy to call into our local for a swift half on the way by. We usually know at least one person in the beer garden....except for last night when I opted to ask a bloke if it was ok if I perched on his table (not quite literally!)

Mistake!

He turned out to be a psychologist nurse with some odd but intractable opinions about dog psychology. Seemed to think it was cruel that I’m 'subjugating' my dog! I tried explaining that this is a human concept and really has no bearing on Dij's view of the world or our relationship - in the same way that the worms in my compost bin are not being subjugated by being forced to eat my leftover salading .... But he just bored on and on about how unfair this all is on my dog and how sad to see him looking so meek and 'broken'!

I finished my drink super quick and was casting about for ways of exiting politely, but seemed quite stuck....Til Dij came up with an inventive solution to extricate us from the conversation!

Boring boring boring man! Anty doesn't like him, I could tell. I don't like him either...Anty can we go now! what about now? what about if I eat the table?!!!

Job's a goodun!

 

[Millie]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[urchin]

D-day +30

We’ve been having some setbacks since the weekend. On Saturday we went to a friend’s family barbecue and Jack, Digit’s sparring partner was there too. They managed very well together, playing and generally running around, until last thing before bedtime. I’d just stepped out of the room when the boys decided to have a scrap, so I missed the trigger. Although my guess is that Jack was harassing Dij to play some more when all he wanted to do was sleep. Then the following day, after again playing nicely with each other for hours, they had another snarly fall-out at the pub. Since then Dij has reverted to pulling on his lead/barking at dogs/ignoring my instructions.

So we’ve been a very long walk this evening. On the way we’ve encountered 2 dogs that Dij has barked at and refused to give way when I’ve thanked him and stepped in to take over the situation. For most of the walk he has tried to set pace and direction, so I’ve had to be very stern with him.

It wasn’t difficult to be short and sharp in my instruction giving seeing as I was very frustrated and actually wanted to tear him off a strip! He’s now downstairs being roundly ignored. All in all a depressing day.

Yaaay barbecue goodness! A smaller number of sausages than expected seemed to be falling to the floor, so I thought I’d help them along with my teeth! Anty was not amused and kept holding my collar so my nose was no where near the table and it wasn’t fair and Jack never got told off and he was much naughtier than me. Hmmmph! Then I was trying to go to sleep and Jack kept bouncing all over me so I shouted at him really really loud and his Uncle took him away. But I don’t think it’s right that Jack doesn’t have to do as he’s told – he doesn’t even have to follow the finger! So I’m not going to neither. Ha!

 

Oooo-er that didn’t work! Anty got all uppity and frostyish and made me go closeandback loads and loads, til I gave up and did what I was told. Hmmph – Anty not talking to me now, think I’ve been a Bad Boy.

 

[OEH]

Oh dear poor Digit, I suppose it must seem unfair to him . But he must be so much happier when he feels that he doesn't have to protect the pack . AND he is soooooo funny :clown: .

 

[urchin]

Oh dear poor Digit, I suppose it must seem unfair to him .  But he must be so much happier when he feels that he doesn't have to protect the pack .  AND he is soooooo funny :clown: .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Wasn't laughing this morning when i continued to ignor him!

 

[pollyanna]

[

Wasn't laughing this morning when i continued to ignor him!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Poor, Dij. I don't suppose he had a clue what he had done wrong when you continued to ignore him this morning A whippet's attention span isn't very long and he probably thought he had done something wrong this morning, when in fact he might have done something right, and was being punished)!

I have really enjoyed reading your diary (for the most part) and you write so well, but I think the training method you are using is a touch harsh for such sensitive dogs. I just couldn't ignore my dogs for as long as you manage to ignore Dij -you're a tough lady! I hope it is worth it in the end.

 

[urchin]

ah....the dog listener talks at length about letting dog's know when they've transgressed....and although i would have been thinking the same as you before i started all of this, my aim is to follow her methods as closely as i possibly can - rather than pick and choose which bits to ignor....the longest she's ever done it for is 3 DAYS!

is all a learning curve for me - which is why i'm keeping the journal!

am just waiting for the air to cool outside, so as i can take him out and see if the silent treatment has reinorced the idea that doing what he's told aint optional!

 

[urchin]

D-Day +32

We're back on track woo-hoo! Came home from work yesterday and waited til it was cool enough for a walk to start really interacting with Dij. Meanwhile he followed me round the house being as good as he possibly could!

Sat for his lead to go on in the neatest and sitty-uppist manner he could manage - then set off at my chosen pace and in my chosen direction! ...and we walked for 2 hours. I made sure we had lots of opportunities to be turning left and right, and on the odd occasion that he tried to pull ahead, he responded quickly to me slowing down.

It was only when we got to the park (of the wild variety as opposed to manicured laws and flower beds) that he forgot himself a bit. Well, he did see a rabbit! Still he didn't grumble about not being able to go investigate - not too much anyways!

And best of all, when we saw another doggie - a young male - Dij was willing to stand behind me and content himself with a little whiney yodel.

Yep, you guessed it - tuna for tea! Well learned my little man!

Anty in a funny mood when she got home, not exactly cross but not exactly notcross neither. But we went out for a big fabby walk to a bog-park and i've never been there before and there were new sniffs to sniff and closeandback all the way but i didn't mind coz there was rabbit - and rabbit poo!

there was a big dog and i wanted to shout at it, but Anty didn't look like she wanted me to so i stood behind her and just said quietly that we ought to be careful. And Anty thought this was a good idea coz she gave me a biscuit yaaaaaay!

i was sooooo tired when we got back coz we'd walked for miles and days - and there was tuna-y goodness for tea -joy! and big cuddles at bedtime Mmmmmm

 

[kim & Tilly]

i think what your doing is great, god knows how it work with two dogs??? do you work them seperatly.....god i could be walking for days :blink:

 

[urchin]

funny thing is - jan fennel reckons it's actually no more difficult with 2 than one - and in some ways easier as you can work with the natural pack dynamics which exist btween them both/all!

 

[kim & Tilly]

funny thing is - jan fennel reckons it's actually no more difficult with 2 than one - and in some ways easier as you can work with the natural pack dynamics which exist btween them both/all!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I have just borrowed the book from a friend so i may join you in the journal writing, only from a two dog perspective

 

[urchin]

funny thing is - jan fennel reckons it's actually no more difficult with 2 than one - and in some ways easier as you can work with the natural pack dynamics which exist btween them both/all!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

I have just borrowed the book from a friend so i may join you in the journal writing, only from a two dog perspective

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

would be really interested to hear how you get on with that K&T - feel free to add into this thread if you want to!....but will look out for a separate thread if you decide to do it that way

:luck:

 

[urchin]

Phase 2!

D-Day + 34

I have decided that we have reached the end of what me and Digit can achieve on our own - so it's time to explore training classes. With this in mind, I contacted a local training club which operates on Jan fennel's principles. I thought when I rang I would be given a September start date for the next course, time to get myself used to the idea.

WRONG!

Come along tonight said the man!

So we did. The venue is a good 3/4 hour walk away but I decided Dij would be more focussed if I’d walked a bit of energy off him first.

WRONG!

We'd only gone a few hundred yards when I spotted a bloke with a GSD coming towards us. I put Dij back from the path and waited for them to pass. What I hadn't seen was there was also a bloke with a boxer. The dogs had a low growl at each other: the men squared up for a fight! All over whose dog could 'take' whose in a fight! Joined by a third man who thought it would help to add his opinion on the likely outcome. And all of this 5' from the end of my dogs nose.

So we arrived a lot less relaxed than planned.

Then Digit made a liar out of me! I’d explained on the phone to the training man what I’d been doing and why: that he barked and was aggressive to other dogs.

We got into the room; bull x barked at us – NOTHING! Terrier arrived and barked at us – NOTHING!

The most he managed was 2 isolated double-barks all evening in response to new arrivals but quickly subsided when I told him to! Blummin doggies!

We had lots of fun and have a list of things to practise – and I do love an instruction list.

Bought a roasted chicken– stir fried the leg meat with noodles for my tea – Guess who got the rest!!!!

I’m such a good boy! I’m such a good boy! Ner ner na-ner ner!

Went to a place with a man who does more closeandback than Anty! But I knowed how to do it, yes I did and I was the STAR and small yappy-type dogs were shouting the odds but I didn’t coz I’m a good boy – and what do good boys get?

CHICKENSIZ that’s what! Yaaaaaay!

 

[OEH]

CONGRATULATIONS for being a clever Digit. What a shame there isn't a bone smilie

 

[Millie]

:thumbsup: Well done Dij ! :thumbsup: