We are officially back in New York. I am happy to report that there were not crazy shenanigans to be had on our journey back. I took the leash chewing, semi-chasing, bone burrying, and demented kangaroo jumping experiences from the last trip and made a few helpful changes.
Change number one. Didn’t bring the dog. Juust kidding. Of course I brought Ric. This time, however, were weren’t alone. The whole family was in the car and I think that gave him a lot of peace of mind. He sat by the kids in the back and that seemed to make him less apt to chew and dig the floor mats.
Change number two. I didn’t count on the rest/gas station stops. Last time, when Ricochet lunged and barked at Semi Trucks he was so hard to control and the situation made me feel really uneasy because, Ricochet can be hard to control. Also, the experience of having Waffles being hit by a car made me have cold sweats and my heart race when I thought what could happen if I lost control of Ricochet’s leash. Instead, we found a couple of parks and a beach along the way to go for a walk so that the doggo could go to the bathroom and the whole family (two legged and four legged) got to move around and have fun. The benefit was everybody had a great time. The drawback was that the car smelled like wet dog for many hours. You win some you lose some.
You could argue these changes may sound more like avoidance than training. I disagree though. I am working with Ricochet to learn how to remain calm during these situations that he finds exciting. I am adapting so that he and I are not put into a situation that could be potentially dangerous that we are not yet ready to handle. Lunging at the trucks in particular could be a deadly mistake. When we are out walking I always keep treats on me so that, if we encounter a vehicle that he is triggered by, I have him sit and “look at me.” We do not move on until his is calm. This may take a long time but, eventually, the goal is that he learns to stay calm and look to me for guidance when he sees a big and exciting semi-truck. Our progress may be slow, but it is steady.
The Heralding Hound 