Home, again!

 Our girl is finally home!

On June 28, 2024 I dropped Rye off with Cynthia at https://www.abetterbonddogtraining.com/ for an extended stay with behavioral modification. On August 20th, I got her back. Between those events I had 4 private lessons with Cynthia and received training for how Rye can be safe for herself and the beings around her.

This blog will help me document our new life together and hold myself accountable for being a responsible pet owner, a fair leader for Rye, and maintain an environment where the whole family can not only sustain acceptable balance but also thrive in. One step at a time.

The drive home went ok. I purchased a medium Ruff Land dog kennel and am appreciating how light yet durable it is. Rye only started whining about when we were almost home, so I stimmed briefly while I told her "no".

We practiced exiting the crate and car with calmness. I cycled her in the front yard for a bit before we came inside.

I let Rye settle and decompress in her kennel while I set up the house. A dog bed on top of an exercise mat served as a temporary "place". I practiced some leash work with her and took her to the backyard to potty. Throughout the day I continued to set up the house, read the e-collar instructions, and stew on all the information I've learned thus far.

When each kid came home from school we practiced leash work and calmness before they could approach. Rye was very excited to see them and it was a happy reunion.

I was able to get a cot from the trainer and set up a "place" in our dining room so my workbench could function as a temporary back tie until the hooks I ordered came in.

We practiced more inside and in the backyard. Rye really likes the ball on a rope. She was able to wait as I threw a frisbee until I released her. Amazing!

Rye was really dirty. I washed her old collar and wiped down the e-collar. She took a quick bath without much of a fuss, no growling or teeth and only a bit of avoidance. I was being as gentle with the towel as I could and it didn't trigger her. 

We did more training and dinner was the reward throughout and as a jackpot. I only fed her one cup of kibble in case she had diarrhea <foreshadowing>.

When Shawn came home she worked and waited with me as patiently as we could, and she let out a cute, quiet howl. She was trying really hard for his approval but her energy had to go somewhere! He got to pet her and she was happy. 

I put Rye in her crate for the night around 10:45PM.

At about 3:45AM I woke up to her whining. Rye had diarrhea in her crate, so I got her out and back tied her to "place" as I cleaned things best I could in the middle of the night. Rye was wiped down but will need another bath. She did NOT like the water from the hose touching her. The crate was washed with soap and water, then towel dried. It's a nice crate! I transferred her back in, then wiped down the cot. The pad I had put in the crate will be washed later.

I had taken her outside to see if she had to poop any more, but she was too freaked out by the darkness and hearing things in the corner of the yard but couldn't see.

It's now 5:35AM and I'm hydrating while typing this out. 

Thoughts so far:

• I'm getting more acquainted with handling the leash and e-collar.
• It's hard to maneuver together in the house, but I'm trying to be fair while holding us both accountable to perform as instructed correctly.
• She's 10x calmer being back in our quiet home, but that doesn't make her any less pushy. That does put me more at risk for complacency so I must be vigilant.
• When it's daylight I'll clean the area once more and bath Rye. It's interesting she'll let me pour buckets of water on her, but is very averse to the hose.
• I worked on picking up things around the house, but the garage and backyard need to be arranged for more maneuverability.
• I'm considering recording our work sessions on the GoPro.