A Big Fat Negative

Gimme finds being in season a big fat negative.

She's not getting the walks she's used to, adding to the frustration she feels. Last time she was in season we were able to go to the fort's training areas for our walks. However, its hunting season. The last time we were there, on a day when the area was supposed to be "open" for general recreation, we found deer entrails from a fresh kill. Clearly someone isn't honoring the schedule, so to be safe, we won't go back until hunting season ends.

The local place we walk is pretty busy with other walkers, bikers and dogs, so I only feel comfortable using it at its least busy times, given Gimme's "condition". Unfortunately it has been raining every chance I had to get there during quiet times. Today we got a walk and Gimme practically split a seam trying to check out everything at once. She was noticeably happier when we finished.

I was going to give an update on the whining front, to say how much better she is doing. However, that progress has evaporated since she's been in season. She was only a little worse until the day we were heading home from the bank and there were two deer trotting up the sidewalk. I guess they know its not safe in the woods. There's a small green belt near here, but they were several miles from any place they could be living. They didn't seem too concerned about their new digs. Gimme, however, was very concerned and has been on deer alert every time we've been in the car since then. This too shall pass.

To keep her happy and entertained I've been trying to get in some extra training. I haven't done much with the fruit behaviors. Instead have been trying to put together some behaviors for our freestyle seminar weekend. We've got some cute stuff. Nothing ready for cue attachment, but good enough that I can get the behavior when I want it.

We continue to work on backing up. I taped two lines on the hardwood, making about an 18" wide corridor. Gimme didn't seem to be making headway with that and was clearly frustrated. I don't think the tape stripes were noticeable to her, so it wasn't clear enough and the reinforcement levels were falling off, dampening her enthusiasm.

Since she is very comfortable with backing up to a target from the apple behavior (back into a box), I decided to use that. I got one of my small rectangular platforms and quickly shaped her to put her back feet on it. Then I moved further away and after each click dropped the treat in front of me. After that she would back to the board. Right now she is at a stage where she is backing up so fast (and verrrrry straight) that she is overshooting the board. I'll try to get this on video.

She has a very sophisticated awareness of her back feet. Its interesting how the fruit behaviors I picked were things I chose because I didn't want them to resemble any "important" behaviors for later… and yet, the dividends from them keep growing.

The weekend should be interesting. Julie Flanery is the seminar presenter and I know her from past seminars. It should be really good from that aspect. I don't know how well Gimme will do, since her emotions are really right at the surface. My independent girl becomes very needy when its "that time".

I talked to my veterinary and given Gimme's history with a false pregnancy before, he wants to wait three months after she comes out of season before spaying her. That will put it about mid-February, which is right at 18 months, the time I was aiming for.