Ch_ch_changes!

I'm about onto day five of instigating some changes in handling Grey. I took advice from friends that perhaps I need to step in more when he's being naughty and frankly a bit out of order and not let him get away with things. So changes are: more time outs. If he's playing rough or hassling Rock the cat, he gets interupted and excluded from the room for a couple of minutes. He gets put out of the room that we and the cat are in. He's then invited back in, asked to sit and we make up and see if he's better behaved. If he's being milder with the cat but still a pain, he's told to 'leave it' which nine times out of ten he does otherwise he goes out again. Also, because he's done amazingly well learning 'leave it' under other circumstances. He left a piece of roast beef on the floor when M told him to on Saturday. For a whole 20 secs.

The same goes for jumping up roughly. He started doing this a couple of weeks ago particularly when we're about to go out. He gets told it's rude, made to sit and then we make up. I've also used the 'leave it' cue for the barking at the front window. In fact, I now intervene more and don't let him hang around in front of the window at all. Basically I want nice calm behaviour. If I don't get it, he's taken for a time out and then invited back in. Exclusion from the family really works with him and we've seen a huge difference.

L is also under strict instructions: no more dog wrestling! It must be a man thing? Anyway, we're currently sticking to 'find L' as the game of the month.

I also now employ the same rules outside. I'm now not embarrassed to stand and wait for him to be calm and re-engage. I have to remind myself to be more concentrated and not give in because of the situtation. Which brings me to the so called slovak character. I had always read that they were biddable and lovely temperaments. I think he's a lovely dog and does have a lovely temperament, but I'm now finding out from my more experienced dog friends that Grey is a monkey, isn't a sensitive dog, is strong willed and defintiely not for the feinthearted. One friend said that by the time I've trained Grey I might be as grey as him!

The photo is him all wrapped up after a swift warm water wash down in the yard after getting caked in mud on our walk today.