We're back! Normal radio contact resumes

Well, we're 80% finished with the house move and have opened a new business. Moved the cats into the bedroom, Grey into the open plan diner (help!) and the lounge and guests into our new b&b on the top floors. Picked Grey up from kennels yesterday. It's always so funny to see him after a break as I see him in a new shape everytime I see him like this. His eyes seem greyer, his beard funnier. I dunno.

He's been really good since he came back to the new house. I don't know if it's because I decided in my mind that he would have to be good! It's a lot more open plan than how we've been living in the previous house and sharing with friends and a baby. I managed to introduce him to the cats who he's been separated from and previously had been barking at when he heard them run in another room above. He was brilliant with the cats. Much more interested in their food of the food I had for him or their cat litter (yuck!). But it's all looking hopeful as I'd been quite stressed thinking how it was going to work out now I have a business to run so more doors shut so cats can't run into guest rooms. They're not too in love with Grey yet, but perhaps given time they'll settle. So far no chasing which is great.

Other news is that I tried him on his slip lead today as it was the only one I had to hand after the move. And he was fab on it. Managed to walk him round the old town across the main road and onto the Harbour Arm. Big yay on that one. Perhaps he's been at training school all week and not kennels after all!

Half a heart

Grey is in kennels tonight and tomorrow while we continue to pack our house up and finish preparations to start the b&b next week. He was so pleased to go there today. Never seen him wag so much. Feels lonely without him though.

Recording training sessions for the ipod

I really like this idea that came up via the Clicker Solutions list. Basically, recording training sessions into audio files that can be played on the ipod or similar mp3 player or phone. Great for training where behaviours are broken down into tiny tiny increments or also programmes of densensitization of reactive dogs where you literally move forwards a millimetre at a time. The protocol from Dr. Karen Overall in the link is something I will have a look at for Grey. Mmmm more reading.

Breaking down general handling and grooming

Given the amount of stuff I've had to get off Grey's fur this last few weeks an article by Kathy Sdao jumped out at me while I was looking through her site last week. It's nothing that I shouldn't really ought to have been doing or that other people haven't said to me. But sometimes it takes a prod to remind you to do the more boring things. But actually these things aren't boring, they can literally save you a load of stress for you and your dog. You need to be able to do things when you need to do them.

Kathy's approach comes from training zoo animals to assist in their general everyday care. Given Grey's problems with his teeth and his hairy muzzle that acts like a magnet to spikey sticky buds, it's a good idea to work on these things every day. She recommends leaving out nail clippers etc so that you are reminded to integrate them into your daily training sessions every single day. Jean Donaldson refers to a similar protocol in her excellent book called 'Mine!' on guarding (body, location, food etc).

Grey had become increasingly nervous the last few weeks around his muzzle because of the seed issue. I had a few incidents where I'd tried to take him somewhere where there aren't the bloody things and still he found them. I worked a few days of getting him to look at the nail scissors and work up to him targetting them with his nose. Got him used to the sound of them opening and closing. Eventually he was better around them. In the meantime I stopped pushing on the issue and left him covered in the stuff while they dried up a bit and I could gently comb through.

Fluffy head + sticky seeds =