What have we been doing??

I've been spending quite a bit of time with the Back Dogs recently.  For those of you who are new and may not know, we have two separate packs of dogs, the Front Dogs and the Back Dogs and recently the Back Dogs have been getting a bit more attention.  It isn't conscious or for any particular purpose except enjoying the gobs of peace and harmony between the four of them.

It has been almost a year since I noticed the two packs start to settle down within their arrangement and routines.  It is a place I thought I could have only dreamed of.  Now almost a year later, there seems to be even more contentment as we have continued to work with Brut and his aggression that is bringing such positive and longer lasting results and is also being felt throughout both packs.  It has simply been amazing.

My directness has been focused on the strongest formed pairs:  Brut-Silver and Zappa-Fiona.  And since Chance and Blaze only have each other, they are quite advanced in this area.  They have also had almost my full attention since they came back over three years ago and now it is time to turn the tables.   

I've been using little cups of jello or veggies with the Back Dogs, so that they can try some new foods.  Being that Chance and Blaze have the advantage of being in the kitchen, they are spoiled in taste testing and I figure the Back Dogs need a good shake at trying out some new foods.  This is also teaching them to take turns and being less grabby with food.

 Can you keep an eye on Ms. Grabby??

Would you believe of Brut and Silver with Brut have the food aggression I have a bigger problem with Silver?  She doesn't seem to care that it is Brut she is dealing with and will push her way closer to him and try to snatch anything of his that falls.  You'd think she was starving and thinks every scrap of food is hers even if it is  Brut's.  Brut on the other hand has laser focus on the food and when I feed him jello I use a spoon so he has to think a little bit about what he is doing.  A lot caution goes into when I work with them two.  Studying their body language and quick reflexes has kept everything very positive.  :)

 Zappa calculating snout to snout closeness with Fiona

Fiona can be a bit food resourceful as well and she likes to keep Zappa at bay.  I don't force Zappa to come any closer than he is comfortable.  He can be so skittish that he will opt of the whole thing if he doesn't feel safe, so I let him choose his place as long as it is within reach.  Fiona has learned a great deal in a short amount of time about taking turns.  Something she wasn't very good at.  She's so much like her Daddy Brut in that way, but what I have witness between her and Zappa has been amazing.

  Did she say we get the summer off?

And since the Front Dogs, Chance and Blaze are levels above the rest of the family, for now I am just enjoying what they have achieved so far.  I really haven't thought much about where to go next with them and I'm really doing great with that.  They have had me to themselves for so long, it is time they let their parents and siblings do some catching up!  I'm sure there is something we all need to be working on and when it comes it will be the right time and place for it.  Just as everything we've done has been.  It is so nice to sink a little further in my chair and relax as each day goes by.  Yes, the 24 Paws of Love have already leaped mountains, now it's time to climb a foothill for a while.  :)      

The Brut Puzzle

Brut actually goes into a panic when food falls on the floor or under the furniture.  Like he has found the last morsel and he's been starving for days.  If you try to help him get the food, he almost screams like he's in physical pain and makes attempts for your hand.  I do my best not to spill kibble or treats, and pick up every morsel I can find before Brut is in the room.

 Brut and I were playing with what I call the puzzle cube today, just him and I, and while he pawed and rolled this little cube spilling treats all over the floor, I was following behind him making sure none were missed.  A light bulb went off, why not work on his food issues with this game?  So I got on the ground, close to him and began picking up the remnants of chewed plastic while keeping a lookout for any wayward treats while still playing with him.  I began inching closer to him on all fours, until I was eventually in his space.  I'd even brushed up against him to get the cube when it was stuck against the wall.  He was doing great and having fun.

Then I began playing with the cube, by crawling back and forth after it and hitting it around.  As the tempo increased, so did Brut's excitement.  His eyes, widened, his heart was pacing and all his fur began stand.  There was no doubt his adrenaline was rising.  As we took turns with the food toy, I was conscious of his body language, he was excited, but he also had a look that said, he didn't know what to think.  This was fun, but these were his treats and he didn't know what to make of me messing with them.  He was caught between wanting to play and wanting to guard.  I began to slow my actions, while I wasn't scared, in his semi-heightened state any quick movements would be interrupted as hostile.  My goal was not to aggravate him, but to keep this level of play safe for both of us.   I let him guide me.

When the cube rolled just out of easy reach, he came up to me and nibbled on one side of my lips, licked my face like crazy and then repeated this several times.  I couldn't have been more thrilled!!  I have seen Fiona do this very same action with Silver, a boundary line that says, "Stop.  I don't want to hurt you.  Please don't go any further."  I stayed in this same position, I didn't move forward or backwards and I didn't freeze.  He continued to circle and walk back and forth in front me, every so often licking my face, while I sat in place.  Eventually he laid down next to me, I touched his paw with my finger, and he gave me the signal again, only this time the nibble on the lips was even lighter than the first time.  I continued to let him calm, until he was certain that I wasn't making a move after the cube and continued to acknowledge his boundary line.  After a few minutes I got up and he got up with me.  I thanked him profusely, while having him sit and gave him a treat.  The game was over, I picked up the cube to put in it's safe place and then he went outside because that was his safe place.

As I sat down to absorb what had just happened, I was overwhelmed by what Brut had shown me:  Himself.  Not just "dog behaviors," but his actual true being.  There is no way to explain the amount of trust he had given me and I was humbled beyond words.  The mysteries of this dog went far beyond labels or insights into them.  It was Brut sharing with me how and why he is Brut.  There are no words that will ever justify the moments of being that passed between us, only to know they are forever imprinted on my heart.  A being who took a chance to open to me.  Our communication was beautiful.  It was like walking through Brut's world and experiencing it first hand.

Trust