Ziggy has always had a slight fear of his towel which has got so much worse since adolescence, in fact so bad that he bit me recently after a particularly muddy walk. It was a very horrible day for both of us. I couldn't believe that he had done it (and I don't think that he could either), he was so stressed he peed in a straight line up into the air while lying on his back. We both spent a little time away from each other - he slept and I cried. But after all the drama had subsided we have been undertaking Systematic Desensitisation and today was a real break through. Ziggy is able to be wiped down without too much fear. Fingers crossed if this continues he may actually begin to enjoy it!
Systematic Desensitisation is changing an emotional response to something that the dog fears. In this case the towel - by playing fetch, tug and 'high five' with the towel itself; also a bit of rough and tumble (which is his favorite) with the towel over my hand so that he gets used to being touched by it. Another good one that Simone Day (a behaviourist) told me about is getting your dog to wipe his own feet by doing 'round round' on a mat.
Hey Lu, That sounds like a real breakthrough!!! No more muddy paw marks on the floor then?? He's a love really isn't he? M.
ReplyDeleteyes, we're getting there...the weather here is gorgeous today so he wasn't actually muddy...but had he been the towelling would have worked today and that's the important thing! but the other important thing is less mopping and wiping down walls after his 'shiba shake'!
ReplyDeleteKnow the feeling
ReplyDeleteM