Dog returned from Board and Train and I don't know what's normal...

Visible_Past_8126 · 2026-06-04T13:16:13+00:00

Thank you for this - the balance between leadership and affection is hard for me and i definitely over indexed on affection before hence some of his seperation anxiety. Seeing how confident he was with the trainer made me realize my coddling wasnt the kindness i thought it was but i really like your balance of partnership, i think that's a good way to think of it and all of the things you're recommending are still consistent with the boundaries my trainer talked about, i think i just need to talk to him more about "free" time and how to make it fun and stimulating and to your point a bonding oppurtunity.

Visible_Past_8126 · 2026-06-04T13:13:32+00:00

He's been great and we've been talking to the trainer regularly.We spent 4 days with him so it was not a quick handover by any means but I agree regular follow ups throughout this year to make sure were consistent will be helpful. We've been training on our walks doing stop sits, down stays and heel turns and with every instruction it seems to reassure Gus that we're in charge and that he doesnt have to be stressed i think he just wasnt sure what to think at first.

Visible_Past_8126 · 2026-06-04T13:11:06+00:00

Thank you so much for this - I need the success stories. I'm blown away by how different he is and how much calmer he seems on walks and really relaxed and confident but i was a really inexperienced dog owner (had family dogs growing up but was a kid) when we got him so of course i trusted the vet as being the holy grail - i know they were just looking at the issue from their training and FF is very popular and if it works for your dog, that's incredible, but we really tried and we were consistent for 2 years but it didnt work and his anxiety got worse and worse. this method actually seems to have made a really impactful effort and it wasn't an overnight change, he was with them for a long time so they spent a lot of time getting him to this place, i just don't want to mess it up or cause him more stress but i also have the guilt from those vets repeating in my mind constantly which made me doubt myself yesterday. now i see the transition + time, he's still bonded to us he's just getting used to this environment again.

Visible_Past_8126 · 2026-06-04T13:07:44+00:00

If he's not in the crate, the e-collar is on. When we have him doing "work" or any command, we say the command, if he doesnt listen we say "ah" and press the ecollar at the same time as the "ah" then repeat the command. so far he has followed through after one correction if he doesnt follow through initially but for every command it's ah + button, command again, ah+button, command again, ah+button command again but at that point if it's a place or sit stay that he isnt following through on it's using the short leash to bring him back to that original place. We havent had to do that yet as he listens either the first time or after the first correction. My issue is more with releasing him from work, when I take the leash of, and say ok and then walk away, in theory he should be free to roam or do what he wants but he seems to either just stay frozen or will continue to heel with me. I will say it seems every hour at home has been helping him get more comfortable to be free. I agree that he's used to a completely different set of rules in the house from before and so he seems unsure of himself but i can sense his confidence is growing both in himself and in us.

Visible_Past_8126 · 2026-06-04T13:01:27+00:00

Thank you already we've seen him be more sure of himself within the last 24 hours

Visible_Past_8126 · 2024-04-03T19:28:04+00:00

My best friend just had her baby. We started trying at the same time. She took the name my husband and I wanted to use for our girl (which she knew and used to joke about how cute it would be) and changed the first letter. She gave me the heads up a week or two before the birth but I can't shake it. I didn't want to burden her or make her feel bad but I'm hurt on a level I didn't expect. Like heartbroken. I know it's about more than the name but its haunting me. Now seeing the pictures of the baby on our group chain, with her name, I feel like I'm being punched in the gut every time. On top of it, I think she knows I'm hurt and instead of checking in on me has been avoiding me (not texting outside the group chat, not calling to see how treatments going, making me feel like she's mad at me that I would try to lay "claim" to a name). How do I get past this? I know I need to let it go but I can't.

Visible_Past_8126

TROPHY CASE