Food guarding

Jesse has gone for Troy twice over the last few days, both times over food, yesterday though after Jesse had finished his treat... I was luckily there both times and stopped Jesse. Troy of course doesn't just walk away but has a go back. He would never hurt Jesse intentionally, but when Jesse attacks, he doesn't stop until I physically pull him out!

This is the fourth time in a month that he has gone for the other dogs! And he is starting to push his luck with Troy I think! It is definitely Jesse having a go first as Troy always stops immediately when I pull Jesse off.

I will talk to Mark about thyroid testing next Thursday when I see him.

Jesse's skin is clearing up though and the itching is nearly gone.

Jesse at vets

I took Jesse to see Mark again today as his skin is pretty bad again.

Mark looked at him and found that his sores are different this time as there were mainly puss filled spots. He therefore suggested that we do a new course of antibiotics as he didn't feel it was the same problem as before.

I agree with him. So Jesse got an antibiotics injection that lasts 2 weeks... fab, no tablets! Jesse already seems a lot less itchy, though I am not sure whether this is just coincidence as it is surely not supposed to act as quickly as that.

I hope this clears things up once and for all.

Skins sores are back

Over the last couple of weeks, Jesse has started scratching more and more again, and now, the skin sores are back. I am making an appointment with the vets for tomorrow or early next week to discuss our next steps with Paul. I think I am also going to ask for a thyroid test, the allergies, skin problems together with the aggression issues (losing his temper) make me think that thyroid might be an issue.

Jesse lost his temper...

This morning, I had to really tell Jesse off as he completely lost it...

Jesse and Flash were playing whilst I was getting their breakfast ready. As sometimes happens, Flash must have caught him too hard somewhere and Jesse turned round and told him off... only this time, it wasn't just his normal squeaky telling off, then leave it at that. Jesse didn't stop, Flash was cornered against the axolotls tank and just started turning really defensive and serious... It wasn't Flash's fault at all, he had no choice as he couldn't get away from Jesse and Jesse had lost the plot.

I grabbed Jesse by the scruff, hauled him onto the sofa and told him off (verbally, not physically other than just holding on to him). Jesse stopped immediately then and was all appologetic (not submissive, just appologetic) to me as well as Flash... though Flash didn't want to know, poor thing.

This is the first time in a long time that Jesse has lost his temper again. I think it was because Flash accidently got cornered and couldn't get away... I am now even more seriously thinking about having Jesse's thyroid tested. Together with the skin issues (which aren't bad at all at the moment), the aggression may well be an indicator to a problem there! He has however been itching a bit more again over the last couple of days, which would also have contributed to his lack of self-control!

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In training last night, Jesse did well (though heelwork could have been tighter). He actually didn't have a go at anyone and was focused on me ALL THE TIME! What a little star.

I am quite frustrated today regarding the training last night as I was critized about a lot of things (with the very best intentions mind, so I don't blame anyone). Up to now I was always told that doing it my way will not achieve good results in the ring. Now that I have won out of Pre-Beginners and am doing well in Beginners, I was told that what I do may be ok in Pre-Beginners or Beginners, but it won't be good enough in higher classes... Whatever I do doesn't seem to be able to change some people's opinion about my training method (clicker training). I will be just fine in higher classes of course as clicker training works differently and most traditional trainers don't understand how the results come about! So in many exercises it looks like I am letting my dog get away with slack/incorrect execution of exercises, when I am in fact simply shaping something (so what they see isn't the final result yet) or dropping a criteria whilst raising another (e.g. it was the very first time yesterday that I used a cloth in scent which wasn't mine... Jesse found it, I praised him as I needed to let him know as it was the first time, but I then got told not to praise him until he is back with it... Which obviously would teach Jesse nothing as he needed to know that the cloth he found was the right one, never mind about bringing it back or anything, that comes in again once he gets the hang of the first part).
Well, it's one of these things and I will just soldier on my way, as it works. The next and last show this year will be Thurrock in October... We have got 4 weeks to practice till then and hopefully get good results in both Beginners and - for the first time ever - Novice too.