Miley had her 2 week follow-up appt. yesterday. It went well. She was no longer tender when the vet touched the tendon. When she was lying down and she fully extended her leg froward, she kept her head on the floor relaxed. Last time she kept picking her head up when the vet extended her leg all the way forward. But the vet said she could feel her muscle tense when she extended it. So she is much better but still has a ways to go. Two more weeks of rest and then she will get checked again.
I put this picture in the blog because it had Miley in it but also that chest. I found that chest at Goodwill over 20 years ago. It was painted the ugliest orange color I had ever seen. I thought I would take it home, strip it and then repaint it. But when I started stripping it, it was beautiful underneath. It took several stripping to get all the paint off and then I just left it natural. I think I might have used some oil on it since stripping it dries out the wood. I really like this chest. It been with us moving to 6 houses. Never any problems. Over Thanksgiving Stephanie came home and said she needed a tacky Christmas sweater to wear for a Christmas party she was going to at school. So can she look through my sweaters. LOL, yea way to build me up there and make me feel good about myself. So she goes through my chest. And yes she found one that works. LOL, I like that sweater too. I guess that shows my taste. She went through the whole chest and found some other outdated stuff she thought was cool and wanted. Also in that chest is my electric blanket. Stephanie put everything she didnt want back in the chest and closed it. The other day I wanted to put my electric blanket on the bed and went to open the chest. Its locked. WTF? Locked?? I dont have a key. Its never been locked. Thats how things sometimes go with Stephanie. She touches it and it breaks. Im not sure how it happens but it happens alot. I know she didnt mean to lock the chest but its locked. Weve tried several times to get it open and no luck. Ugh!!!!!
Ive been thinking a lot about not being able to Q with Miley on course. And since getting Java, Im noticing Miley's quriks a lot more. One of them is her space issuses. She doenst like to come in close to you unless its her own decision. So if you call her while she is going thur the den. Oops, her signals tell her, "go wide, go wide". She will start making wide circles thru the den, kitchen area. Or she turns around and goes the other way. She dodges your hand as it comes out to pet her. If she lays down next to you and you pet her, she gets up and leaves. LOL So since she is on rest and cant or isnt suppose to run around, I thought I would work on her coming close to me. I had to wait her out a pretty long time, but Im finally making some progress. I used the clicker. I called her just saying "come". And then waited until she did something that meant forward motion. Not backward, circling or going wide. No luring. If she leaned foreward or to one step or even attempted to step forward. I clicked and said yes. And then I would throw the treat to her but so that she would have step forward again. Its going pretty well and she she will always step toward me when I call her and lots of times come all they way in and let me pet her. My thought is that we cant work as a team on course because her space bubble is to wide. Lots of times your dog needs to come in close , well if your dog doesnt like close, your in trouble. I ve also been working heeling exercises with her. Just little short ones and not that often.So heeling passed obstcales. I dont know if any of this will make a difference but it cant hurt either. (once again I cant get spell checker to work so read at your own risk.)
10 comments:
I can't believe the chest locked just like that! It is a beautiful piece. Is it something you might be able to pick?
I had to laugh at your daughter borrowing a sweater from you for her tacky sweater party. I always tell my mom that I'm going to do the same thing! :)
Glad to hear Miley is feeling better, and I hope that in a few weeks she'll be good as new. I'll be interested to hear if the "close" work translates on the course. I think it's a great idea!
I have to do a lot of click/treating for coming toward me with both Oreo and Chewy (for different reasons). It's like they think I'm going to bring them right to the vet for a shot if they come toward me when it's not their decision. They both seem to have personal space issues. ALthough, they fight over who is going to sleep on my head each night! Go figure.
Glad to know that Miley is getting better. That chest is really beautiful - hopefully you will figure out a way to unlock it.
Ricky often moves away from me when I try to pet him. Shelties seem to be so weird. I am trying to get him to want to be near me too. He likes routines so much that I am trying to use that. I think what you are trying with Miley is great!
I think most shelties have personal space issues! :-) It is why when people bend over to pet them they back up unlike a golden retriever who will jump up. It just may be that Miley's issues are a little deeper. LOL At least you know it isn't all you. :-)
I'm sorry that the chest is locked, it's a beautiful chest. Hope it will unlock itself again when Stephanie needs something from the chest next time.
Eva has the exactly same space issues like Miley and Ricky. She doesn't like people to pet her, not even me or my husband or Rosie unless she thinks she wants to be petted. She always walks away when my husband goes near her if she's sleeping or having a rest; she will just get up, walk away from him, find a new place and settle herself down there even though it might be just a few steps away.
Katie doesn't really like to cuddle either, and she shys away when you reach out for her head, especially if it's a stranger, but for me too sometimes. I think it might be an 'over bred' issue. But I'm glad you're not giving up on Miley! Can't hurt to work on that team thing...plus she should be HAPPY to come to you when you call. So I hope that all works out.
SOunds like you need a locksmith for the chest...it IS beautiful!!
Sorry about the chest. I've got a child like your Stephanie...he's 20 now and still breaks most of what he touches. He put dents in the front of my new stainless steel refrigerator by leaning on it. Ha.
I also have a dog with space issues like your Miley. I wish I could just pet him, but he's got to be in just the right mood for that to happen. I think of it as independent nature. We play at agility, and he likes it, but I realized he would progress on an obstacle only when he wanted to or when the reward at the end was good enough.
Glad Miley is feeling better. Sorry about the chest. That has to be so frustrating.
Marron's similar, really doesn't like people coming towards her, but she is very easy to "invite" in. I usually can just tell people to "invite" her to come to them, and she will gladly do the full body hug for pets. So it's either "stay away" or "full body hug", she has MAJOR issues with those in between stages though. She's very hands off when it comes to working though, which was what was biting us with the drop and go starts I tried a while back. She did NOT like me reaching for her at the end of runs either, so I taught her to jump up into my arms at the end (again, using the "invite" part to my advantage, might not work for Miley since for Marron it is the act of reaching for her/touching her, and for Miley it seems to be the action of coming in.)
I wonder if the table thing all comes down to the personal space issue for Miley. Where is one place on course you are almost always next to your dog? On the table. Wonder if using some longer distance sends would help her "get" the table?
I know about that going wide..I have herding dogs ;-), and working the recall course the reinforcement zone where you just C/T when they are by your side, SG says to take your treat touch your hip then treat your dog, just doing it here and there and lots of time and maybe some recall to heel exercises over jump
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