Mollie did well at the vet today! I love to use those opportunities as a teaching moment. There are a lot of new people, smells, sounds, other animals, etc. for Mollie to see and experience. I can also practice maintaining her attention while there are new things going on around her. She did really well and got a lot of very small treats when she made eye contact with me. She also got treats when the veterinarian was doing her exam. It can be scary to a dog when someone suddenly starts putting instruments in their ears and looking in their mouth. If I pair those things with something she really likes, it can create a positive association with that procedure. That, of course, means that I need to know what things are rewarding to her. Mollie will tolerate being held but you can tell it's not her favorite because she wiggles around to get free and sometimes mouths the person holding her. This clearly would not be a good way to reward her. It's good for her to be comfortable with people holding her but that doesn't mean that would be what you would use to reward her.
Because this is a new environment for Mollie, I want to make sure that I'm not forcing her into a situation where she is uncomfortable. She had a chance to explore the new environment at the vet at her own pace. If she seemed nervous about something in the environment, I might approach the object and touch it but I wouldn't force her to come see it. I'd just let her approach when she felt comfortable. Mollie does not show a lot of fearfulness right now but this can show up at other times during the developmental process. Exposing Mollie to new things in a way that doesn't overwhelm her will help to make sure she doesn't grow into a fearful dog.
After meeting a lot of new people and doing such a good job at the vet, it was good to get back to more training. The nice thing about practicing the new things Mollie has learned is that it helps get some of her energy out. We keep training sessions fun and active and Mollie LOVES that. She is happy to learn new things and continue practicing. If she starts to get into trouble in the house, like grabbing a slipper, I can redirect by doing some training with her. By doing that she learns that it pays off more to work with me than it does when she is being naughty in the house. One of the things that Mollie really enjoys doing is her recalls. She is in the beginning stages of learning to come when called.
She thinks it's a lot of fun and I like it because it helps with her energy level. She gets lots of praise and encouragement when she is running towards me and lots of little treats when she arrives. Plus, who doesn't love a dog who so enthusiastically comes to you when you call them?
And then we have a nice, quiet Mollie. Her nap time and my time to catch up on notes.
Time to prepare for tomorrow's long car drive too. Mollie is really good in the crate and rides well in the car but I want to make sure there isn't a big explosion of energy once we get to our destination. I prepared some Kongs to challenge and entertain her. I put a little bit of Kong filling in mixed with a little bit of her kibble. I then put them in the freezer. The filling need not be anything fancy, it can be a little bit of plain yogurt or peanut butter mixed with kibble. Tomorrow, on our road trip, I can put those in her crate so she has something to work on while we drive. She'll still need exercise before we leave and after we arrive but this will help take the edge off.
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