Set backs Suck

The past couple of days have been very rough. Ravi has been struggling and I don't know if it is because I am struggling and it's feeding down the leash or if there is some other issue at work. Addressing my mental state is the first step, and recognizing that not all dog training is mechanics and the communication you are trying to do. Ravi is already showing that he is sensitive to my moods which could be a good thing or a bad thing but only time will tell with that.

Part of why I don't often support people owner training dogs for their own psychiatric needs is that it can be really difficult to fight your own mental struggle well enough to give the dog the tools to help you. That is a big key to the next steps with Ravi, he doesn't understand how to help but he seems to want to. That's mixed up with a lot of him just not understanding.

He doesn't understand how to be in a house and be a quiet house dog. He doesn't understand how to settle and how to relax outside of a crate. He doesn't understand how to act and react in a wide range of situations. That is my job as a trainer. And right now I'm struggling to give him the building blocks to figure this out while trying to live with him while he doesn't understand what to do. Ravi is a big very strong dog and my current biggest issue is he really wants me to pet him. He wants constant attention and he also feels like he needs constant reassurance, and to try to get that he is very pushy and physically he is hurting me. I will state now that I do not believe this will ultimately be an issue but I am monitoring the situation closely because it is hard as an owner-trainer to be realistic about a dog you are hanging your hopes on. In some ways having lost Remy, and still very much feeling her loss is helping me with that. I don't "want" Ravi enough at the moment to give myself illusions.

In other fronts Ravi is a very sweet, very smart, and very willing dog who absolutely Wants to please me. Ravi Wants to be with me and do right, these are useful things. He also genuinely seems to be enjoying getting to meet people. Some of my issues with him are just because of rising pain levels both because of the stress and because of the weather. 

I am still working on some of the same things so it isn't very interesting to report. We are still concentrating on loose lead walking, sit, and down and he seems to have more understanding and as he gains confidence these will improve. Until then I can just keep working with him and assessing where we are.