Consistency and Routines


Last night and this morning Brea made up for the frustration I felt on Saturday.  Her favorite place is on the rug next to my bed.  Although she still doesn't come downstairs when I call her, she did come downstairs with me without trying to hide or escape three times in a row when I went upstairs to her and said, "Go outside, go potty?"  Each time, she got up and headed down the stairs and sat at the front door while I put her leash on her.  It feels good when that happens, like she's becoming familiar and comfortable with the routine, and more comfortable with me.

Also, three times in a row - and I have mixed feelings about this - she headed left down the street and down Pleasant Road, which is probably one of the steepest, darkest, buggiest streets on this hill.  (Good practice for the Overlook Rock Trail, Mary Thomas!) But it's working for Brea, so I'm not going to argue.  Neighbor cat accompanied us on the last two walks.

I found a website which looks helpful: http://fearfuldogs.com/, created by Debbie Jacobs, and I ordered a copy of her book, "A Guide to Living With & Training A Fearful Dog."

So today feels like one of those days when we've made a tiny little bit of progress.