I meant to start updating on Lita training right away, but, somehow, a month has already come and gone since we adopted her!
When we first brought our girl home she was very timid. I wouldn't say she was scared, but a bit shy--to be expected in a new house. Very well-mannered -- didn't jump on any of the furniture, didn't steal things off of counters or out of the garbage. I gave her a bath right away and while she certainly didn't LOVE it, she tolerated it just fine. Walks were... interesting. She pulled quite a bit. On top of that, encounters with neighborhood dogs didn't go too well. Just passing by dogs or even dogs in yards along the route resulted in pulling and even lunging. No growling, no noise at all really. Unfortunately, none of the neighborhood dogs seem to be well-mannered themselves. Most of them ran towards us or barked and I'm not sure if that's what set her off. But I know that lunging can either be defensive (i.e. she is frightened of the barking dogs) or aggression (i.e. she wants to eat the barking dogs) and we're just not sure which it is.. I'm certainly not going to take the chance with a stranger's dog. The few quiet dogs that we have encountered she has been keenly observant of (a little too keenly for my taste)... but, again, this can either be play or aggression. I am no expert so I'm not quite sure how to interpret.
We don't know a lot about her history. What we DO know is that she has had puppies, has since been through an apparent incomplete spay (that's a whole 'nother story), and has some scars that could be a result of fighting. We were also told by the shelter that she gets along well with other dogs and even had a kennelmate while there. But the lunging and stare-downs have me worried.
Anyway, since we have brought her home she has been getting twice daily walks. Walks are going MUCH better although they are FAR from perfect. Morning walks are typically better than the evening ones. She still pulls initially, but seems to settle after awhile. In the evening it takes her A LOT longer to settle. I usually end up getting frustrated, which I know is awful. We are still avoiding any direct confrontations with other dogs. And when we see one on the other side of the street that she is staring down, I typically will put her in a sit, get her to ignore and then treat. I have no idea if this is "right" or not. I've been reading quite a bit, but, again, my knowledge is limited.
The good side of things is that in a short time, we have been able to get her to sit and wait for her food. I am able to put the bowl down and she will wait until I release her. We've also been working on eliminating her possessiveness of chew toys. Now, instead of pulling on the toy when I try to take it away, she gives it up easily. She has also started bringing her Kong toy inside and outside when told. Yay for small victories!
Also, the parasites, ear infections and skin infections that she arrived with are all cleared up. Minus the blisters on her feet that are apparently due to seasonal allergies (of course our dog has allergies! We both do, why wouldn't she?!).
We have now reached the point that we are ready to start professional training. I have started looking for trainers in the area and, hopefully, within the next month we can get started. I'm excited!
I know that training methods are quite a controversial topic. I would LOVE to start implementing some more serious positive reinforcement training, which is fantastic for obedience training. I really want to teach her to "look," which means to make eye contact with me. I think this will be incredibly useful on our walks.
All in all, we've got a long way to go, but we've definitely made some major steps already. Having a dog is like one big science project. :)
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