The afternoon of the 8th:

Well, sorry to disappoint but there is no magic solution. The PWS calls his bad behaviour a temper tantrum and ascribes it to his age. It’s like a 2 year old pitching a fit in the grocery store - nasty while it’s happening but you know he’ll grow out of it. Her advice is to try to nip it in the bud. The moment he starts, I have to show him that this is not acceptable. I have to use the leash and snap it downwards to keep him on the ground. And if it takes getting angry, then so be it. When I do get angry, he knows and he gets submissive. So it’s up to me to get angry in an instant. Whew. I hope he outgrows it fast!

We went for a walk and she watched as I walked him and then she walked him herself and he was golden. She told me that all my hard work was paying off and not to be worried about the aberrations. So there you go. As for getting his attention, you just have to keep working on it. Making him sit and wait while something is distracting him is a good way to deal with it for now. So if we are out walking and someone with a dog goes by, I will make Rockwell sit and wait. Then, if he tries to jump on the dog as it goes by, I will have more control to stop him.

Next week, I am going to rent a car and we are going to puppy class! There is a place out in the boonies with a converted barn and they do agility work there. Wednesday mornings, they have puppy classes for guide dogs and so Rockwell will get to learn to behave with other dogs in the room. He will also get to run free because it’s an enclosed space.

Then the following week, or some time soon, he is going to go into kennels for a day or two and be assessed that way. So there’s lots new coming up for him. Never mind whenever he gets scheduled for neutering!