My name is Boston. I’m a 4 year old Labrador. Despite my sturdy size I don’t have a very sturdy constitution. I was attacked as a young adult dog while I was on the lead. Now when I go out on the lead I get very worried when I see other dogs.
I also get very worried when my humans leave me at home alone. This got worse after my human mum had 6 months at home on maternity leave. Unfortunately I got very little practise at being outside alone during that time.
Recently we’ve moved house and my mum has returned to work. Sadly this combination is not working very well for me at all.
Today we did some exercises very close to home so I wouldn’t start to panic. One exercise involved teaching me to check in more frequently with my human when I am on the lead. Once I am confident with this near to home we will venture further afield. My human found I am very easy to train with tiny pieces of cheese.
My human has also started short exercises in and around the home to model and reassure me that being alone for short periods is not really as bad as I first imagined. She only leaves me alone for short periods at the moment so I begin to accept it more and panic less.
Once we have mastered our check-in and settling skills in increasingly distracting environments we will do a lesson in the company of some “fake” dogs and some settled adult dogs. I think my human and I just need to get our confidence back in tiny steps so I can become a more chilled dog, seeking out the guidance of the person at the other end of the leash.
Do you have a dog like Boston? Find out more about in-home consultations.