(no subject)
So I did my therapy thing today and it sort of helped. I don't feel much better, but at least she told me I was wrong and all these ideas are no good and I need to start over. She didn't say it like that, she was just all, people are social beings, I am surrounded by unfortunate circumstances, I should force myself to do stuff I don't want to do and just deal with it... blah blah blah. She gives me sympathy about stuff, which makes me uncomfortable. She's very huggy too when I leave, which makes me think I am probably not doing so good in this aspect either. I don't mind the hugs... I just don't know what to reply when someone says, "Oh, your poor thing." She also reminded me that my hair is getting long cuz I haven't had it styled and colored and cut in a long while... she says I look different. I think that is a positive thing, looking different is nice. Even if it is different as in shaggier, heh, I'm okay with that. I prefer my hair longer... so at least I felt a little hope. I took Sophie for a walk right when I got home. We walked for a little over an hour, we took the long way around the block, up to the Speedway on Schmidt and back, then down Delaware to the school and back, and then home. It's a usual distance for us, but it was ground breaking because she was wearing her Halti- Head Collar. She did roll a little but I had her dinner and some treats on me, so with food as a motivator, I got her to really listen to me for about ten minutes at a time. It is a really cool feeling to walk your dog with only one finger and much less stressful. I didn't yell at her or get frustrated at all, even when she was getting upset, which was a big step as a dog trainer for me. We had to re-direct a lot, which is when she starts to get mad and just pulls no matter what/fights the collar, I have to just move in the opposite direction, which makes her pay attention to me. I also called her name and got her to heel for five minute intervals using food to keep her focus on me. She's really smart when she wants food, and figured out if she is at my side she gets more treats. But we saw a lot of rabbits on our walk, and I found out that playing with bunnies is more important than food when on a walk. Even when she was rearing up like a wild pony (when she saw the bunnies), the Halti stayed put, which I was nervous about, so that was super good. The Gentle Leader we tried before, and she just was not having it. I couldn't get her to walk. She would just lay down, flop on her side, or fight it the whole time. We never made it off our street using the Gentle Leader (I don't think it was gentle enough for her- ironically). The Halti, I think, is better for a soft dog. It is less restrictive and fits around her neck, not behind her ears, like a collar. It looks more like a horse halter and has a safety strap, that you clip to a dog's regular collar, in case they get it off their head while walking. The Easy Walker Harness did work for Sophie, though not as effectively as the Halti, but she is such a little trouble-maker, she learned how to slip out of it. She can be a real escape artist when she wants to be, so I always have to make sure she is not found a training device's weak point. If I had better recall with her, like she came when I called, I would worry less about her getting away and running off. However, she is a hound and she cannot resist a good hunt. I don't know that I will have totally reliable recall with her. I don't think she would kill a bunny if she caught it, because she doesn't go after my Donovan. I think she just wants to play, but hopefully we never have to find out for sure. I hope tomorrow it isn't too terribly cold and wet, because I would like to take Sophie out on a long walk again. We've not had much of a chance yet to these type of walks. She is sensitive to the cold, and if she's not having fun, why do it? She was tired when we got home, so I cleaned a very little, and we sat on the couch together and watched a movie. Sophie is being a very good dog, so that lit me up a little.