positive results from dexters training!

So It has been one week and one day since we changed the greetings and goings with dexter. We started gradual departures at just 5 minute intervals and had some whining.

Yesterday was the FIRST day we left dexter alone since my vacation for a longer period of time.

We did a couple things differently so its hard to pinpoint exactly what helped or if it was a combination. A few things we did:
-we have a crate in the bedroom for sleep and one in the living for when we leave. we moved his bed into the living room crate and use cozy blankets for his bed time crate. We practiced gradual departures and no dram hellos and goodbyes.

Brandon came home yesterday from work after having dexter in the crate for 5 hours and dexter was LAYING DOWN CALM and absolutely NO drool! Same happened today and when we let him out of his crate he's calm and just stretches.

Before he would drool profusely, be hunched over because he didnt want to lay in his drool, and he was itching to get out of the crate and go crazy.

Needless to say so far it's been a great success! We're still going to keep practicing little departures with him.

Also.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely crazy wonderful husband. Thank you to bre, zev, and brandons parents for coming to celebrate!

It's bed time I'm running on E.

Stay day 2

Well, my keys are definitely a trigger for dexter getting anxious to me leaving. So, today I picked up my keys and carried them around jingling while I matched socks and had breakfast. 

I have to keep showing positive recognition also, when he goes outside for me. Right now, half the time its a stare down because he doesn't want to go out in the cold.

So we practiced stay in the bedroom where we keep his crate. I have not done it yet in the crate.  I was fine getting down the hall but once I walked down the kitchen stairs and touched the floor near the door he would come running.  So we went back to the room and tried again 2nd, and third time he stayed!

Alas, I had to go to work so I set his toys in the crate and decided to crack the curtains, when I turned around he was just sitting in his crate haha.

I started reading. The power of positive dog training
By pat miller....read it!