Tethering

When I picked Stryker up from her other foster home, I was alerted to the fact that she likes to chase the vacuum. Adorable when the puppy is about 20#, not so adorable for a 60# puppy! Andrea had luck with throwing treats in between vacuum movements. I have had luck with this, as well as crating her, but I also thought tethering her to me might work. Today I tested that theory.

While she wasn't so keen on having to follow me around the house, she learned pretty quickly she couldn't go too far. I vacuum with my right hand, so keeping her on the left was easiest.

(Yes, the vacuum is on, but who wants to listen to that... and she does have minorly sad ears but I wouldn't call her overly stressed by the experience.)

She didn't try to eat the vacuum a single time, and she's working on her LLW skills at the same time! 

Tethering also gives me enough hands to work with her on walking through the doorway with a person, rather than sit/wait/RUN/sit. I'd like her to sit, walk through, reorient, then continue walking.

As I type, she's still tethered. We've been moving around the house like this today. Rewarding with pet/praise/food for appropriate behaviors. Reward based on level of difficulty. We practice sits and downs, chewing on bones while I do dishes, going in and out of doorways... and letting the cats walk by without giving chase.

She's a brilliant puppy.