puppy lose of appetite [ninnyboy] [jerry]

wrote:
wrote:
HOWEDY dallygirl,

dallygirl wrote:
reading through your post it reads as though you bought
your pup from a pet store,is this right?

That's IRRELEVENT, dallygirl.

Actually, to a tardo like you, it's irrelevent. To someone with a
brain, it's quite relevent.


its natural for any dog to have a loss or dip in appetite
after a big change in life which includes a new home but
if this is a pet store dog then even more so.

That's a load of CRAP dallygirl.

You are full of ****, asshowe. It's so not a load a crap.

ETHICKAL breeders and
RESCUERS like you blame the DOG or his BREEDIN for problems
CAUSED BY YOUR OWN MISHANDLING and ABUSE dallygirl {); ~ )

many pet shop dogs are the result of puppy farmed dogs

That's IRRELEVENT dallygirl.

You are full of ****, asshowe. It's so not a load a crap.


which means your dog would have had very little human contact

If the pup doesn't BITE when you pick him up HE'S SOCIALIZED.

Again - a simpleton - or insane person's view - of animals. It's too
bad you weren't mentally intact - you could have someday actually
learned how to deal with all animals. As of now, you couldn't deal
with a freakin' ant.


may not have seen daylight

Perhaps they've been kept in an artificial biologically
correct environment, grow lites and all, dallygir?

and would certainly have not ventured from
the pen or area he was kept in

LIKE ANY ETHICKALLY BRED KENNEL DOG, dallygirly.

with no medical treatment.

WHAT MEDICAL TREATMENT IS NECESSARY FOR PUPPERLY
HANDLED ETHICKALLY BRED DOGS, dallygirl?

Depends on the animal and the condition, asshowe.

so consider his feelings

"FEELINS", dallygirl?

I believe that's what she said - "feelings", to be exact. Did
something confuse you there, or do you just have the IQ of a Triscuit
snack cracker? Do you still think you are funny/clever spelling ****
the wrong way? Let me tell you a little secret - you aren't...you make
yourself look like a complete fool with every post...


Subject: Starr's Stories

To whom it may concern,

My name is Crystal Arcidy

I am the proud owner of a beautiful 3 year
old white German Shepherd named Starr.

I am writing to inform you of a training method that is truly amazing.
Starr is by nature very cautious and fearful and because of this and
my not knowing how to handle it she became environmentally shy
as well.

Before Starr came into my life I never would
have believed that a dog could be the way
she was unless it had been badly abused or
trained to be aggressive.

Now I'm finding out more and more that there
are lots of dogs with serious behavior problems
who were never abused, but mishandled.

Before I tell you about my experience with
Jerry Howe, Doggy Do Right, and the Wits
End Dog Training Technique I would like to
relate to you Starr's story so you'll have a
better understanding as to what I was dealing
with:

Starr was three months old when I brought
her home from a local pet shop. A few days
later a friend came by to see her and that was
when I first saw that Starr was by no means friendly.

She was so shy she tried to pull away and hide.
I was told that dogs go through a "fear stage"
and thought that was all I was dealing with.

But after a week or two Starr began barking
protectively at guests and neighbors from
inside the house.

The only way I could stop the barking, and
later howling, was if I picked her up and
held her.

Outside Starr's behavior was not protective
it was horribly fearful. It got to the point that
when I would ask, "You want to go outside?"
Starr would run the other way and dodge me
so I would make her go.

She went out only to relieve herself and then
she'd dash back to the house. I could not take
her for walks and she wouldn't even sit on my
back deck without crying.

Starr was afraid of other dogs, people, cars,
loud noises, open spaces....everything. I was
sure that she had the potential of becoming
a fear biter and that worried me.

I spoke with an amateur dog trainer who said
that shepherd's are sometimes fearful as
puppies, especially females, and that training
and socializing would help.

She said I could bring Starr to the vet and
just sit with her so she could watch the other
dogs. But Starr was a nervous wreck in the vets.

She would get in a corner and shake terribly.
It didn't seem like it was helping at all with
my dog's anxiety and I asked the vet what
to do to get her over her fears.

The doctor recommended a trainer/behaviorist
and we called and set up a meeting. And so I
took Starr to her first trainer at six months old.

She was terrified. The trainer assured me that
he could 'get her through' her fears. He
explained to me how training would lessen
Starr's anxiety and build confidence.

Because Starr was so timid he wanted to
start out with clicker training. He said it was
the best form of training for shy dogs.

He instructed me to get a thin three foot
stick to be the focus, the object being Starr
would learn to follow the stick. Every time she
touched it with her nose she got a click and a treat.

After I got Starr home it only took about a
minute for Starr to get the idea. But these
results were restricted to inside my house.

When I took Starr outside or to her lessons
she was just too nervous to care about
eating. The reward was not worth it.

All Starr wanted was to get back to the house,
where she felt safe. When the trainer realized
that Starr was too uncomfortable at his place
he suggested we meet and work at my house.

It was then that he saw that Starr was not going
to progress using the clicker training. [Forcing
food into her mouth didn't make her want to eat
it] So he reverted to conventional methods.

*(The "BALANCED TRAINER" IOW, knows WHEN to HURT... jh.)

We started using a flat collar but with all the pulling
Starr would do the trainer quickly advised me to
purchase a choke chain. I did so and he showed
me how to use it.

I was very hesitant but he assured me that I
could not hurt the dog.

We continued working in an area Starr was
pretty comfortable in, then proceeded out to
the street. Starr was very scared and would
bolt, whine, shake horribly and grind her teeth.

All of which got corrected by a quick, sharp
jerk on the chain and a firm "No!"

Of course now I know that these firm
corrections were just creating more anxiety
for my dog. But at the time it seemed to
make sense.

After seeing how afraid Starr actually was
on the street the trainer told me to get some
Serene-um, an herbal product that would
calm her down. It took the edge off her fear,
but I had to give her beyond the dosage
recommended for her weight.

The trainer said that was fine. He also told
me that putting her on adult food would help.
That way she wouldn't have as much energy
that was just being turned into nervous energy
and making her worse.

I changed her food and he later recommended
senior food. I decided against that.

The trainer told me not to speak reassuringly when
Starr was scared because she would think she was
being praised for being afraid, that I wanted that behavior.

He told me never to praise her for barking because
it would encourage aggression.

When Starr would bark at the neighbors dog aggressively
I was to force her into a submissive down, the Alpha Rollover,
whichI was never able to maneuver.

I told the trainer that Starr was still
uncontrollable even with the choker.

Her fear seemed more important than the pain
she experienced from the collar. He suggested
getting her a Gentle Leader.

Its worn around the dog's head. I'm sure
you're familiar with the product. This gave
me more control over her bolting but when
she got spooked by something she would
pull away and reared up like a wild horse.

It was very difficult to get her to calm down
even a little after she had gone to this extreme.

I later found out that I was misdirected on
how to use the Gentle Leader.

After about seven months of this Starr had
made very little progress. She knew all the
commands and would do them perfect when
calm, but the fear and anxiety were still there
and still very much in control of her.

The trainer thought she was all right and told
me he was happy with the results. At that
point I was hardly listening to anything he said.
I knew he was trying to help but I also knew
that Starr was beyond him and I had already
set up a meeting with another trainer, one
that came highly recommended.

The second trainer referred to her place as
doggy boot camp and said that kind of
discipline and structure is what dogs,
especially dogs like Starr, really needed.

She was a breeder of German Shepherds
and several of her dogs were used in movies
and as therapy and protection dogs.

*(Our "ETHICAL" breeders... jh.)

She told me that Starr needed to get away
from me, her 'security blanket' and learn to
be on her own. She told me that when I got
Starr back she would be a totally different dog.

I left Starr for eleven days with this trainer.
When I went to pick her up I was informed
that Starr had been hiding for the first three
days of her stay. But the trainer was happy
with her progress.

When Starr was brought out I was told to
ignore her until the trainer said it was okay
and even then I couldn't pet her or kneel
down to see her. [I still don't know why.] My
formerly 65 lb. German Shepherd looked like
a Greyhound she was so thin.

But she did look much more confident. Her
face seemed relaxed, but her tail was tucked
up under her. When I asked about that the
trainer said it was nothing. She said her tail
was not suppose to curl up the way it did.

I was then informed that I needed to buy a
pinch collar and leather leash.

Starr was too strong and determined in her
pulling for me to get by with just the choker.
[ This trainer laughed at the Gentle Leader
and said it was not a training tool.]

The trainer showed me how to use the collar
and I flinched as she did and Starr let out a
sharp cry.

The trainer noticed my reaction and insisted
that she wasn't hurting my dog, saying that I
have to stop treating Starr like a 'piece of
china', saying that she was a strong dog
and needed to be told who was boss.

I accepted what she said and she proceeded
to teach me all that she had taught Starr.
She used the word 'Here' instead of 'Come'
saying that it sounded nicer to the dog and
more inviting. I was told that its best if when
called Starr comes right up close, attaining
physical contact.

Everything seemed to be going well, though
I wouldn't have said she seemed like a different
dog, until the trainer left to get Starr's old collar
for me.

When she returned Starr lunged and barked
aggressively. It took me completely by surprise.
I did not know why she was acting so aggressive.

The trainer took the leash and gave Starr a
strong reproof for that and explained to me
that some dogs [big nasty ones, she said]
acted like that when the owners came to get
them because they were afraid, on seeing
the trainer, that she would take them away
from their owners again.

This trainer also instructed me to 'punish'
Starr by ignoring her for a half hour or so
after she had been corrected for something
very bad or if she did not do good working
for me one day.

She said that dogs remember when they do
bad and that she'd learn to try harder to please
me.

So I took my skinny little shepherd home
and for two months worked with her every
day exactly as I was told.

Starr's anxiety was still profound and she
still was not happy to go for a walk or to
stay outside.

She was more confident, but only in areas
of aggression, territorialism, and being
possessive of me. [She did not like it when
my cat came into my room.]

I called the trainer to ask about barking
collars and she told me which one to buy.

After I got it she showed me how to use it
saying it must be tight. She said it would
help with Starr's aggression as well as the
barking. And for a while it was much quieter
in my house.

I did not like the way the collar sometimes
made Starr cry and I really didn't like how
if my two dogs were real close the other
dog's bark would sometimes set it off. But
it was only temporary, I thought. I always
checked for irritation on my dog's neck but
one day when I took the collar off I saw
that Starr had sores on her throat.

I kept the collar off until it was completely
healed and then used it only when I felt I
had to, and only on the lowest setting.

*(HOWE COME all these stories sound
alike??? jh.)

It wasn't long before I put it away and never
used it again. I made arrangements to bring
Starr back to her second trainer to work
together and in exchange I would help taking
care of the other dogs -cleaning and feeding
and such- but it never worked out and I am
so glad it didn't!

My next attempt to find help was after I read
a pamphlet on Ttouch. I thought, finally, this
will help! I spoke to the Ttouch practitioner
and set up an appointment. She came to the
house and evaluated Starr.

She told me it would most likely take many
sessions to get Starr over her issues. The
first thing she had me do was change from
the pinch collar to a flat collar the second
thing she had me do was put a T-shirt on
my dog.

She likened the feel of shirt to getting a hug.
Starr did seem to calm down when she was
wearing the T-shirt. Looking back I realize
that although Starr was calm she was far
from happy and relaxed.

I wanted to work outside, thinking it would be
easier on my dog since she got so upset when
people came into the house. But the Ttouch
lady insisted we work inside the house, saying
that she had to get used to people coming inside.

I went along with what she said, but after the
aggression brought out by the second trainer
and the pinch collar Starr was very difficult to
handle.

Next the Ttouch person showed me a few
different touches to do on Starr. She
demonstrated the touches on a large
stuffed animal I had because she couldn't
get close to Starr let alone to actually touch her.

She said that dogs keep all their stress in their
tail and I was instructed to do Ttouch on her
tail. She showed me what she called an ear
slide that would help with car- sickness and
it worked.

Then she talked a lot about calming signals,
yawning, sighing etc.... Starr was uncomfortable
with this strange way of petting and cried a lot,
but the lady informed me that was normal.

The touches are designed to change the
cellular memory and Starr knew that this
was not petting. It was a 'conscious touch'.

The weirdest thing was an effort to make
Starr aware of her body. She demonstrated
on the stuffed animal [she was still unable to
touch Starr] how to wrap ACE bandages around
the animal's body so that as they moved they
would feel it and be aware of themselves.

And then there was the hair elastics around
my dog's feet to give her a better awareness
of her feet because Starr was nervous walking
on hard,smooth floors.

To address the problem I was having with
Starr pulling on the leash the Ttouch person
instructed me to take the middle of my six
foot leash in my left hand and bring it up
above Starr's left shoulder, then place the
length of the leash real low across her chest
and bring the handle up above her right
shoulder and hold it in my right hand.

The plan was to keep her front legs from
being able to move fast enough to pull.
But Starr easily backed out of this
arrangement and took off, bolting to the
end of the lead.

I told the lady what was happening and
she recommended a harness.

After Starr was wrapped in bandages, wearing
a T-shirt, a muzzle and a harness we took her
out-side.

Starr was not happy. I was not happy. But
the Ttouch person said it would help so we
did it. After a month of this I gave up on
Ttouch and went back to the pinch collar
with which I had at least some control.

*(Sound typical, doesn't it... jh.)

I asked a friend to help simply by coming
over and trying to make friends with my dog.
I kept a muzzle on Starr most of the time
and eventually my friend got to pet her,
though Starr was not comfortable with it.

My friend suggested that I give Starr Passion Flower and I tried it.

*(An EXCELLENT sleep aid... jh.)

At this point I had already tried a number
of different herbs and herbal mixtures that
were especially for dogs.

The herbs didn't make enough of a difference
and I thought about putting her on Prozac or
something like it. I decided against it because
of fears of side affects and was back where I
started, except worse because Starr was now
showing signs of aggression after working with
that second trainer.

I found another dog training place this one
claimed to be the 'Disney World for dogs'.
I went down to talk to the people there
before putting Starr through it.

One of the trainers there told me that if my
dog was over two years old and still the
way she was then she'd be like that forever.

I was extremely discouraged by that, but I
wouldn't allow myself to believe it was true.

Needless to say Starr never went to those
trainers.

Ever since I realized that Starr was not a
normal dog I've been searching for a way
to help her get over her fears.

It became the most important thing to me.
I was sure that I would find answers and I
knew I couldn't give up. I knew I couldn't
live with her the way she was and I knew
I couldn't give her away so I just continued
searching.

I read training and behavior books one after
the other. Some were very discouraging in
what they had to say about shyness in dogs.

The last book I bought was called "Help For
Your Shy Dog" and it gave an example
of a dog in recovery from fear and anxiety
and it had taken the owner/trainer five years
to get to that point!

And the dog was still a work in progress!

When I first decided to try Mr. Howe's
machine I was hopeful if not confident.
I did not want to speak to him at first
because I did not want to hear what I
heard from the other trainers. I did not
want to trust another trainer only to be
disappointed in the end.

I found Doggy Do Right on-line at a friend's
house, got the information and decided to
give it a try. I noticed within a few days, if
that long, that Starr was calmer when the
machine was on.

Things would happen that would normally
upset her and she'd give one or two barks
and then give up.

When I saw her acting calm I'd look over
at the machine and every time, at first, it
was on. After a little while of using the
machine along with the training technique
I'd check to see that the reason for her
self-controlled barking was that Doggy Do Right
was on and I was amazed to see that it wasn't.

I was like, "Wow, she's being so good and the
thing isn't even on!" The tiny part of my crazy
dog that had some self-control, or some
semblance of ease, was growing stronger.

The training and the machine were allowing
Starr to realize that not everything in the world
is going to kill her.

As far as the training technique, it's gentle,
fast, and completely positive.

Mr. Howe's approach to training is so different
from any other form of training that even after
reading his training manual I had to call and
speak with him in order to really understand
his method and the reasoning behind it and
how to apply it with particular situations with
Starr.

I had many questions and misconceptions
because of all the other training information
I got and he took time to explain everything.

He told me that all Starr's behavioral problems
were connected and that properly handling
each one would help the others.

All the little things that I was ignoring
because, in comparison to Starr's main
problems, they seemed irrelevant I started
working on, each thing she worked through
helped to deal with the next.

Mr. Howe was very helpful and after putting
a flat collar back on my dog and working with
her a few weeks I saw a change in her general
attitude. I was glad that I was not to use a food
treat with this system, knowing that if food was
the incentive it wasn't going to work for my dog.

Starr was much happier and relaxed without
the pinch collar and her barking was much
more controllable.

Starr, however was too difficult for me to
handle and I was not proficient at this new
form of training and I ended up taking her
to meet Mr. Howe and he worked with her.

I was surprised that Jerry was able to pet
my dog let alone work with her the first day.
For one week he had her and the change in
Starr was incredible!

She was happy and relaxed. She was willing
to work and she was much more comfortable
being around cars and people. We met on
three occasions during that week to work
together and I learned so much.

The first time we got together to work Starr
was much more content and happy. By the
end of the session Starr was willing to go
with Jerry in his car.

This impressed me because of what happened
when Starr thought the second trainer she had
was going to take her away from her family.

But she was comfortable with Jerry and the
reason for that was the way he treated her.
I was amazed while, on the last occasion
that we worked together, people walked by
my dog without upsetting her.

I was expecting her to bolt away but she
didn't. She was calm and confident as they
passed, which, for her, was a huge change.

The Wits' End Dog Training method is based
on distraction and praise. It focuses more on
the thought process than a dog following commands.

The dog psychology Jerry has figured out
and built his method around is amazing.

I learned from him how to handle the leash
in a way so as to keep my dog calm. He
explained that because of all Starr's past
experience with training she was always
afraid of being corrected.

Tension on the leash is what caused her
to spook so I now keep the leash nice
and slack.

He taught me how and when to praise in
order to encourage thought and instill
confidence and trust.

His technique using the sound distraction and
exuberant praise gave me the answer to the
endless barking and the cat-chasing and all
without stressing out my hyper-sensitive dog.

Starr is a much happier dog and she has so
much more confidence in herself and in me
as her handler.

I will never use any other form of dog training
on any dog I ever own/train.

Mr. Howe's approach to dog training has
ended up saving many mislabeled "bad
dogs," turning them into great pets and
working dogs.

I am recommending this and only this
form of training to anyone with dogs no
matter what it is they want to accomplish
with their dogs.

As you now know I have tried everything
I could find to help my extremely nervous,
but wonderful dog and this is the only thing
that has really made a difference in Starr's
behavior and her general attitude.

As a dog lover and the owner of a so-called
"lost cause dog" I feel I must share with you
my experiences and advocate this system.

There is nothing better for disturbed dogs
and no better way of preventing bad behavior
then positive, gentle training.

I will recommend nothing else and never
again will I use any other form of training,
discipline and behavior modification.

Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Crystal Arcidy

========================

Subject: letter about crate

Starry's Scary Night

Anyone reading this letter is familiar with
my white shepherd Starr and her problems
with fear and anxiety.

Starr has made a lot of progress since my
last letter and continues to make progress
almost daily.

For a while Starr was going through a
transition period where she was expecting
me to go back to the old ways of training
and discipline.

She would refuse to perform the
commands right and just not want to work.

With a ton of self-control I kept the
exercises simple during this time, spending
most of our training session doing the "hot
and cold exercise."

Starr soon bounced out of her unsure
sliding-back-and-forth stage and is stable
now.

The reason for this letter is to talk a
bout crates and the emotional state they
can put a dog in.

Only after I dealt with the crate situation
I'll be explaining was Starr able to make real
progress.

After that the back sliding mentioned above
was only a matter of time, patients and being
consistent.

First let me just say that I'm not saying
that you shouldn't use a crate. Only that you
make sure to use it right for the emotional state
of your dog.

Ever since Starr was a pup whenever I
left her alone I put her in her crate. If we had
company Starr went in her crate because she
was not friendly and would bark and hide.

Nights she also spent in her crate which
seemed like a retreat to her, a comfort zone.
But that false sense of security made the
world outside her crate seem all the more
scary.

Starr was unintentionally "taught" that
whenever something was unusual in the
house that she was to go to her "safe place"
and then everything would be all right.

The problem became evident when we
got Starr home afterher training in FL. Starr
was so much more confident in herself. But
her fear was triggered by all her past feelings
associated with her familiar surroundings.

Mr. Howe told me to expect Starr might
back-slide and to simply keep working her
until she came around.

I worked with my dog but at night I put
her in her crate. The next morning all the
work I had been through the day before,
and whatever progress she had made
seemed to have disappeared.

I spoke to Mr. Howe about what was
going on and he explained that the false
sense of security Starr got from the crate
was making her fear the outside world.

When she got in the crate she felt safe,
after all that was where I put her whenever
something was unstable [if I left, company
etc..] When she came out she was leaving
behind that security.

At first I was going to try to recondition
her to being in the crate but I was so afraid
of all the training and confidence she got in
FL being lost that I decided to just stop using
the crate. So I left her in my bed room instead.

She was not comfortable with this at first.
It seemed like she felt she didn't know where
she belonged and that made her anxious.

But using the "surrogate toy" technique and
sound distraction and praise cured her of this
anxiety in less then a half hour.

Now Starr is comfortable and content to
hang out alone in my room. She's not emotionally
confined to just my bed or to her doggy bed and
she is not at all destructive.

I am lucky that Starr's separation anxiety
was never expressed in messing or chewing,
though once she took my violin shoulder rest
from my closet and kept it with her on my bed.

She did, however tip over my waste basket twice.
Both times I addressed the expression as it says in
Jerry's manual and that's no longer a problem.

Crystal Arcidy

=======================

Thursday, September 12, 2002 2:27 PM
some good news :^) -kinda long though

Hi Jerry,

I've been really focusing on using the sound
when Starry breaks the heel and its amazing
how it calms her down.

She's gained so much self control from it.

I wanted to tell you of some of her latest triumphs.

Last week my car died while I was out and
while we waited for my dad Starr had a good
and unplanned training session. First she
saw fellow GSD, barked and settled after I
praised then made a sound distraction and
more praise.

The next time she saw that dog she
did not bark! I was very surprised.

Then she saw another dog and it worked
the same way as with the GSD. I told her "its
friends good girl" and she allowed a person
to walk very close to my car without barking
or [more importantly] getting nervous.

The other day, while I was working with
Starr a small child went by us slowly on a
little bike about 7-10 ft from us [Starr between
the child and me and heeling perfectly].

I said it was friends and Starr was completely
cool with it, didn't flinch or even look on the
child cautiously. Then the mother came up,
again I assured Starr that it was a friend.

As soon as the woman was parallel with
us she stopped, put her hands to her face
and called loudly to the kid. Starr looked over
with a hint of caution and I made a distraction
and praise and she relaxed and continued
walking with me.

Later I was standing by my car. Starr was
not on command. Two people were walking
toward us. I put Starr in a sit stay, told her it
was friends and praised her as she calmly
watched the couple pass. They were about
the length of my car away from us.

I was in my car, about to leave when
the same couple went back the other way.
With Starr inside the car I expected her to
by a little protective of "her space" so I
readied a sound distraction and waited.

She saw them and laid down in the back seat
contentedly.

Last time we were working on heeling and
stays and a truck drove right up to us and
stopped leas then 10 ft away. I placed Starr in
a sit stay by my side, did the relaxation touches
and praised her. The man was talking to me
about Starr [the common question "is that a
white shepherd? I've never seen one before!"

Then his all black shepherd started barking
at Starr. At first she was a bit nervous, I saw it
in her face and I snapped my fingers and praised,
and said it was friends. She calmed down and
remained in the sit position.

I was so proud!

They truck drove off and I asked Starr to heel
then released her.

I was so nervous about working her around
people not long ago. Mostly afraid that I would
mess her up. And this summer has been tough
and busy because of other things so that I
wasn't able to give Starr my full attention. But
she's really making progress fast.

I'm training her not to enter into my car until
I say and not to get out of the car until I say. I
think and hope this will lessen the anxiety she
feels about getting out in a new or "scary" place.
I'll let You know how she does with it.

Crystal Arcidy

=======================

Here's another update on Starr's Story:

From: Crystal
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 10:39 PM
Subject: (no subject)

I love to play the piano. The problem was
that Starr, my white GSD got impatient and
didnt like all my attention being on something else.

When I'd play for more then 20 minutes without
stopping she'd pace around the room and whine.

She'd look straight at me whining loudly, wagging
her tail and sometimes stomping her feet.

I mentioned it to Jerry and he told me how to
handle it. What I had to do was break her 20 minutes
tolerance time just before it was up in order to restart
her clock.

I started playing and played for about
18 minutes then stopped, closed the book
and the cover for the keys, walked across
the room busied myself for just a moment
before returning to the piano, opening the
cover and a book and starting to play again.

Starr watched me as I did this. She was
distracted from her set time limits, but she
didn't know that my actions had anything
to do with her, which is good since in this
case the whining was an attention getting
device.

And so she stayed in the room with me,
comfortable and relaxed, not concerned with
the fact that she wasn't getting any attention.

15 minutes later I got up and walked away
from the piano. I took a book from the shelf
and went back to sit at my piano.

Starr again watched me until I started playing.
I played for a few minutes longer then stood and
turned my attention to my dog and asked if she
wanted to come with me as I left the room.

I planned to do this exercise a few more
times over the next coupleof days but there
was no need.

As of yet Starr has not returned to whining
and pacing. She simply lays down or watches
out the window while I practice, and happy to
get attention when I turn to her or when I'm done.

I'd like to note that a while ago, before we
found the Wits' End Training Method, if Starr
heard the piano from another room she would
whine or bark to get me to come back.

It seemed to cause her anxiety to hear the
piano and know that I was going to be away
from her for as long as she heard it. But she
was uncomfortable in the room where the
piano is because it was formerly off limits to
her while she was being house broken.

Even though she has been allowed in the
room for a long time she was never content
being in there for long.

Now if she hears the piano and she's not
in the room with me she comes and finds me,
says hi with a kiss, wagging tail and happy face
then makes herself comfortable as I play.

The above problem may seem small but its
another way in which Starr has grown calmer
which is great and I can play my music without
Starr singing in the background which made it
hard to concentrate.

Crystal Arcidy