I wanted to give everyone a bit of an update. I know it will be baby steps, but I think it will be good for me to document the progress and then review it as I go along. It will make for a good reminder for when I get frustrated.
We only had 2 instances of peeing indoors yesterday and honestly I figured out that it was because I was not taking Buford out often enough, so I started taking him out every hour, or anytime he got up from a nap, or after eating, etc. Then whenever he did any business outside, he was praised very enthusiastically.
I am still not able to read his body language regarding this issue. My other dog interactions have me trained that intense sniffing was them looking for a spot, however I am going to have to adjust to Buford’s constant intense sniffing of the ground. That should be easy enough for him to train me over time.
I still don’t have the crate, but we are getting one today. I am sure that he will enjoy it very much. When we went to sleep last night, I was expecting him to go to my entrance foyer, where it is the most den like area in the house. Instead, he was searching around for a different spot and finally settled on a chair very near me. I am looking forward to getting the crate for him and I think he will be happy with it. I’ll let everyone know.
The good sign is that he woke me up 2 times over night to take him outside. He did this by very gently putting his nose near my face, just enough for the whiskers to wake me up. When I awoke, I just said, “Buford, do you want to go outside?” He immediately went to the door. We went outside and he took care of his business immediately, received his praise then went right to the door to come back inside.
When we go outside he still beats me out of the door. However when we come back inside, he sits down and waits for me to go inside first and then he waits for me to say, “Buford go inside.” Then he comes in very patiently.
I think he is also starting to recognize his name. When I say his name, he is starting to actually look at me. However, it is still not a strong association. If he is on a scent, then there is no distracting him. That said, it is promising that he is starting to pay attention.
Like I said, baby steps in progress, but I am encouraged with such progress in one day!
Speaking of “intense sniffing”, if you can locate someone local who would be willing to work with you and ol’ Buford, a very enjoyable activity for both of you would be tracking. Essentially, you lay a scent track and at first you lace it with something tasty. The dog gradually learns to follow this track and to find the “scent article” at the end.
It’s a sport for many, but there have been more than one instance where a dog doing this sport has located a kid or Alzheimer’s patient for a worried family.