Aayla, Rebel and Ryker

From a while ago, but I find it an interesting (if not sad) watch for behavior. Ryker has improved so much but this is always there. Always something I have to work hard on to lessen and try to avoid the triggers that cause this state of being. Just in case anyone is wondering this set up was a lot easier than he is used to doing. He can do a pile of 14 articles but I wanted an easy session for confidence building. 🙃

It used to be that having Rebel and Aayla in the room with him while he trained (and he kind of had to be pushy for his turn) was helping him have turned into the complete opposite now.

Aayla has only grown more impatient and pushing of boundaries in her old age so her stationing behavior isn't as great and I've had to physically guide her to her bed a few times and interrupt Ryker's training. So me telling Aayla to go to bed has turned into a trigger.

Another trigger is now Rebel. She will chase down his tossed food if he isn't fast enough and it now causes him to shut down and refuse food all together. Normally she is pretty good about laying down in her spot and waiting for treats but now it just stresses Ryker out to a point where he can't work.

Aayla is aging faster than I thought she would. She is a lot slower now and we're struggling to find a pain management program that works for her. She is a lot slower on her walks and sometimes would rather just turn around and go home.

Her hind end is a little weak and we're not sure why. I'm saving up for a more specialized vet to hopefully help her find a pain management system that works and fitness program. She turns 11 next month and I just don't see us diving into any intensive surgery or anything if we do find the reason and it needs that. Between her age and how hard her elbow surgeries were on her I won't put her through that in her senior years.

She still loves to play and train. She still tries to boss Rebel around, carries around her favorite dinosaur toy, plays tug and is the light of my life. She really makes my life better every single day.

Ryker is the same immature goofy child that he is. I have to give him credit that he has done a lot of maturing recently. He has done a few more agility trials and done well, he trains more reliably now and his overall anxiety and stress has decreased. He is easier to handle out on walks and makes better choices most of the time now. He still has his moments but our relationship has gotten so much better.

I feel a bit guilty but I haven't been doing as much with Rebel. Yet she is doing well, enjoying her training sessions and walks when we can get her out. She is getting more and more cuddly as she ages now. She just turned 4 last month.

Then the last update for now...

I've been trying to figure out why Ryker is struggling with completing his weaves. While we can only guess it's important to try and find any patterns.

At the trial Ryker managed to get 1/5 attempts of the weaves. His errors were popping out at pole 9-10 the four times with errors. (I reattempted the weaves once to see if he could get it then left it alone and moved on)

The successful weave attempt:

I stopped him before the weaves to connect and send him in.

Was doing NFC and was more relaxed about it and was carrying a toy.

He was weaving at a gentle angle away from fencing.

Was heading towards a tunnel entrance (which I would think would be HARD)

The unsuccessful weave attempts

A gentle angle towards the ring fencing.

I was closer to him adding to the pressure on both sides (fence on one side, me on the other)

Moving towards a jump

Regular run, no toy and possibly more ring stress from me.

He looks at me right after pole 9 instead of driving forward.

So the original plan was only to enter the two Jumping classes at NFC. Well we got there and the trial was quiet, small and Ryker was in a good mood. Our agility instructor said we should just enter Snooker and if that went well to enter Speedstakes as well. Jumping would be in the middle and we could end with a smooth course without weaves. Snooker went great so I did regular the rest of the runs.

Snooker: NFC, very happy with that run.

Jumping 1: NQ because of weaves, kept popping out at pole 10. Otherwise this run felt very nice.

Jumping 2: NQ due to same weaves issue. This run felt like a mess, I thought he understood his wrap away cue. He does not and that is my fault.

Speedstakes: Q! He had two refusals but refusals do not count for beginner level. I felt like this was a great way to end the day. The run felt great, we just had a few bobbles that caused him to run past two jumps but we recovered.

Overall I'm very happy, still just focusing on exposure to trials, his arousal levels and me having a clear brain with better handling. Quiet, calm and steady.

We did a few of CU's pattern games before each run and he overall seemed much more relaxed and less frantic this trial compared to the last one. I also made sure to not lead out much (he has a great start line stay, but gets frantic to catch up to me.) and have a calm voice for cues and overall slow all of my movements down.

Aayla has some weakness in her hind now, the vet is also worried she might show the beginning signs of GOLPP, so for her best interest she needs to go back into a harness. I gave up for most outings years ago because she walks well on a leash and she really dislikes being harnessed.

Instructor: okay let's see it and figure out where it's going wrong

Ryker: *does it perfectly each rep*

I think I might teach heeling this way from now on. Ryker's heeling is improving a lot with having the target being slightly off my body. He is straightening out and seems to enjoy this quite a bit.

The animal industry is pretty dismal for pay compared to the level of skill, experience and education they often can require. Yet doesn't really mean it's okay.

They asked me what it would take pay wise for me to come back and I gave my offer. My manager responded it was a valid request for my experience, certifications, and what they want me to do. (Build a community training program from scratch as a supervisor). But my manager doesn't even make as much as I asked for.

Which I was afraid that was the case because compared to the cost of living I didn't ask for much. Just enough to be able to get a bit away from living paycheck to paycheck.

BUT the whole organization is going through a massive overall on looking at staffing and pay. A board member that is used to the cooperate world outside of animal industry had to take over as interim executive director and has become horrified by how under staffed and under paid we are by the jobs that we do. She has been shadowing all staff and has taken a very distinct interest in the behavior department.

So there is hope. Even if they don't want to bring me back at what I asked for (to be honest I would take a little less) but I hope it raises my managers pay by a lot and helps my coworkers get higher pay. I still hope they will bring me back as that because it would be a dream career. Building an affordable community training program! Starting out with basic obedience and reactivity classes but big goals are offerings like CGC, sport classes and overall fun classes! Even want to offer cat training options and kitten socializing classes! Getting people training that can't afford training in our area, offering scholarships and discounts for people who are at risk of surrendering their dogs.

A lot of updates for the day. Aayla went to the vet because I have things I just wanted to talk about with her vet.

The new lump on her side

Adjusting meds for pain

Her struggling more with her right hind

Coughing in the morning when she wakes up

Condition of her teeth

Suspicion of a UTI, frequent urination, and urgency. (Not making it outside but trying to)

Good news:

Both of her lumps are just lipomas, fatty tumors of no concern.

She does have a UTI so her symptoms with urinating can improve!

Teeth seem to be in good condition for her age. Mild build up.

Her hips look good for her age.

No obvious signs of pain (osteosarcoma, severe arthritis) on x ray.

Not great news:

Her hind end issues show weakness, some delayed response to the paw flip test. The vet was concerned that it's more than pain.

Her lungs are a little inflammed

Her liver looked a bit larger than it should be. Which means we can't try other NSAIDs at this time.

There was something odd with her abdomen, vet is slightly worried it is a mass. But thought it could be intestines or her stomach. We are consulting with other vets and maybe a specialist.

Between the weakness and the coughing vet is concerned for Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy. She would be very mild that is what it is, but it is a degenerative disease and she would continue to get worse.

So that's not great. Was told that diagnostics for that are hard and she is mild with symptoms for it anyways. We are going to go back in a month to review symptoms, pain med plan, and to redo x rays to see if things improved, stayed the same or got worse.

Ryker just had such a fantastic agility lesson. It was hot but he remained positive and willing to work with some rest breaks. We worked with less stopped Startlines, just playing then go. He struggled with finding a tunnel entrance under an A-Frame (kept ducking under the A-Frame but not through the tunnel.) but once we helped him find it he was consistent after that. Then we worked on my handling with a decel and a backside with a front cross. Ryker was resilient with the repetitive runs (as I figured it out).

I feel like I did a lot better of making sure to reward him heavily when I got something wrong and we had to stop. Then also advocating for his break in the shade in between sessions.

Ryker also had a much better jump form, not over jumping and had mostly nice tight turns. He really impressed us both.