See a video of Crosby below.

 

Crosby is a wonderful, playful and energetic dog. We don’t know what happened to his right eye, but that doesn't seem to slow him down. We love how he is always game to get up and play! Yet, he will lay with you on the couch for long periods of time. He loves to sleep in his crate at night - it is his safe place. We close it during the night and leave it open at all other times by our bed.

 

Crosby is doing great with his house training and rarely makes a mistake. (He was initially marking in the house, but has not done so in the past week.)The marking could return during transitions to new environments.  We used a bellyband in the house and rewarded with treats when he went in appropriate urination locations (outside!). He likes to go to the bathroom right after he eats - and we mean right after. (We separate him from the other dogs during eating and then take him right out after he is done. This has worked well.) When we go outside, he does his business within five minutes or faster. In the mornings, he stays in the crate until we take him outside.

 

Crosby is treat motivated and very amenable to clicker training. We have started to work on sit, spin, touch, touch with movement (this is the beginning of a great recall). We have also have started to train down, stay, wait and retrieve. We are treating four feet on the floor to diminish his jumping up. We are working on "go hunt" which is great for eye coordination. (He needs eye perspective work such as, go hunt, loose leash walking, throwing treat games...)We are working on tug for self-control. Crosby has a constant supply of chew toys, bully sticks, balls, etc. He really needs to chew a lot!

 

Crosby's loose leash training is going well, although it is complicated by the loss of his left eye. We do not like the flat collar for him because he sometimes pulls and it irritates his neck. We are using a combination step-in harness with an auxiliary attachment to the flat collar to insure that he does not get loose if he starts to pull backwards. We also like the double ended leash for him.  We are able to give him information when he is veering. (Other kinds leashes are constantly getting under his feet.)

 

Crosby loves his Thundershirt. We give him a great treat before and after we put it on him. Before we use the Thundershirt we allow him plenty of time to calm down by himself and/or through our gently touching him. If he is not able to, we use the Thundershirt to help him relax. We leave it on for varying periods of time from a few minutes to an hour. Like his crate, the Thundershirt is never a punishment.

 

 

The last few days Crosby has been making constant breakthroughs. He is showing increasing deference to our six pound Minpin, Ella. This is a wonderful skill for helping him interact with delicate small dogs.  During a floor game recently, Monroe, our rat terrier mix, and Crosby rolled a ball back and forth to one another. I never pull a ball from Crosby's mouth. Rather, I trade him or bribe him with a treat if in the middle of a game.  He is starting to understand that giving up the ball is fun too.