Feeling very accomplished today that we got Cosmo to take a bath. Force free & stress free. :) He is timid with new sounds and environments, so I anticipated that bath time would be an area that would cause anxiety for him. I learned from watching the DDR volunteers at the boarding center....peanut butter is basically magic to helping most dogs overcome their fears. The nose in working in overdrive and it helps the dogs distract their minds in scary situations. Because he plays so hard outside, I've known a bath, sooner than later was on the agenda for this sweet guy. Preparing for this, I've tried to make the bathroom a positive place for Cosmo to be. Giving him treats and lots of pets when he is in this space. Yesterday I smeared peanut butter inside the bathtub. When it wasn't filled with water, I sat in the tub, feeding him little dabs of peanut butter off my finger. Slowly he realized that to get to the mother load of peanut butter, he would need to jump on in. With lots of baby talk and encouraging words, he started to inch his way over the the tub wall. I helped him make it the rest of the way over and he was rewarded with a buffet. No water yesterday, he was just rewarded for being in the tub. This morning, he eagerly went back to look in the bathtub to see if there was more peanut buttery goodness. I knew yesterday's patient exercise paid off!!! This afternoon, we smeared the tub's edge with peanut butter and we filled the bottom of the tub with some water. We lifted him in the tub, no issue. When the peanut butter was about out, he showed signs he wanted out, so more peanut butter was slathered and he was back to being distracted so we could finish washing him. Cosmo needs a patient parent. He will overcome his fears, he just needs encouragement and support and lots of peanut butter along the way. |
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Someone learned they can jump on the bed in the middle of the night.
Woke up with a little wet nose smooshed under my neck. This little man in a champ at night time. Since the first night, he just curled up in a dog bed next to our bed. Sleeps solid ALL NIGHT LONG. :) Cosmo LOVES toys. He loves strong, durable chew toys (especially if they are slathered in peanut butter). He hasn't shown an interest in one soft, plush toy we have and we haven't introduced ropes yet. We have one rubbery frisbee that he was able to gnaw some small pieces off. We haven't observed him guarding toys.
He will chase a ball inside and out in the backyard, but he hasn't figured out that if he brings it back to me that I'll throw it again.
Today, Cosmo discovered that he can hop on the couch. He looked so comfortable (and adorable) that we didn't stop him.
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