Road trip and social function

20/12/08

Road trip. We haven’t gone on one of these since July or so. And I have kept Amika pretty sheltered since then. There was less stuff in the car, which meant her crate was left up and she traveled in it. She settled during most of the trip, though popped up at the least indication of getting somewhere.

She got startled by my partner with the window cleaner, washing the windshield at the petrol station and had a barking session. She calmed herself down fairly quickly. She also barked at the roadworks guys with floro jackets and lollipop signs. She also got separation anxiety when either of us left the car to go somewhere. This persisted for most of the trip, so obviously that needs work. She was pretty good at this while I was doing tracking, even in non-tracking spots, so it really is just a matter of practice.

The visit to Eagles Heritage kicked off with driving in the driveway just as someone passed with a dog. That set her off at a distance of about 15m. We brought her out once she had settled in the car (after the tantrum and anxiety of us leaving a few times). We ran her loose between us in the empty main car park (hey, rainy day in December, who wants to be out in that?) She was able to relieve herself and burn off some energy. She leaped up onto a log my partner was standing on- agility dog in the making!

We begged patience from our friends and set up Amika’s crate in the kiosk. We went in by the big gate, played LAT with people and eventually got her focussed enough I could take her in through the side door. She was dragging me, but I hauled her straight to her crate. She was not impressed with this. After a drink we got her stuffed kong, and she didn’t want to know about it. She remained anxious the whole time she was there, and started a carry-on when ever I walked away more than a certain distance. She did get better but never really quit and never calmed. One of my friends did say that she seemed less frenzied than when we brought her down 6 months ago.

We repeated the exercise routine in the car park and did more LAT. We made two new discoveries during the rest of the visit.

On coming back to the kiosk along the walkway towards the front door, I called Amika back (rather than stopping and waiting for her to reorient as she pulled on the lead) and she became agitated / more excited and vocal. Now, that path has the history of trying to work too close to my friend’s dog six months ago, and I thought it was just that and the return to people in the kiosk that set her off. My partner said it was my “high pitch” that set it off- and his mimicry set her off again. It took me a moment to twig to this- I hadn’t paired that as a trigger! So *I*had set her off, merely by saying her name in that voice.

While working on more LAT around people (and I feel it was falling apart a bit at this stage) she was keeping relatively attentive, though not interested in food much. Then the new guy walked towards us abruptly, spoke loudly and made (I assume) direct eye contact with Amika. She went berserk in that typical pre-greeting way she has, just about pulling me off my feet. So greetings are THE big trigger for her anxiety- people not just dogs. Other people who approached less abruptly / directly did not get this scale of reaction. The guy wasn’t even that close.

After backing up from that, my friend happened to bring her dog out and I had enough at that point. Instant barking and lunging. We went back to the car park while my partner re-installed the box in the car for us.

A few hours later after we ate, I went out and fed her on lead (attached to the towbar). As she was eating, another new guy was wandering past, around and talking on his mobile. Another person came by while Amika was eating, and she hardly glanced at her when we chatted. The guy finished his call and wandered up as Amika was finishing. He got a yelp through a mouthful and bounce in his direction before she went back to her bowl. This gave me a chance to say “she’s very friendly” before she hustled over and leaned / circled for pats. She bounced up at him a couple of times but was fairly good considering. There was some crouch in the back end but it never got to a sit. I wonder if I can sneak a greeting session in over a “dinner” as a distraction?

We went and set up camp at a cloudy dusk. Amika was still ignoring the stuffed kong. She had a good long sniff of the camp site while Dion set up our beds in the back of the car (it was raining). He then ran her around on lead a bit while I set up her crate- blanket over the top and sides except the side and roof near bumper so she could see / smell / hear us, big blanket in box with mat on top. She was keen to get on her mat at first, and confused as we got in bed. Last trip, we crammed her in with us, and it was a rough night

Amika barked a couple of times when distant campers made noise and shone torches through the trees, but was otherwise quiet. Some time during the night she gave up laying attentively on the ground and went and curled up in the crate.