Throughout the day, Jake did several things that we are trying to improve upon.
- Counter surfing - stealing things off the kitchen counter or just stealing inappropriate things in general.
- Harassing our 3 parrots
I have not stopped Jake from jumping on the counter or taking things he shouldn't have, but the process of getting them back has improved. A few days ago I would wind up chasing Jake around the house trying to get something back. The joke was on me I think ... It turned into a big game for him. Today I would get Jake's attention and ask him to sit and lie down. Once he did that I asked him to drop it. Voila ... Jake listened, I didn't look like a fool running around the house and he got rewarded! I will take that as a small win!
The second problem that causes me much stress is when Jake gets curious about our parrots. It doesn't help that two of the birds taunt him and come down to his level. While I'm not too concerned about him getting a small nip in the nose, I do worry about a 70 pound dog hurting a 150g parrot. In the past, I would yell at Jake and put him in his cage for time out if he didn't leave them alone. Again, don't I look like a fool? My biggest mistake is not telling Jake what I want him to do instead. Today, much like with him stealing things I don't want him to have, when Jake got too close to one of the birds I would get his attention, have him come and sit for me. This worked to distract him and I'm less stressed! Another small win!
I have learned in a very short time how smart Jake is and how eager he is to please. Who knew? We still have a long way to go, but I'll take the small wins we've had this weekend and it gives me the motivation to continue.
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