I'm pretty much halfway between my fifth and sixth chemotherapy treatments, so the occasions when the solo training of Boyo turns out like that for real are somewhat irregular. But right now I feel pretty good, and therefore I took hold of this very thing – Just recently, actually.
We have already trained him to lie in his dog bed while I go out and close the door. We rehearsed a couple of times with the door not completely closed, and then close it and open again after a few minutes. Then it actually happened, for the first time, a considerably longer time.
A little bit about how I behave myself when we do this.
I want to that he should be calm when he is alone. So I have to be calm when I place him there. Now I basically never use that squeaky voice that some people can have, but I have a deep, low tone when I talk to him. However, I talk as little as possible – I say sit and lie down, and a good one when he is good. That’s it. I also don't move in any other way than usual – possibly a little more goal-oriented and determined.
My goal is that there should be no room for any discussion – he must understand through the energy I project that this is how it is.
I was little wondering how it would go for him to be alone for so long. Not really because he can't – because he can. If he can choose for himself, he likes to lie on the sofa, in my or his own bed most of the day. But it's a little different when it's a task, to lie down and then actually stay there.
But he was actually super good. He was still in the same place when I opened the door after maybe twenty minutes. In the meantime, I tinkered a bit in the kitchen, so he heard with all probability that I had not left him alone in the whole world. But now we will practice this daily until I (Thankfully!) for the last time need to go through the side effects of chemotherapy. My plan is to start fiddling with the lock on the door in a couple of days, so he gets used to the sound.
It feels a little ridiculous to have to break this down into so many steps. Ella was so easy to train alone – I was spoiled with her in many ways, but then she was instead hopeless to live with. Remember that you cannot get a dog that is exactly in the middle. 😀
The slow wins, dock. I have decided that completely on my own. I want to get this sorted, so that I can actually continue/resume hanging out with one of my best friends, because we usually hang out by going on shopping trips. We haven't done that in years – which in and of itself can be blamed on Covid. But still.
So keep your fingers crossed because my mutt dog becomes an elite dog when it comes to being alone, even for longer periods – with me outside the apartment! ♥