The last couple of months of our adventures in rally obedience have been like riding a motorcycle on a loose gravel road: rough, bumpy, and not very enjoyable. Although we did manage to get a few qualifying scores, Freya’s overall performance has been well below what she’s capable of. Obvious physical problems have been ruled out by her vet, and she usually enjoys her training classes.
Despite some good suggestions from trainers and friends, it still seems like we’re not making much progress. She doesn’t have specific exercises that she’s having trouble with; sometimes it’s an exercise she usually does well that has NQ’d us.
I’m debating whether to take a break and just let Freya be a plain old dog for a few weeks, or suck it up and work through it. I could really use one of those translator collars like in “Up” — it would make it a lot easier for Freya to tell me what’s really going on with her.
(NaBloPoMo | June ’10: 1 of 30)
Strange your vet didn’t find anything, that to me would make most sense as a reason for sudden change in focus and behavior in general.
What issues did you rule out?
.-= jana´s last blog ..Product Review: Cool K-9 Cooling Vest =-.
We’ve ruled out anything that would cause discomfort while working such as injury or ailments affecting elbows, knees, hips, or back. No apparent ear problems or eye problems either. Her trainer is also aware of my concerns, so he has watched her while we work for any changes in her movement or any indications that she’s refusing to do something out of pain or discomfort. The one thing I haven’t done is repeat a thyroid panel (the last one about a year ago was normal), but I’m still considering it. It is a bit of a long shot since she’s not really showing any of the “usual” low thyroid symptoms except for being moody. At this point I am mostly convinced it’s a training issue, plus her picking up on my ring nerves at trials.
Not saying it cannot be a training issue, but my experience tells me otherwise.
Holistic and TCVM in fact believes that everything has physiological roots. It would make sense to me.
Hypothyroid goes often unnoticed for the lack of ‘typical’ symptoms, Jasmine’s got diagnosed by accident while investigating a completely different issue. Not saying that it what is is, just saying that I would suspect physiological reason particularly a dog that used to perform well.
Unless some obvious lifestyle changes etc.
My experience tells me that reasons for most things can be found in the body.
.-= jana´s last blog ..Product Review: Cool K-9 Cooling Vest =-.
Freya sounds like my students at school–they’re done!
::mingle::
.-= Kwizgiver´s last blog ..wednesday wickedness =-.
LOL! She’s got it bad, like a graduating senior!