Update on the lovely Ollie... I thought I'd run through his good points as a reminder of how good he is, and update on his overall progress. First his good points:
He's very affectionate
Likes a cuddle with me, or the other dogs, on the sofa
Sits, waits, stops at kerbs, walks to heel, knows what "this way' means
Doesn't pull on the lead
Knows his place in the pack and doesn't cause any issues with my dogs
No food aggression
No separation anxiety
No chewing things he shouldn't
Loves playing with his toys, especially balls
Has a good appetite but eats slowly and carefully
Likes treats so easy to train
Doesn't snatch at treats
Wags his tail a lot but very gently so does't knock things over
Barks if someone comes to the door, but not frantically, just a couple of "hey I'm here" woofs
No peeing or poohing indoors
Very relaxed, easy-going and content around the house and garden
Not too licky, just the occasional lick and gentle nibble when he's excited
Lovely tall, handsome boy with wonderful soulful eyes
Very interested in squirrels and cats but doesn't go ballistic like my Alice
Loves my dogs and loves to snuggle up with Alice especially
Learns quickly, especially just by seeing what my dogs do
Doesn't try and rush out the front or back doors when I open them
He's timid with strangers but no sign of any aggression to people
He comes when called when he's in the garden and his recall isn't bad when he's on a walk
... can't think of anything else for now, but I'm sure his previous fosterers will concur with all these good things and add any others I might have missed.
It's interesting next to compare this long list of good points with the areas I've been working on, which is a much shorter list. It's basically just 2 things, both of which are much improved: he can sometimes be reactive with other dogs on the lead and his recall isn't as good as it could be - bearing in mind that we're talking sighthounds here so there's always going to be something that absolutely has to be chased, especially if one of the other dogs starts chasing!
Reaction to other dogsHe's getting much better with other dogs when he's on the lead and only occasionally reacts, and it's always when the other dog is over-excited and he senses it's not a balanced dog. I took him to an enclosed paddock belonging to a local dog behaviourist last weekend (I can use it for free as I went to her with Alice earlier last year so I'm on her books). Jo brought out 7 of her dogs to see how he was with them on the lead and off, firstly with the muzzle on. He was absolutely fine. Interested and a bit cautious and timid at first meeting all of them at once, but also curious, sniffing them and letting them sniff him, tail not between his legs. She's very good and knows all the signs to watch out for. Within 5 minutes he was trying to get her Lurcher to play so she let go of the long lead and he was happily exploring the territory, and then bouncing around trying to play She took his muzzle off and he was fine with all the dogs... even the one that was very "in your face'. He was keen to play with them but not over-excited.
RecallI don't think there'll be any real issues over time with his recall. He comes to me when he's on the long training lead without me having to pull on it. When he's off the lead completely he'll come when called but not right up to me, even a treat won't entice him in. He watches the other dogs, who are all very good and clearly wants to come but resists those last couple of feet. Jo (the behaviourist) confirmed that it's just a matter of time, patience and training and he'll soon be over this.
I'll continue to work on both these issues and as his confidence improves then both these will improve and he'll be happy to come when called and be happier meeting other dogs and people. He definitely needs to live with another balanced dog who he can snuggle up to, as he does with Alice... but preferably one that isn't going to teach him bad habits as Alice is prone to do!!! Here he is last night on the sofa with my "butter wouldn't melt in her mouth" Alice!