Eli and I took a pretty long walk on leash this morning. He did such a fantastic job! I had no choice, since my car had to be parked down the road in the field so the street sweeper could clean up around the neighborhood. I am struggling physically today, but I had to get to the car and took the opportunity to let Eli walk beside me on leash. Let me tell you how perfect Eli and I are for each other ~ his little legs go at the perfect pace for my gait. 8)
Eli seems to know that I am in pain today. He has been calmer than usual, not expecting me to play with him as much. He has been curling up in a little ball in my lap and resting with me often.
Oh! We had a great shower experience this morning, too! I had been bringing a couple of treats into the bathroom when I shower. Eli whimpers quite a bit when I am out of his sight behind the curtain. I was just giving him treats to keep him occupied, but the trainer mentioned handing out treats to her dog while she is in the shower so I thought I would try something different this morning. I took Eli's treat container and set it on the shelf next to the shower. When he was quiet, I said, "yay" and gave him a treat. It made my shower a bit longer than usual, which is not that good for me because of my heat intolerance, but I know there are sacrifices I need to make if our relationship is going to work. I started out by providing the marker and reward right away when he stopped whimpering. Then, I waited a couple of seconds. Eli ended up not really whimpering at all, but just making a little peep every now and again and when he was quiet for a few seconds, he got his marker and reward. It was wonderful! I hope this marks the beginning of more pleasant shower time for both of us. 8)
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