It's the time to reflect on the year gone by and to look ahead to the new year. It's been quite a year.
George started the year without showing too many reactive behaviours although he was a cautious and sensitive dog.
Around February time, George was doing really well. He was often off-leash and was happy on walks.
I recall one particular busy beach walk where there were children and dogs everywhere. He ignored them, was happily running around and his recall was excellent.
Then we had a couple of incidents. George was knocked over by one dog and chased by another dog.
In March we did a 'teenage dog' class and George really struggled. The trainer was very accommodating setting up barriers so George couldn't see the other dogs which helped but he still found it tough. I was close to tears in every class. Knowing what I know now, I should have called it and not persevered. Although I did learn a lot.
I had thought his reactivity was normal teenage behaviour but the class made me realise George was different.
By April, we were both overwrought. George couldn't relax at home and was an absolute nightmare to take out of the house.
In May we had our first appointment with the vet behaviourist and trainer.
It's been a rocky road.
We took the step to medication which has dramatically improved George's quality of life.
Navigating the side effects of loss of appetite (sad to see as George was always such a foodie!), occasional upset stomach, and sedation was tough.
Trialling different medications and dosages can be a long journey.
Seeing George's fear increase was hard. The weeks when it was difficult to leave the house were very challenging.
When he was having accidents in the house because he was too scared to go in the garden to toilet was really tough.
I've learned so much through the in person trainer, online courses and online support groups.
We improved our management techniques and reduced George's exposure to triggers which reduced his stress levels.
We reduced walks, upped the enrichment, and established a list of relatively 'safe' spaces and times to walk.
In June, we got a Sniffspot account and found some great spots.
In September, we had an amazing visit from my parents and George coped.
We went on our first road trip. George had a blast running on the empty beaches.
In November, we learned how to use sniffing games for building confidence and to have fun together.
He is still doing really well at daycare and we have implemented a method to minimise triggers at drop-off and pick-up.
We made a new dog walking friend and George enjoys his regular walks with his friend.
George is calm and relaxed at home. Recently, his total reactions in a week were less than the reactions in one day when I first started monitoring.
We might not be ending the year in a better place than we were at the same time last year but we have been through a lot and have come a long way.
Our bond is stronger than ever.
What we are doing is working so we need to keep doing it. Not rush things. Go at George's pace, keep patient, keep strong and keep positive!
I feel hopeful looking ahead to 2025.