Like many others, we've now returned to our normal routine after the break.
At two and a half weeks, this has been George's longest break from daycare since he started going at 4 months old. I wasn't sure how he would adjust. He's gradually been sleeping in a little longer - the 5:30am alarm clock didn't go done too well!
He remembered the routine well. We actually ended up being ready to go 20 minutes early because I had thought it would take longer. He was falling asleep by the time we were leaving so I need to readjust my timing.
He was a little hesitant at drop-off on the first day. I think he was a little unsure but also tired.
I was working in the office and kept wondering how he was getting on all day. I wonder which one of us is the hyper-attached one…
We had a rest day the next day. At the next drop-off, he was so excited - running to get in and squeaking with excitement.
George has been off his food a little recently. I've been trying not to use too many toppers etc as I think sometimes he is just waiting for me to add something/make it better 😆
Scattering his food and making it exciting has been working really well this week. Otherwise he has been eating it eventually.
I did try my hand at some homemade dog treats at the weekend which turned out surprisingly well (I'm not known for my baking skills). They didn't look that pretty but George was a big fan.
I started the allergy meds this week as he was licking and chewing his paws again. Within a few hours, he had completely stopped. I am hoping he doesn't need these year round but they are a very helpful support during the summer months.
Also this week, I've been trying to ensure I mark and reward good behaviour at home as I had let that slip a little over the Christmas break. So I'm back to rewarding calm and trying to get in with a cue word and reward before he reacts to a noise outside.
We've also been doing some more cooperative care - particularly the chin rest. I saw an article recently that praised the power of the chin rest in getting a nervous dog through a vet visit. We're a long way from that point but need to keep practicing in the safety of home. He's doing really well despite it being a while since we last did it. We also did a little work on the relaxation protocol.
I have noticed that George has become hesitant to put on his harness this week. I think it was because it didn't come off smoothly recently. So we're taking that really gently. I'm using a different harness at the moment and will reintroduce the other one slowly.
We revisited a Sniffspot we had only been to once and I was pleased to see George confident and curious.
Further afield, we discovered a brand new Sniffspot and again, George was confident and curious. Lovely to see although I was a little concerned his confidence was going to cause him to fall into the creek 😆
I've decided to use Sniffspots as often as I feel necessary during the summer months. Whilst it is an expense, sometimes we both need a few guaranteed trigger-free walks! My stress levels are reduced without constantly being on alert to triggers which also helps George relax.
He's been resting well at home. I was surprised to see his average resting hours were similar to the previous week. I had expected them to fall as I don't log any rest time during the daycare hours.
On work from home days, the window film on the lower half of the window in the office is working a treat. I wish I had sorted this earlier. I have a throw draped over a clothes rack at one end so he can't see out when he stands on the sofa 😆
He's not currently displaying any hesitance to leave the house or go in the garden which is fantastic.
A lot of positives as we return to the challenges of 'normal' life.