Whether it was because it was so hot outside, and so refreshingly cool inside, the crate experiment went much more smoothly this afternoon. Or it could be because a different puppy is the singleton....Danica. We are now at 35 minutes and she is still protesting at an ear-splitting decibel. I'm sure the owners will be grateful for the crate training, but I might not be able to hear the Thank You!! Danica has exhibited a vocal demand for attention (probably because she was just sooo darned cute that it worked). Hey, ya gotta go with what works for you, right? However, we have stopped giving her attention for barking at us and she is in the "extinction burst" period. For those who study behavior, succinctly put, that means "it will get worse before it gets better." In other words, the dog (or human, or any other animal) will try HARDER to be successful with that which has brought success before, convinced that with just a little more energy, it will work once again. If you make the mistake of giving in at this point, it will only mean to make a change will take longer the next time because the dog figures, if 10 minutes worked before, then surely she/he will surrender by 20 the next time!!
Shhhh....Danica is quiet!! Either that, or I simply cannot hear any longer.
