Slight Change of Tactics
Last time I said that I was going to stick with the same feeding manners program for a little bit longer, but then I had an idea and decided to give something new a try.
I was trying to think of things from Gunny's point of view to figure out what he could be thinking as I am bringing him his feed. I decided that it is very likely that when I am first approaching, Gunny is thinking something along the lines that he is telling me to hand it over now and hurry up too. (grumble, grumble) But then when he would put his ears back, I had been stopping my motion and if he kept his ears back or put them back more, then I would step further away from him. At this point I was wanting him to conclude that his bad attitude wasn't working and that maybe he should be polite instead. But as time went on, it seemed like this wasn't what he was thinking. He would eventually put his ears forward, as if he "knew" that was what I wanted, but the lightbulb wasn't going off. So I realized that instead of thinking polite was the answer, based on his reaction, he was thinking something else.
My theory was that maybe at first he was thinking "hurry up and hand it over", but then when I stopped or backed away he was thinking that I was impeding his eating or withholding his food from him unfairly. So I decided to put a little bit of hay down for him to munch on as I mix his feed and approach with his feed tub. Then if I walk away to re-approach for any reason, he has food in front of him and doesn't need to feel like I am impeding him from eating totally. Only that I am in charge of the good stuff.
I've done this for three days now and today was the best that he has been. He was happily munching hay as I approached, he looked up with ears forward as I walked up with the feed tub. He actually finished chewing his hay before he started eating his grain and seemed to be eating slower. I walked away and re-approached two times and each time I stepped away, he just went back to eating his hay and then when I came back he looked up with a nice expression and waited for me to get up to him and give the feed to him. So I think I may be on to something.
From past experience, with Gunny, I know that if something is improving only gradually, then that means that we are going to hit a plateau and it also means that I don't have quite the right answer. When I find the right answer, the change is usually dramatic and there is a lot of improvement quickly. It still takes time to get it solid, but the understanding seems to come in one leap.
I was trying to think of things from Gunny's point of view to figure out what he could be thinking as I am bringing him his feed. I decided that it is very likely that when I am first approaching, Gunny is thinking something along the lines that he is telling me to hand it over now and hurry up too. (grumble, grumble) But then when he would put his ears back, I had been stopping my motion and if he kept his ears back or put them back more, then I would step further away from him. At this point I was wanting him to conclude that his bad attitude wasn't working and that maybe he should be polite instead. But as time went on, it seemed like this wasn't what he was thinking. He would eventually put his ears forward, as if he "knew" that was what I wanted, but the lightbulb wasn't going off. So I realized that instead of thinking polite was the answer, based on his reaction, he was thinking something else.
My theory was that maybe at first he was thinking "hurry up and hand it over", but then when I stopped or backed away he was thinking that I was impeding his eating or withholding his food from him unfairly. So I decided to put a little bit of hay down for him to munch on as I mix his feed and approach with his feed tub. Then if I walk away to re-approach for any reason, he has food in front of him and doesn't need to feel like I am impeding him from eating totally. Only that I am in charge of the good stuff.
I've done this for three days now and today was the best that he has been. He was happily munching hay as I approached, he looked up with ears forward as I walked up with the feed tub. He actually finished chewing his hay before he started eating his grain and seemed to be eating slower. I walked away and re-approached two times and each time I stepped away, he just went back to eating his hay and then when I came back he looked up with a nice expression and waited for me to get up to him and give the feed to him. So I think I may be on to something.
From past experience, with Gunny, I know that if something is improving only gradually, then that means that we are going to hit a plateau and it also means that I don't have quite the right answer. When I find the right answer, the change is usually dramatic and there is a lot of improvement quickly. It still takes time to get it solid, but the understanding seems to come in one leap.
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