Bullie Bootcamp: Days 4-7

I feel like the boys see a change in the dynamic and know something is up with their mom. Basil moreso than Guinness. Guinness just seems like he still needs time to settle in. He still seems very much on edge especially now that we're exerting our authority.



Personal Space:

They are beginning to stay in the dining room while I'm in the kitchen and in the hallway when I'm in the bedroom. They still try to crowd my feet, but I just kick back so they learn. It's more Guinn than Basil. They also seem to be learning to occupy themselves. They "Watch Me" for a while and they seem bored and begin to play with one another.



Firming up basic obedience: "SIT". Reading Jan Fennell's book.

Guinness sits very nicely and IMMEDIATELY upon verbal or sign command. He sits intuitively. Basil however does not and is food driven mostly. I have to pretend I have food in order to get him to sit and it's not immediate. I began working with him on the "Sit" command using a high value treat - these liver biscotti treats by Woolf. They are pricey, but they work! After just 5-10 treats to teach him Sit, Come, and Heel he got the hint. Since then, just a gesture (sign command) and he sits. I will do it more until he gets it intuitively. He doesn't like sitting on cold floors.



Baby Gates:

We gated the kitchen from the dining room and living room. We just plan on using them to maintain some space from us and them. We put out additional water bowls in the dining room so that they can still have plenty of water and don't feel like the water is being rationed or guarded. Guinness seems to love the extra water bowl. Perhaps it's because it's not next to Basil's bowl and he doesn't feel a need to guard it or be guarded against it.



Toys:

Basil hogs the toys and bones. If Guinness gets the bone, Basil will hound him for it and steal it right under Guinn's nose. Today, I picked up all their toys around the house and yard as they watched and put them all away. This is how we control the play (Fennell). Sunday morning, they got into a squabble over one of the two bones in the living room, so they got put in time out for 30 seconds.