I've been trying to track every single reaction (time, what caused it, intensity and duration) since George started medication.
I am a diligent student and I think I pretty much nailed it - apart from a couple of weeks when my parents visited and I didn't want to be on my phone all the time.
But man, it's exhausting. And time-consuming. I've been doing it pretty much non-stop for 13 months.
After George had a few difficult weeks, I decided it might be good for my mental health to have a break from tracking.
As my Dad pointed out, tracking every reaction also means I am hyper-focused on it.
And it's so disheartening when you have massive setbacks. I don't think tracking was helping me - I already knew when it was tough and I knew when it was going well.
I can definitely see the benefits of tracking in the early days when you might not see small improvements due to medication, or you don't know when or what triggers your dog.
I feel like I am very attuned to George's triggers. I know when he is more reactive.
So I felt that the constant tracking was doing more harm (to my mental health) than good.
Ironically, since I stopped tracking a week or so ago, George has been so much better.
I'd explained his increased vigilance at home at our recent vet visit for his vaccines (another benefit of having your VB as your regular vet), and she advised I could increase the Clonidine if needed.
It's made a huge difference. As well as getting back in to our normal routine.
Because I like to complete projects and finish on a high, it does feel strange that I stopped when George's reactions were sky high. Higher than when I started.
I think if I'd continued for a week, it would have told a very different story. But I needed a break from it.
The most important thing is that George is doing better, and I am feeling better about it, not that it looks better on a chart.