As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been looking back at my resolutions for 2025. Hmm… it hasn’t gone quite as planned.
At the start of the year, my two big aims were working on separation anxiety and happy vet visits.
I haven’t made much progress with separation anxiety training — it seems like it’s been one thing after another. From kennel cough to injured paws to allergies to x-rays to new groomers to new neighbours to construction workers… there always seems to be something.
As he continues to make improvements in calm at home (mostly), he has shown some signs of increased independence — for example, lying in the garden in the sun while I work inside. He also does really well when I shower in the morning. But he still likes to be near me most of the time.
I don’t know why I’m finding it so hard to commit to this. It would make a huge difference to my life, even if I could just pop out for an hour.
I need to reset, refocus, and restart.
At least on the happy vet visits front, we’ve made excellent progress. He gets excited to go to the vet, and they are so accommodating and understanding.
We’ve had a few more visits this year than I would have liked, but with the exception of his paw injury — which was unavoidably rough — each visit has brought more positive associations.
I’d also hoped to work on desensitisation to brushing and handling, and to the garden awning.
He’s doing pretty well with handling — still not keen on his paws or tail being touched, but he’s a lot more comfortable than he used to be.
The awning has just been reintroduced with the sunny weather. He’s cautious but will go outside. I’m hopeful he’ll remember that it’s not scary.
The rest — calm and enrichment at home, rest days, scent work, Sniffspots — we’re still doing.
So despite the obvious lack of progress on separation anxiety, in the interests of positivity, I’ll take that as a partial win.
Sometimes that’s the best we can do.