More Training and Treats

On Thursday I discovered that Kitty might not be too fond of the “clicker”.  When I brought it out for our little training session on Thursday, she actually looked at the clicker, looked at the treats, and then walked away and sat in the middle of the room and just looked at me.  I clicked as soon as she sat down, but when I tried to offer her a treat, she would not approach me.  She just sat and stared at me.  So, I reached out and placed the treat on the floor, and she slowly began to walk towards it.  The session continued that way for about another two minutes.  I guess you could say that she’s not necessarily scared of the clicker, she just doesn’t feel the need to jump every time I click it.  I decided not to try using it on Friday.

When we got to class today, Kitty calmly approached her new friend Toby the Yorkie.  He is a beautiful Yorkie about two times her size; he almost looks like a silk terrier.  He has a very quiet demeanor and I think Kitty feels safe being near him.  He allows her to get near him and sniff around him without trying to jump at her or sniff back—which usually freaks her out.

Our lesson for the week is to teach our dogs to respond to their names when called.  The exercise is to place a treat in front of your dog’s nose, then say the dog’s name, then bring the treat to your own nose, and as soon as your dog makes eye contact with you, CLICK AND TREAT!  What this exercise does is it teaches your dog to give you his/her attention whenever you call their name.  Kitty seemed to respond well to the exercise, but only because (as usual) she wanted the treats.  Of course, she didn’t want the treats I had brought along for HER.  She wanted Toby’s treats.  So, at the beginning of the practice when I was trying to get her attention with HER treat, she was busy jumping on Toby’s owner trying to share Toby’s treats.  Yup.  That’s my dog.  Focused on the task at hand.

I ended up having to ask Toby’s owner if I could “borrow” some of her treats since my dog didn’t want her own.  Ugh.  Thankfully, Toby’s owner adores Kitty.  So, she graciously gave me a handful of Toby’s treats.  Kitty couldn’t get enough of them.  I worried, though, whether these treats would agree with Kitty’s stomach, but I went ahead and took a chance and gave them to her anyway.

Later in the evening, Kitty also indulged in some cat food.  We visited my dad and stepmom, and they usually leave cat food out for their pets.  And for some reason, Kitty loves cat food.  Unfortunately, cat food does not love Kitty.  It is one of the foods that makes her sick.  I’ve read online that cat food contains a high amount of fat and protein that is not good for dogs. Sure enough, within about half an hour after our being there, Kitty threw up.  Later on when we got home, I heard Kitty’s little belly making little sounds—another sign that a dog is not feeling well.

So, this time I chose to try something I have never tried before. Whenever I am suffering from an upset stomach or cramps, I drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, and it usually helps me feel better.  Well, the last time I took Kitty to the doctor, I tried asking if there were any type of herbal remedies for dogs.  But that was the day that she was seen by a vet who did not seem to have much bedside manor.  That particular vet blatantly told me no!  She did not even bother to suggest that she might not know, or that she was unfamiliar with the concept. She just flat out told me no. 

I found this difficult to believe, so I decided to look it up online myself, and sure enough there ARE herbal remedies for dogs with upset stomachs.  Guess what one of them is?!  Chamomile tea!  Go figure.

So tonight I brewed a cup of chamomile tea for Kitty.  I administered about a half a shot glass of it by using a straw to dribble it into her mouth.  Surprisingly, she drank and drank and drank.  Then she let out a little burp.  Hee hee…

About two hours later, I repeated the process, and once again another little burp…

My mother informed me that chamomile releases gases in the stomach.  So, that is what causes the burping.  It’s happened to me as well whenever I have taken chamomile for an upset stomach.  I usually feel better after that.

I don’t know if Kitty feels better or not.  This is one of those times I really wish she could talk to me.  But in situations like these, all I can do is hope that she feels okay.

She is sleeping now… another pleasant effect that chamomile has to offer.  I read that not only can it be used to calm a dog’s stomach, but it can also help anxious or restless dogs to calm down and help them sleep better—the same effect it has on humans.  Plus, you can also use it to calm a dog’s itchy skin.  I have a feeling that chamomile is going to become Kitty’s (and my) new best friend…