I decided to take Reagan's new found sanity on the road and took her with us to the Perry agility trial. Truth be told, it was probably too much driving for her. I have undone some of the work I had accomplished traveling locally. Hopefully I can get it back and fortunately she is already showing improvement.
However, Reagan did very well with a variety of noises at the show and hotel sites. As you know, Reagan is taking a medication called BuSpar in an effort to minimize her phobic reactions to engines, motors, construction, and road noises. So far the change has been amazing and Perry gave us a variety of situations to test Reagan.
She was able to potty at the hotel near a road with passing cars.
Reagan used to fall apart when one of these bad boys drove by... not in Perry.
I also took her down to the agility rings to see if the teeter noise bothered her and it did not. I am probably going to be loading my teeter into my van very soon and hauling it over to the covered arena at our local agility trial site.
All in all, I'm truly amazed by how well the BuSpar has worked for Reagan's noise phobias. I am so thankful as it has brought the joy back into mine and Reagan's relationship. If you are having a serious behavior problem (not just noise phobias) with your dog (or cat), you may want to consider a behavior consultation with Tufts University (click here). At the cost of $250, I received an in depth behavior evaluation for Reagan, suggestions for solving her problems, and access to a behaviorist for 6 months via phone or email. If drug therapy is suggested for a behavior problem, Tufts University is probably the best place for getting that advice.
