Today I loaded Little Love in the trailer with the help of Becky's husband. I asked him to come and help because I wanted someone to shut all the doors while Little Love and I stayed inside. As usual, she went inside without a problem. When I closed the back, she didn't even lift her head to look at the ramp (!). I hopped in, closed the bar in front of Lilo's chest and asked Becky's husband to lift up the front ramp. Little Love had her grain to eat, but when the ramp went up, she stopped chewing and the whites of her eyes showed up. For a moment she just stood there, looking out from the opening above the ramp. Then she started eating again. I asked Becky's husband to close the upper panel as well, and he did. I counted to 15 and then Becky's husband opened the front for us. Short and sweet, just the way we like it!
After the front was open again, I left Little Love in the trailer for a little longer. I walked in and out and even around the trailer so I was out of sight. She no longer had any food to eat, but she stood patiently and waited. I popped in to gave her a piece of banana, then disappered again, just to show up with another banana. She stayed calm and quiet and curious. It was only about 3 minutes, but it is the longest time she has ever been in a trailer (as far as I know) without pitching a fit. Excellent. I think we are getting closer to actually moving the trailer. That will be a big step and I have to think how I want to approach it without completely overwhelming Little Love and pushing her into her panic zone. The trailer makes a ton of noise when you are driving (or rather, pulling) it and I'm sure this is partly what freaks her out. Or it's sort of the last straw in an already scary situation. Becky is willing to put Col in there with her, which is not a bad idea since he is really calm in the trailer. On the other hand, perhaps she needs to learn to be alone right off the bat, since in a few weeks she will have to take a few hour ride alone to the Swiss border.
If you have the time, I'd first take her for a really short ride with Col, maybe even not actually going anywhere, just few meters in the yard?
ReplyDeleteIf Col can go with Lilo, the better. Having a calm companion is grand, and I think just being in the moment is always good,even if Lilo has to eventually ride alone. She'll have the memory of all these good trailering experiences.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly seems like Little Love is going to be prepared for her international voyage. Are you going to be there for all the trailer changes? If you weren't I'd be worried about how she loads for someone else.
ReplyDeleteI also seriously need to look into bananas as treats.
Jenny, it did cross mind, too, that I should just drive the ten meters (30 feet) in the yard and then take her out before the gate. That way if she panics, it lasts only about ten seconds and she gets out again.
ReplyDeleteShelby, I'm hoping all this practice will somehow help her when she has to take the long trip, even if it is just as a distant memory somewhere in the midst of her fears.
Smazourek, I will be there to load her into the trailer that will take her over the boarder as well as when she gets loaded into the German transporter. I'm not yet sure if I'll be there for the last transporter, it depends when they take her. It will be interesting to see her in a big horse truck, as that is very different than small trailers.
And Little Love loves the bananas that are going "out", you know, all soft and spotted with brown. I feed her organic bananas and she eats the peel, too.