Cesar Helps our Dog Sahzi with her Fear of the Piano

Sahzi doesn't even notice the piano when no one is near it.

Sahzi didn’t used to mind the piano.  Grant used to play, Lisa used to play.  One of their friends was an amazing ragtime player.  She was never upset by the piano.  Then in November, I began to play to prepare for leading the caroling team at church.  Now, if I or anyone, including the cat Spatz, goes towards the piano, Sahzi runs outside to escape.

The first part of Sahzi's "rehabilitation" during the filming our Dog Whisperer episode on January 13, 2011, involved the piano. Cesar asked if Sahzi was motivated by food or play.  Sahzi doesn’t really care about food.  Raw meat slightly motivates her, but not enough to go into the kitchen.  So, it’s play.  Cesar noticed that Sahzi reacted much more to me than to Mike, so he told me to get a ball, show it to her, and try to get her excited.  This was very difficult with all the cameras, lights, and sound men around the house.  The director Su Ann and one cameraman, Chris, were up the stairs trying to be inconspicuous.  (During the filming throughout the day, Su Ann gave quiet suggestions like telling Cesar to pull down his shirt in back because it’s riding up.)

Cesar explained the process.  We were going to teach Sahzi to associate happiness and play time with he piano.  She would only get the ball when someone played the piano and she either stayed or came back inside.   

I showed Sahzi the ball and walked behind the couch toward the piano trying to hold her attention.  As soon as I opened the piano, she ran outside through the pet door.  We waited for her to return.  She looked at us all through the patio door for awhile.  I asked Cesar if I could encourage her to come in.  He had me call her, but she did not get the ball.  He wanted her to come in on her own rather than only doing it in response to a command.

Then Cesar parodied, in his humorous way, how intense I was being.  I was showing her the ball and watching her every movement with very serious eyes.  I wasn’t assuming she would do it.  It was Cesar’s comedic way to emphasize what not to do.  He demonstrated that I should show her the ball, then turn, and calmly walk to the piano.

She went out, came in, and got the ball thrown to her, but she didn’t really catch it, since she was so uncertain.  Cesar continued the exercise at least a dozen times, until Sahzi was catching the ball and not even going outside each time the piano is played.

He stressed that we should do this every day, and keep the timing very random.  Sometimes, we should wait one second, sometimes three, sometimes play a few keys again, and sometimes sit down.

Obsessive dogs will start to demand to play ball every time the piano is touched or even try to play the piano themselves to get the ball reward.  And Sahzi can be obsessive.