To preface this, my post is really long and contains loads of really minor things that most of your dogs would find a walk in the park. I'm just being indulgent, because this could have been the worst experience I've ever had with either of my dogs, my nerves were shot to pieces, but we came out the other side unscathed. We did individual training sessions this evening. Because it was Good Friday, I could start earlier so we had well over an hour each, which was great. I did lots of good stuff and both dogs came on really well with the things we were working on. But, poor Shadow had EVERYTHING flung at him on the way home. Keep in mind that we generally don't see anyone on the way to, during, or way home from a training session, which is about a 10-minute walk each way. I would consider it really busy if we saw five people. Ah, but it was Good Friday. I can tell you now, I have lived here for ten years and have never seen so many people!! Absolutely ridiculous! So, the fun started towards the end of our training session, when five skidoos came by. No bother, I heard them coming, stepped well to the side and put him in a sit (hooking his collar just in case, for safety). No reaction, except looking at me. Then, we had to walk back up the hill from where we had been, to get back to the pistes and ultimately the road. There were five youngsters (young teenagers) throwing snowballs at each other, across the path we were walking up. There was no option but to go on this path - it's the only way to go. Shadow is excited by snowballs, and the screaming and shouting was also putting him on edge. So, clicker in hand, I advanced slowly, using look at that! with him and thanking the heavens that I'd brought a year's supply of roast chicken with me. He was such a good boy, obviously wanting to chase the snow, but looking to me instead. Ah, the power of roast chicken!! He got a bit skittish just as we passed them, because of the shouting, but it was just a bit of a skitter away from them, NOT towards them, and no barking whatsoever. Yay! This was a hugely difficult thing for him and I was so proud of him. Then we turned to walk across the snow bridge which takes us back to the right side of the river. It's pretty wide, maybe 10m. Again, no other way to go. And there, stomping towards us, were ten children, all on snow shoes. Argh! More look at that!*, more clicking, more chicken, and we were past without a flicker. Phew. There's then a rough gravel hill to walk up (no snow on it at the moment, yay), past a restaurant's terrace. The path is very steep and quite narrow, plus goes round a corner, so visibility isn't great. I got nearly to the top when I saw a toddler running towards us, followed by her father and a dog. Shadow had had so many unusually stimulating things happen so far, I couldn't risk anything, so I immediately U-turned and walked back down to the restaurant terrace, moving back a long way to give them loads of space to get by. They hadn't seen us at this stage. The toddler comes down the hill to where she could see us, and squeals "look, a puppy!!!", pointing at Shadow. C&T, C&T, C&T, C&T. No reaction. The dog comes into view. C&T, C&T, C&T, C&T. A look, but no reaction. Amazing. Quite, quite amazing. They go on past, we continue on our merry way through the village at its absolute busiest, passing adults, kids, more kids, more kids, another dog, all without incident. The only time I was really worried was when another toddler came tottering towards us, I pretty much body blocked him with the way I walked past, so Shadow was safe against a wall and I was between them, but as soon as we were past, he shouted at Shadow and started running (from only a few feet away), making raspberry noises. Shadow skittered forwards (away from annoying child) again, which I think was an absolutely appropriate response. We got home, the dogs got a raw egg as a nice treat (which Willow also graciously accepted even though she had no idea what it was for) and I collapsed into a gibbering heap. The End. PS both the kids who shouted at Shadow called him a girl. That could give a lad a complex, you know! *For people that don't know, you don't actually say "look at that!", you just mark the dog looking at something they find stimulating (whether that's in a positive or negative way) and so they look at you to get their treat. Eventually, you pause with the click and the dog starts looking at you without it when they see something arousing.
Eek sounds like a nightmare walk!! Good boy Shadow... Just to say, some people seem to have little understanding of the issues around other people's dogs and their children. We walked down the road the other day and a father with a buggy came round the corner, right face to face with us. I called Pops back to me, but he clicked his tongue at her and called her over to the buggy, with his little child's face right at Poppy's level... All was well and she came right back to me, but the thought of what could have happened with a more reactive dog worried me all day...
Wow, what a busy walk to get home. It sounds like Shadow done really well . I used to panic around children and found it made Harley more on edge. Now I ignore them and so does Harley (unless they run up to us in which case I block access to Harley until their parent is there).
Shadow did really well Fiona but so did you ,it can be a challenge to keep calm and focussed when you are faced with a number of stimulating situations with a reactive dog.....I know! You must have been chuffed when you go home x
Ugh, I don't know if there are more people here this Easter than last, or if it's just because I'm walking them more through the village now that they're older. We've just got back from a lovely couple of hours walking with their sister, Annie, and then back home through the village. It wasn't as stressful as last time, but what is it with people allowing their kids to run towards dogs, especially when they can see I'm wary of the children?? I had both dogs, which made it more of a handful, and so popped them into a sit a few times to allow people to pass, but on two occasions, had youngish children screaming and running towards us, with no attempts from the parents to stop them. W&S looked uncomfortable on both occasions, but that was it - I whipped round with a big "STOP" police-like hand, a forceful "NO" and the biggest scowl you've ever seen, which stopped both little blighters in their tracks. On the plus side, they walked nicely past a few more children, where the path was wide enough to do so sensibly, and barely acknowledged them. So, progress might be being made there. I know it's what's caused our current reactivity, through lack of socialisation, but I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks' time, when they all disappear and we're back to it being deserted again. Yes, I'm a miserable so-and-so
Fiona, congratulations to YOU for having trained Shadow so well! I know mine would have jumped all over the kids! So, good for Shadow and extra good for you ... training sure pays off. I am just coming out of a full knee replacement and going in for another in June BUT once I am ambulatory I have promised myself to get into training my beautiful pooch to the point where I can walk him past anyone and anything. I have been most lax in this department. But I see how you and others have come through in such a fantastic way....gives me a push in the right direction. So Shadow and Willow got a raw egg....you should have got a glass of wine or a shot of something!!!! You should be proud of yourself and your two doggies!!!
