Weekly Training Update (May 9)

This week’s class was at the location we went to, near a community park and dog park, for the first 18 months of our work with Gigi. So, it’s a spot that Lilly knows well and likes. Unfortunately, when we were making our way from the parking lot to the training area, a new dog in class (it turns out) flew out of the car off leash despite arriving with 2 parents and (I believe) 2 children. Four people, 8 hands, and none of them holding a leash with the dog attached to it. I’m trying NOT to rant, here. But, c’mon!!!!

Like a heat seeking missile headed for a recently microwaved Hot Pocket, this dog came straight at Lilly. Of course. I swear it’s like she’s a beacon to every wild, loose dog on the planet. Too bad I can’t throw up a force field (with my magic powers, naturally) to block the path. Whomp, whomp, whomp (that’s the sound of my force field).

There wasn’t much I could do, but thankfully, Lilly merely curled her lips and showed this dog her teeth. No growling. No barking. No lunging. Just a controlled display of canine fangs. I quickly called her off and began walking away as the dog proceeded to greet others near by.

There were a bunch of new dogs at class, so Lilly was a bit shut down (slow) even on heeling exercises, but otherwise, she seemed perfectly happy to be at class, wading in the pond, playing LOOK Puppies!

She did, however, blow off her second recall. I decided to turn my back and call her, just to proof it a bit. And, the stinker took about three strides then stopped dead to sniff something. Oh, man! So, I gave her a LEAVE IT – COME and she resumed her vector to me. We think someone must have dropped treats because our pal Pete (a springer, and fellow red bandana dog) did the same thing on his turn after Lilly’s.

Then, Monday while getting ready for our usual morning walk, I noticed that one of the neighbor’s dogs was loose on the road. He gets out A LOT, and they don’t seem to care. He’s a big, goofy Newphie.

Perhaps I never wrote about the yellow lab who jumped our fence a lot winter before last? Well, this dog belongs to those same people who moved from next door on up the road a mile. (Long story) Anyway, that pretty lab that I got criticized for “paying attention to” when she came over is now gone … goodness knows where. So, there’s this new dog, who also seeks adventure and attention freely.

He met us at the gate and proceeded to stand on his hind legs with his front feet on the gate. All the while, Lilly is growling and barking like crazy. After all, there’s a huge, black, hairy thing RIGHT THERE. His head is the size of a whiskey barrel. Huge swinging, swaths of spit are dripping down. He looks a bit like JAck Nicholson in The Shining, except he’s covered in black hair. Despite Lilly’s attempts to warn him off, his tail is wagging like crazy, so I figure it’s safe to come out.

I open the gate. He comes in. Lilly and I go out. No tussle, no fuss, no snapping. She just walked right past him. She’s done growling now, you see, because she’s officially walking now, and who cares? So, I told him to come on, and I closed the gate.

He followed us a couple of houses up the road, then gave up. Lilly wasn’t paying any attention to him now. I wasn’t giving him any food from my bait bag despite his attempts to mug me. Plus, we were moving too quick for him. (Lilly and I walk at a good clip.) In other words, he pooped out and wandered toward our Borzoi friend, Katie’s house.

So, yes, Lilly growled, but there was a huge dog in her face. And, thankfully, he’s such a doofus that he didn’t care one bit that this tiny thing was making noise. My plan of just moving her past him worked fine.