Thursday went sideways on me after Lilly suffered tummy upset … all … over … the … house, while I was on the phone. After spot cleaning and later a total house disinfection, as well as baths for both dogs because while you’re soaked you might as well wash both of them, I found myself woefully behind on nearly everything. Today went a bit better in terms of productivity. Still, this dog-girl needs a weekend like you would NOT believe. BUT … I owe you an update. Here is goes.
A Trip to Town
February’s germ-fest threw off our going-to-town schedule, so Lilly is a bit out of practice with non-rural spots. I also think that overall hubbub is up due to spring coming. So, our trip to town was a little rough. We made two stops at our usual creekside walking loop, and the first time we had to cut it short because there were a bunch of off-leash dogs in the ball fields nearby. We turned around after seeing a big black Lab blow off its owner, race across the path, down the embankment, and nearly knock a toddler into the creek.
Imagine a big warning buzzer going off. We skedaddled.
After we ran a bunch of errands, we tried again. This time it was noise, not action, that challenged Lilly. As we were passing a parking structure near a hotel, the piercing sound of someone whistling came shooting out, amplified and echoed by the concrete. In case you missed my holiday rant involving a whistler, let me just say that the noise bugged me too, but poor Lilly was completely freaked out.
The only option was to walk fast, feed treats at high speed, and hope for the best.
Except, just as we crossed the bridge to head back, we realized there were a crowd of teenaged boys with skateboards skidding across the gravel on the underpass below, laughing, etc. … again echoing off the concrete.
Two such auditory assults in quick succession was too much for Lilly, and she went into total flee mode, pulling hard to get back to the car.
For all the progress we make, her sound sensitivity is the anchor weighing us down.
Wednesday Group Class
As I mentioned in my announcement about not adopting Katie (Lilly’s best dog friend), I’m anxious to see if any of the dog-dog lessons Lilly learns from Katie will transfer to other dogs and other locations.
This Wednesday’s class took place near a dog park that Lilly knows well. It’s been YEARS since she went inside the off-leash area, but we sometimes train around that area or use the vacant small dog side for class.
Lilly did pretty well considering that we only knew one of the dogs there, and it is a big Doodle who scares the crap out of Lilly. We haven’t seen him in ages, and I actually have to say he seemed under a bit more control this time.
Still … Lilly saw him coming and her whole demeanor shifted.
We haven’t been to class for nearly 2 months since I was sick much of February, so it was pretty clear that either a) Lilly was a bit out of practice working around other dogs or b) the dog-park location stressed her out. While at times she seemed pretty relaxed, she was S-L-O-W in her work. So, rather than a shutdown, it was more of a slowdown.
A few times she did begin to react, with a growl, a lip curl or a clear desire to control things, but there were also times, like when the dogs were taking turns at long-distance recalls, that she was in a perfectly relaxed DOWN-STAY with a smiling face.
Perhaps her best exercise was a standing WHOA on a ledge. Often, we’ll ask for a SIT or a DOWN in our WHOA work, but Wednesday, I just wanted her to stop and STAND. A pretty sight when it happens.
With all dogs in place, Gigi (our trainer) walked the line making kissing sounds. I’m happy to report Lilly held steady and did not break her STAY. Many of the other dogs (all of them much younger) did. In these cases, Gigi and I remind them that Lilly is NOT a puppy, so it’s not fair to compare. It makes me proud, though, because it shows the results of hard work.
One of our new classmates is a newly adopted, former racing Greyhound named Molly. Now, all Greyhounds are sweet, but this one is something special. She’s super friendly to other dogs, and she’s incredibly attentive to her handler/mom Sally. When I was like, “Holy Cow!” watching her do side work, Gigi said that Molly is the most trainable Greyhound she’s ever met. It’s really something to see, and Molly and Sally have only been together for something like 4 months.
So, at the end of class, we asked if Molly might be OK with some private time in the otherwise-empty dog park with Lilly.
Why did I choose a Greyhound we just met?
- Molly is incredible.
- Lilly loves 2 other sight hounds (Katie, the borzoi & Ginko, our lab-greyhound mix).
- I’m a bit impatient and didn’t want to wait until we see them again.
It went pretty well. Lilly did snarl at Molly for looking at her through the gate as we entered, but she proceeded to play some slow-speed fetch in front of her. (I know! … go ahead and gasp … Lilly played in front of another dog.) But, Molly has zero interest in balls, so she just watched as Lilly played.
Lilly politely sniffed Molly from behind and then shared a nice, mutual side-by-side sniff with her.
Unfortunately, Lilly got amped up after going face-to-face with a dog in the adjacent big-dog park. I had to body block her away from the fence before she would relent on the snarling at the other dog. After that, she got much more resource guarding about me with Molly.
I made the mistake of bending down to give treats and kisses, and Lilly is MUCH more resource-y when I bend down.
So, like the novice agility handler I am, I need to remember to STAND UP rather than lower my body posture when things start to go south.
Molly was a trooper, though, and didn’t seem ruffled by Lilly’s grumpiness.
So this week included ups and downs. Such is life.
Have a great weekend!
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