Weekly Training Update (Aug 21)

First, the not-so-hot news: Lilly did snark at 2 dogs. BUT, both dogs pushed past our defenses and were intent on being face to face with Lilly. I used friends’ legs as a blockade. I circled around trash cans. I moved Lilly from side to side. I used my body as a barrier when necessary, and 99% of the time it worked fine. So, really, in these two snarking instances, her response was both measured and appropriate. If you insist in poking your face at her despite our best efforts to prevent it, then you will get snapped at.

I really try NOT to say anything to other dog owners, if I can help it. Typically, I only mention Lilly’s fear of dogs, if it seems the people and dogs miss all our body language cues that say BACK OFF. Most people are responsive and nice, when I say, “She’s afraid of other dogs.” One man, in particular, though, got snotty. (insert grumbling here)

I let this man and his dog get ahead of us since Lilly does much better with scary things in front of her than behind, and the more I watched this man’s young cattledog, the more I realized he was more like Lilly than he was different. This dog’s ears were pinned back. His eyes were dilated. He was panting and scanning the crowd. It made me sad.

Now, the good news: Lilly did great when a little girl and her dad asked if they could pet Lilly. I made sure there were no dogs coming. I made sure we had a big enough area in which to stand, and all of us bent down together while the little girl nicely petted Lilly down her back. Her dad was good and had her stand off to the side and not face Lilly head-on. I gave the girl some food to give Lilly, but she dropped it when Lilly tried to take it. It’s fine. I think it just made the girl a little nervous to have Lilly snuffle her hand.

Lilly also greeted several grown-ups who wanted to meet her. She POKED (hand targeted them). She was a little amped up, but her face seemed pretty relaxed and she worked well. Not slow. Not cautious.

She moved well in the crowd, staying close, watching me, etc. She gives a default SIT anytime I stop moving. She stops immediately when I ask her to WAIT so that people could cross in front of us.

Several people commented on how well-behaved she was. (There were many dogs in the crowd, who barked and lunged their way down the festival.)

Noises: She did get a bit freaked out by a band that was playing, by trash cans being drug across the pavement, and by slamming port-o-potty doors, but she did not completely flip out.

She waited to really melt down until we were saying goodbye to Grandma Ginny at her car and an ambulance went by with sirens blaring. Poor Lilly went completely flat, but once it passed by, she was fine.

You’d think with all the times she visited Tom at the firehouse would have paid off in this area, but those sirens are really something close up.