Ford Girl
September 26th, 2007, 02:05 PM
So I took Dazy to the dog park Monday night this week and she was so good, not that we didn't have a few issues, but much better then she was before. She was showing agression towards puppies and adolecent pups when she hit 7 months old...we hadn't been back since, it scared me. In that time we consulted 2 trainers, worked on building the training we already had, obedience and tricks, and stayed away from large groups of strange dogs - mainly dog parks, she's great at day care without me around...my nervous energy made the situation even worse.
My trainers told me I needed to go back and try again since it's been just under 4 months...so we went, and as soon as I made the decision to go I got nervous and anxious about it, and she started to cry and get hyper almost immediatly, I saw this as a direct response to my uncertainty and nervousness (this is the approach I chose after talking to both trainers - change of leadership role)...so I pumped myself up on our way to the park..we can do this, we can control the situation, show leadership and trust in her ability to meet and greet new dogs without feeling the need to dominate every situation or gaurd me....
Anyways, we spent 15 minutes meeting and gretting in the stageing area, on leash, she didn't pull the leash at all, she did very well, only one lip curl towards a rather rambuncious lab - which I corrected, she aknolwedge it. So, we moved in to the park, her recall was stellar - by my side or came back as soon as I called her, she had no issues at all with most of the dogs she met....she met a very small begal pup, I could tell by her body language that she was ready to bully this guy around, leaning in on him, making her stance as big as possible, curled lip, bully mode, so I sternly said her name, clapped as loud as I could and told her to NEVERMIND - LET'S GO...I was in reaching distance should it have escalated, but I stopped myself from pulling her away before I could tell her it was unexceptable to do this..she stopped, looked at me and came to me, and we continued on our way. Not 1 minute later she spots a bouncy lab, she started the same bully stance, I clapped and told her the same thing, she looked, came to my side, we kept going.
Not until the very end did I have to step in and pull her away from a situation...at this point, she was tired and on leash ready to leave the park, a bull dog pup - full grown, but obvioulsy a pup, approached me very quickly and there was a group of about 15 dogs hanging out in this one area, she was right by my side, she stanced, snarled and leaned on him growling...I corrected her right away with her leash and verbally and she knew it...lucky for me, we were leaving anyways, so we got in the car, and she saw that as punishment...hopefully it helped that we left right away, she looked like she knew, and as you know with her...she doesn't ever feel like she's in trouble.
Before we couldn't even stand in the stageing area with her showing her teeth and dominating every young dog she met, even tho I had to correct her twice verbally and once on her leash, it was an improvment in my book. A step in the right direction.
Anyways, this is a long brag, I was just so happy to be back at the park, she loves the terrain and exercise...I was so happy, and I left feeling confident. I am still not going to go during peek hours - not yet. We still have lots of work to do. Funny how 95% of the change was me and my actions as a leader and my response to her bullying, and not so much her reaction to my behavior?? :clown:
My trainers told me I needed to go back and try again since it's been just under 4 months...so we went, and as soon as I made the decision to go I got nervous and anxious about it, and she started to cry and get hyper almost immediatly, I saw this as a direct response to my uncertainty and nervousness (this is the approach I chose after talking to both trainers - change of leadership role)...so I pumped myself up on our way to the park..we can do this, we can control the situation, show leadership and trust in her ability to meet and greet new dogs without feeling the need to dominate every situation or gaurd me....
Anyways, we spent 15 minutes meeting and gretting in the stageing area, on leash, she didn't pull the leash at all, she did very well, only one lip curl towards a rather rambuncious lab - which I corrected, she aknolwedge it. So, we moved in to the park, her recall was stellar - by my side or came back as soon as I called her, she had no issues at all with most of the dogs she met....she met a very small begal pup, I could tell by her body language that she was ready to bully this guy around, leaning in on him, making her stance as big as possible, curled lip, bully mode, so I sternly said her name, clapped as loud as I could and told her to NEVERMIND - LET'S GO...I was in reaching distance should it have escalated, but I stopped myself from pulling her away before I could tell her it was unexceptable to do this..she stopped, looked at me and came to me, and we continued on our way. Not 1 minute later she spots a bouncy lab, she started the same bully stance, I clapped and told her the same thing, she looked, came to my side, we kept going.
Not until the very end did I have to step in and pull her away from a situation...at this point, she was tired and on leash ready to leave the park, a bull dog pup - full grown, but obvioulsy a pup, approached me very quickly and there was a group of about 15 dogs hanging out in this one area, she was right by my side, she stanced, snarled and leaned on him growling...I corrected her right away with her leash and verbally and she knew it...lucky for me, we were leaving anyways, so we got in the car, and she saw that as punishment...hopefully it helped that we left right away, she looked like she knew, and as you know with her...she doesn't ever feel like she's in trouble.
Before we couldn't even stand in the stageing area with her showing her teeth and dominating every young dog she met, even tho I had to correct her twice verbally and once on her leash, it was an improvment in my book. A step in the right direction.
Anyways, this is a long brag, I was just so happy to be back at the park, she loves the terrain and exercise...I was so happy, and I left feeling confident. I am still not going to go during peek hours - not yet. We still have lots of work to do. Funny how 95% of the change was me and my actions as a leader and my response to her bullying, and not so much her reaction to my behavior?? :clown: