LONG Post, sorry.
A couple of weeks ago, just finished my little obedience class at a local park, put Asha back in my truck and was going to go back to help put some things in another gals car. I'd noticed way up the street (it's a quiet dead end street) there was a kid - I'm guessing 10 - 12 years old - walking a pit mix on a leash and thought nothing of it. Put Asha in the truck, turned away to go back and help load stuff and heard Asha barking crazy. It kinda pissed me off, because I've been working really hard on her not setting off on innocent people w/dogs, but I didn't turn or look because I was already 20 feet away and nothing I could do anyway. Then Ashas barking took a turn to furious really serious barking and I turned around just in time to see the pit mix was loose and barreling straight at me with serious intent. I made like a tree, pulled my legs together, arms at sides and looked off to the horizon just as it reached me. My frozen stature confused the dog, the kid caught up saying "he's nice, he's nice" (I'm thinking no, not really). But the kid caught him up and the dog was taken away - the snap had broken on the lead - cheap piece of sh!t - so all ended well. Asha the whole time was just about to come unglued in the truck, but thankfully she settled when the dog was taken away. I hate to think what could have happened if I had not put her in the truck yet and that aggressive dog came barreling toward us both.
Then yesterday I took her too another park (on leash rule there) to meet up with another training group - a new teacher I found, really great on behavior training, smart and no BS or pussyfooting with dogs. But I go early so I can train a bit on my own with the park distractions, then I sat down on the ground and leaned up against a tree to read for a while so Asha learns to chill and just watch people, dogs, kids on roller skates etc. I'd seen a lady walking two dogs on the sidewalk that went behind the tree I was leaning on. Asha had to hum and I corrected her (prong was on) and she kept eyeing them behind me, getting louder and hackles coming up and I just assumed she was being an ass (never assume) and shanked on her again saying NO, then she exploded bellowing. Just as I turned one of the 2 dogs had slipped his collar and was at the tree posturing toward Asha, pissing on the tree as he was hopping on 3 legs peeing as he ran toward Asha. I dragged Asha behind me and started flailing at the dog to get him off. Asha wanted to kill him and only because the prong could I hold her. The lady caught up, got her dog and dragged him away. Holy shite people! I know my dog does not need to be dog aggressive but if a dog or person stares at her long enough, she just can't stand it. Later I realized this dog had been staring at her as his owner was walking behind us & Asha was taking it as a challenge. I will never choose that kind of spot to "relax" at the park again. I need to be able to see 360 like my dog does and never assume!!! The BEST ending to this story is that my teacher arrived about that time, she'd taught this lady & her two dogs a couple of years before (not much stuck, obviously) and she worked with her and the horny (sorry, no other word comes to mind) dog and her other dog the entire HOUR of my lesson. She did figure 8's around me and Asha on one end and the lady and her other dog at the other, with the instructor taking the horny dog, healing & sharp sharp corrections when he tried to make advances toward Asha. Asha was a star, she laid at a down stay the entire time at my left, zero attempts to give him a what-for. It was like she knew he was now totally under control and no threat to her. Then Asha and I healed figure 8's around horny dog & the other dog, each being controlled well at a sit or down. We halted and sat in the center of them in the figure 8 several times. No animosity at all from any of them! I'm really enjoying this new teacher - she's a no BS kind of person and just takes a sour situation and made a huge pitcher of sweet lemonade.
Asha of course, cool as can be, relaxing at home later:
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seems he doesn't even care that he is running in your flower bed either and looks like he is about to mark!
jeez!
it's good to be prepared to defend yourself and your dog ...especially now days you just never know!
