She is rather partial to a pillow. Strawberry is used for this purpose in her van crate. But a sofa offers other delights. We all share this sofa I might add.
She worked hard yesterday though. For the first time I needed her strong character in a stooge dog role. Pop was my stooge for a good while. So kind and trusting and easy going - quick sniff then off with mom. No side at all. Pop was brilliant at putting other dogs at their ease and ignoring defensiveness issues but she would not have liked the situation I needed Nellie for today as she would have found it too intimidating. Henry used to come in to Thursday classes to show a solid wait - I'd ask him for a down wait and I'd demonstrate how I taught him to do that even with me doing stuff with the dogs and owners all around him. He was also brilliant for demonstrating a long distance 'watch me' -I'd ask him to wait, go down the hall and then ask him to 'watch me' from there. They were always amazed by the way he locked eyes with me. Such a clever little chap. He helped quite a few people understand that jack russells are really quite trainable (and keen to learn) despite all the nonsense out there about how impossible it is. Archie has come into his own too as a stooge in my Thursday classes - ignoring other dogs when he needs to and socialising nicely when that's needed too, especially with the young dogs. He has quite a fan club! Nellie doesn't take any c**p though so where Arch will just ignore or give a low, polite grumble before turning away when an over lively older dog tries to jump on his head Nellie, who has quite a strong personality, will stand her ground (she's happy for pups and especially small dogs to do this on the whole though!) I don't need that particular strength in her in my Thursday groups at the moment (thankfully) but for this appointment I needed that ability to stand her ground and be confident and well balanced enough to bounce back from any repercussions. In short I needed a sociable and polite dog that is also assertive but not aggressive with bad mannered dogs. Nellie it is then.
I was cornered by a lady with a beautiful collie boy about the same age as Nellie over two years ago. She arrived at the farm when I was teaching an agility class and demanded I help her or she would have to give her dog away. What is it with people? He was 'too strong' for her and would not come back from other dogs or focus on her. Well, she didn't want to come to the hall (because he was 'too strong on a lead') but she was clearly desperate so I offered for her to come to my field and while I taught a couple of people and their dogs she worked through some focus stuff and recalls (using a line)with either me or Gina alongside her. Although he was improving and focusing nicely and his recalls were coming along there was, to my mind, still quite a lot of work to do when she suddenly didn't call again....I was so afraid she had given the dog away and didn't want to tell me that I couldn't face calling her. I would have been too upset.
Fast forward two years and suddenly six weeks ago I get a call out of the blue. It turns out that two years ago she had obviously decided she had got what she wanted, even though I felt differently, and so had struck out on her own. Now though he had attacked another dog that would not leave (its owner could not recall it) when he was playing ball with her. No damage done but still very scary and definitely unacceptable behaviour. We talked it through - I was having highlights at the time - no peace for the wicked. From what she told me on the phone it was resolvable. I told her what to do next time all those factors arose together and she was happy.
Last week I get another call. A friend with her own collie took him out with hers and when the friend went to have a chat with another dog she knew, in he went. Again no damage done physically to the dog I am told but I know how I would be feeling if it was my dog at the receiving end. His owner was beside herself and so she booked me to go and see her one-to-one. Which I did yesterday, having told her last week that she must get a basket muzzle immediately and use it.
This lady is in her 70s (she's fit and wiry) I might add and although she has had dogs all her life it was obvious to me before all of this, way back, that she was unhealthily emotionally entangled with the dog. It is always good to see people and their dogs at home and anyone who has ever done this kind of thing will probably be able to predict exactly what was going on in this set up. Anyway, after popping the muzzle on (she hadn't felt able to take him out with it on as she 'didn't think he'd like it' even though I'd told her he wouldn't..) off we went with Nellie trotting along off lead doing her 'I'm out for a walk with my mom, and I am more than happy to be joined by another dog I have never met before' look on her face and confident body language. Off lead he managed to get the muzzle off twice - it needed tweaking - but in neither instance did he bother with Nellie. I just adjusted it and he fought it once or twice, but he was so pleased to be out (he hadn't been out since the last call - the owner was too emotional and scared and didn't want to put the muzzle on and the friend wouldn't trust him) and that he soon forgot about it and, when on the lead, the owner was able to walk him along with it on much more easily than she had with his 'anti-pull harness' she had been using.
After a little while with them out and about and even running about together doing play 'skips' along side each other I tried a bit of treat giving. I have always encouraged my dogs to see other dogs coming in close to me when they are around me themselves as a positive thing by giving 'guest dogs' a treat first and then very quickly following it up with a treat for mine. It has encouraged them to like another dog having a treat from me first because it means they will have one too. So Nellie did her well mannered 'guests first' thing with this collie several times and he was fine too. And then I asked the owner to do the same in reverse, Nellie first and then her own dog. Well this was too much for him, as I suspected it would be - and he went in at Nellie.
He didn't realise he couldn't use his teeth though....(which was what I wanted him to find out) and she simply stood right up on her toes, hackles up and told him what she thought of his 'manners' in strong dog terms: teeth bared, firm growl, strong eyes. As I say I knew she wouldn't use her teeth and I knew he couldn't and so I knew he could do what he was likely to do but that he would not be hurt by her at all. I did not want him to be afraid of other dogs (he isn't) but he needed to be brought up short politely but oh so firmly in a language he understands.
The speech bubble over his head read 'WTF!!!!****!!!'
He was rather more respectful afterwards and gave off some calming signals when she gave him 'the look' a little while later.
The owner isn't to be trying this around other dogs just yet - other people almost certainly will not like their dogs being set up, and some of the dogs might not be polite and yet very firm in the way Nellie was with him. Or they might be really scared. But he should have worked out that being a possessive bully and trying to use his teeth on other dogs in the way he has been doing won't now pay off. And the owner has seen that he can't actually hurt another dog with the muzzle on so she should relax a bit out with him near other dogs, which might in turn make him less reactive when other dogs are nearby..........
We're some way off him having the assertive owner he needs. She has been letting him rule the roost at home for quite some time. It is only because he is innately actually a nice natured dog that he isn't a complete monster. You'll know the advice I have given her - all pretty much dog sense. And designed to get the balance back into their relationship so that she is in charge and he is not. I got a call later telling me that he was 'annoyed with her and was sulking' because she was insisting on attention on her terms, not his. You can imagine my response.....
She says she feels more confident to go out with him now; we spent quite a bit of time working through the muzzle and how to use and adjust it and discussing the psychology of it for the dog. The more relaxed she is the more walks he can have - better for him physically and mentally. He also needs to lose a lot of weight. He's put on a lot in two years and she was horrified when I showed her what Nellie has - and she's entire. That should help to improve his life quality too.
I am sure this will need following up several times but if she has the will to improve things - and she definitely does not want to go on like she has done which is a good sign - then she can turn it around. I hope so anyway.
Nellie and I followed it up with a good walk in the rain on the heath meeting other dogs - including a lost Gordon Setter called Finn who we stuck on Nellie's lead and carted back to the car park where I'd last seen the owners calling for him. I've got a cold now anyway, despite all my efforts to not get ill all term, I get it once again in the holidays, so what the hell if I get wet again....
Archie went to work with dad all day and had lots of attention in the office. His stitches come out tomorrow.
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