Sit. Stay. Read. Comment.
I can’t sleep. It has everything to do with the caffeinated Diet Coke I had today, but while I’m restless, I’ve been thinking over my dog-walking issues. Gabe has been through two obedience classes and has had two personal training sessions. He can sit, stay, come, heel, halt and sometimes will even leave it, depending on how truly tempting the item in question is. He has a great time at the Bark Park and enjoys playing with puppies big and small, but on a leash, walking around the neighborhood, he cannot, for the life of me, learn to demonstrate manners when seeing another dog. It is as if he is a Navy Seal on high alert, scanning the horizon for another dog infiltrating his territory. From 50 yards away, he will not only spy another dog, but will pay attention to absolutely nothing else until he no longer sees that dog. He will crane his neck, he will pull in that direction, he will lunge if necessary to go say hello. And, being 200 pounds, it doesn’t usually make such a great impression on the dog and owner he’s approaching. There are usually screams, sirens and I end up with a dislocated shoulder. Okay, it doesn’t really come to that, but the potential is certainly there.
The training we’ve undergone has worked primarily to get his attention on me, which works just fine unless we’re talking about seeing another dog and then I’m completely forgotten. I could be holding a steak in my hands and Gabe will not even look at me.
So, here it is, 3am, I’ve been up for well over an hour and I was thinking about whether or not I was going to schedule another training session, and was trying to articulate in my head what it is that I think needs to happen at these sessions (i.e. it might be helpful if there were other dogs there…) when an idea hit me.
Perhaps what Gabe needs most is time spent walking in OUR neighborhood with another dog. Perhaps if I can find a walking partner who has another dog, I can get Gabe more accustomed to the idea that we can, in fact, walk with/near/around another dog without having to create havoc.
And this idea, as most of mine do, branched into an even grander idea of organizing a “Group Dog Walk” at the park near where I live. I live in a subdivision of condos/townhouses and twins (duplexes for those of you who don’t live out East). Lots of folks have dogs, and so I thought maybe if I put up signs in my neighborhood and invited people to come socialize themselves and their dogs at a little Saturday morning Dog Walk, that this might not only give the neighbors a chance to meet, but would give the dogs a chance to socialize, and MAYBE give Gabe a chance to get it together. Maybe some folks would enjoy it so much that it could become a regular event, and not just a one-time thing. Or maybe the police would have to be called in and I would be hauled off to jail for such insane ideas.
So, I’ve been mulling this over, and trying to see the pros and cons and while I realize that Gabe might not handle himself well, and might completely embarrass me in front of my neighbors, being a mother of a 10 year old, this would be nothing new to me. And while I’m certain there are inherent risks involved when 20 dogs get together on leads, I also realize that many animal-related organizations host “Paws for a Cause” sorts of walks every year, so I can’t be dreaming up something totally insane. Well, I could be, but maybe not this time around.
I guess I’m looking for feedback. Am I nuts? Is this bound for failure? Should I just stick to paying a “professional” to train him to “leave it” when it comes to other dogs? Or is socializing my dog on and off (off at the Bark Park) his leash a better idea? If you have a dog (or imagine that you do for a moment) would you participate in a neighborhood dog walk? Maybe you've attended one of these "Paws for a Cause" events? Do you have a dog with similar issues to mine? I just find myself so incredibly envious of people who go to the park with their dogs (on or off lead) and can walk around the place without a single concern to their dog meeting up with another and reacting badly to it. I want to go to a picnic with my dog and not have to ask if another dog will be there. I want to go watch the teams play football and baseball at the park and not have to yank my dog away from the other ones he comes across. I want to be a HAPPY CANINE OWNER!!!
Okay, I’ll try to get some sleep. I know, I obviously need it. Although, by morning I might have solved all world issues. Maybe.
The training we’ve undergone has worked primarily to get his attention on me, which works just fine unless we’re talking about seeing another dog and then I’m completely forgotten. I could be holding a steak in my hands and Gabe will not even look at me.
So, here it is, 3am, I’ve been up for well over an hour and I was thinking about whether or not I was going to schedule another training session, and was trying to articulate in my head what it is that I think needs to happen at these sessions (i.e. it might be helpful if there were other dogs there…) when an idea hit me.
Perhaps what Gabe needs most is time spent walking in OUR neighborhood with another dog. Perhaps if I can find a walking partner who has another dog, I can get Gabe more accustomed to the idea that we can, in fact, walk with/near/around another dog without having to create havoc.
And this idea, as most of mine do, branched into an even grander idea of organizing a “Group Dog Walk” at the park near where I live. I live in a subdivision of condos/townhouses and twins (duplexes for those of you who don’t live out East). Lots of folks have dogs, and so I thought maybe if I put up signs in my neighborhood and invited people to come socialize themselves and their dogs at a little Saturday morning Dog Walk, that this might not only give the neighbors a chance to meet, but would give the dogs a chance to socialize, and MAYBE give Gabe a chance to get it together. Maybe some folks would enjoy it so much that it could become a regular event, and not just a one-time thing. Or maybe the police would have to be called in and I would be hauled off to jail for such insane ideas.
So, I’ve been mulling this over, and trying to see the pros and cons and while I realize that Gabe might not handle himself well, and might completely embarrass me in front of my neighbors, being a mother of a 10 year old, this would be nothing new to me. And while I’m certain there are inherent risks involved when 20 dogs get together on leads, I also realize that many animal-related organizations host “Paws for a Cause” sorts of walks every year, so I can’t be dreaming up something totally insane. Well, I could be, but maybe not this time around.
I guess I’m looking for feedback. Am I nuts? Is this bound for failure? Should I just stick to paying a “professional” to train him to “leave it” when it comes to other dogs? Or is socializing my dog on and off (off at the Bark Park) his leash a better idea? If you have a dog (or imagine that you do for a moment) would you participate in a neighborhood dog walk? Maybe you've attended one of these "Paws for a Cause" events? Do you have a dog with similar issues to mine? I just find myself so incredibly envious of people who go to the park with their dogs (on or off lead) and can walk around the place without a single concern to their dog meeting up with another and reacting badly to it. I want to go to a picnic with my dog and not have to ask if another dog will be there. I want to go watch the teams play football and baseball at the park and not have to yank my dog away from the other ones he comes across. I want to be a HAPPY CANINE OWNER!!!
Okay, I’ll try to get some sleep. I know, I obviously need it. Although, by morning I might have solved all world issues. Maybe.
Comments
People have their best ideas late at night!
I think this could work. Let's hear it for caffeine!