An Exception To A Rule

I have written previously that I am not a fan of dog parks .That has not always been the case. In the past, I took many a dog to many a dog park and never had a single bad experience. In fact there were many enjoyable hours of observing dogs enjoying the unconstrained company of their peers. But over the years I have heard too many stories of bad actors, both human and canine, that have caused considerable harm, both physical and psychological, to innocent dogs and owners. As a general rule, for many years, I have been recommending structured play sessions of two dogs. The formula includes one third play, one third training and one third down time (dogs relaxing in presence of another dog while owners enjoy a cup of tea or glass of wine). Within these play sessions an owner can control all the variables, unlike in a dog park. The dogs learn only what the owners intend to teach. They do not learn not to come when called, to be bullied or be a bully. A dog does not learn his owner is not, in reality, the boss of him. So, of course, where there is a rule, accompanied close on its heels, must be the exception.               

Myrtle is an affectionate, year old Doodle type puppy who was placed with Violet by a rescue group. She adjusted to life in her new family quite readily. She seemed to understand the proprieties of her new home immediately. She was loving, well mannered and quickly proved herself housebroken. Her new owner was delighted at how quickly Myrtle and her two very young grandkids took to each other. Over the years, Violet had raised a number of dogs and so she was not unfamiliar with a variety of doggie issues. But the one challenge that unnerved her was the level of reactivity Myrtle displayed when taken for a walk. Simply put, if she spied another dog, at any distance, she lost her mind entirely and leaped frantically about at the end of her leash. Myrtle shifted abruptly into a frenzied furry berserker, wresting furiously to get to the other dog.

Myrtle had only been with Violet a short time when we first met. That entire session we spent inside Violet’s home. In the past, Violet had not had need of a dog trainer. All her charges had developed into well behaved pets under her tutelage.  We went over a number of basic concepts and then introduced some basic hands on training which included impulse control such as sitting before eating and sitting before proceeding through a door together. Myrtle was a quick study and responded well to the exercises. We also talked about equipment, specifically a body harness that attached on the chest and head collars such as a Gentle Leader.  

It was several weeks later that we met for the second time. Myrtle  had progressed well on all the exercises introduced and inside the home was a dream pet. But once out the front door, she immediately became rigidly tense and super vigilant. She constantly scanned the environment for the presence of other dogs. The neighborhood included a number of reactive dogs behind fences that triggered Myrtle from quite a distance. Violet felt she was running a dangerous gauntlet at each outing and  dreaded taking Myrtle for walks. She had begun to avoid times when she knew others would be walking their dogs or dogs patrolling their fence line. She handed me the leash as we set out into her neighborhood. 

Myrtle was so intense, she seemed not to notice the indignity of sporting a head collar. We approached the first yard which enclosed a pair of barking dogs. Myrtle would sit and take a treat at a distance but she had obviously taken affront with the insults hurled at her. We eventually worked our way past the two betes noires, Myrtle sitting and taking a treat but it surely wasn’t perfect. While she did respond, she was not at all relaxed. As we worked, her focus would immediately return to the two dogs behind the fence. We came to the next corner as a couple approached with a dog. Myrtle automatically went on high alert but the couple veered off in another direction at the corner. We passed one more strolling dog which was across the street and we worked our way forward by attempting to keep Myrtle from the business of not getting agitated merely at the sight of another dog. Again, it worked but was not pretty. Keeping the explosive Myrtle below threshold was a daunting task.  

 After returning to Violet’s home we debriefed. Violet stated that she felt Myrtle had made some improvement by using the head collar but she was still not at all confident she could control her pet. She said she would keep working and give me a call in a few weeks. We met for the third session and Violet took the leash. Her confidence in Myrtle had not improved although there was a notable  improvement in Myrtle’s behavior. Myrtle’s reactivity was less intense and her recovery time improving. We were headed in the right direction but it was going to take time. And this was a problem because Violet was on a fixed income and resources were short. She said she would call in a few weeks.

At one point in one of our first meetings we had discussed working at dog parks- outside the fence and at quite a distance, if need be, to get a foothold on

dog distraction. Violet had mentioned that on a couple occasions at the rescue, she had observed Myrtle playing non stop with the other dogs. And she had once or twice taken Myrtle to a dog park shortly after bringing her home. She had observed the same thing, Myrtle was the Energizer Puppy, who had neither tired or even decelerated the entire outings. Myrtle loved to play with other dogs. She was just not at all an appealing buddy when on leash.

A number of weeks later I received a call from Violet. It had been raining for an extensive period of time and Violet continued to be frustrated. After a cautionary conversation Violet said she was going to head back to the dog park once the weather improved. She felt comfortable with the people and dogs she had met there previously. She knew how much Myrtle loved to gambol about unfettered by any restrictions. 

It was several weeks into the new year when next I heard from Violet. I winced when I recognized her number, bracing for an unpleasant report. Instead, Violet announced  that Myrtle had evolved a new public persona, she was doing extremely well. She thoroughly enjoyed her reentry to the dog park and picked up her nonstop, full speed ahead style where she left off. She was now walking nicely on leash and no longer reacting to other dogs she passed or those announcing themselves from behind fences. Quite the dramatic makeover, Myrtle is definitely an exception to my rule about dog parks. And playful Myrtle, once she had an outlet for her energy, somehow quickly built the trust and confidence of her owner. Violet is now an exceptional owner.

And the best news is that Violet says the pair will sign up for an upcoming class  so we will get to work together some more.