Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Too Much Socialization?

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We socialized Sampson from the time he was 8 weeks old.  He went to puppy play group, beginner and intermediate obedience classes and then on to daycare twice a week.

We also socialized him with people and truth be told I can’t figure out if he loves other dogs or people more.   When he sees or hears another dog he must get to it.  But once he’s greeted the other dog, he hangs out with their person.

Today during our walk I heard a small dog, and it made me nervous, because I’ve seen a woman who walks two small dogs (I think they are Papillons) and she doesn’t pay attention.  My dogs wouldn’t intentionally hurt a small dog but as you know they are quite large and very enthusiastic. 🙂  I’m always afraid they’ll squish one during the greeting.

I don’t run with my nose to the ground so I usually see something well before the dogs.  Oh I can still miss things, but usually I see or hear it before they do.

Once I heard the small dog bark, I called Sampson over and clipped his leash on.  That’s when Sampson heard the small dog’s bark and tried to head in the direction from whence it came.

Two fools straining at the ends of their leashes.

Are your dogs like this?  Do you think there is such a thing as too much socialization?

Adventures In Daycare

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I’ve mentioned before that Sampson and Delilah go to half a day of daycare twice a week.  Yesterday I turned down the street and was greeted by this sight.

Do they teach them to park this way?

My very first thought was, “God I hope it wasn’t my dogs” which was interrupted by the second thought of “Sara would have called me.”

I walked in with wide eyes and I think my mouth might have been open in shock but I can’t say with any certainty. :-0  Sara immediately burst out laughing and said to Diane (groomer) “Did you see her face?”

Naturally all the dogs are gathered at the gates, since the lobby is filled with two police officers and an old drunk guy and now me.  I notice the partially drunk bottle of alcohol sitting on the counter and put two and two together.

And (I love starting a sentence with ‘and’) then Sara says rather quickly, “Would you like your dogs?”

I nodded my head and remembered with dread that I’d forgotten Sampson’s leash at home.

I looked at Sara and tried to be nonchalant when I said, “I’ll have to take them separately, since I forgot Sampson’s leash this morning.”

I hear the female officer say to the male officer, “After we’re done with this, I’ll be in there.  You can call me if you need me.” And I think to myself, if I’m ever some drunk old gal on a bicycle, I hope I get this officer. 🙂

So Sara clipped Delilah and I brought her out to the car and about a half a minute later Sara came out with Sampson, using one of the small slip leashes they use for tying the dogs into the tub.

Sara tells me the story of how the drunk guy rides in on a bicycle, parks it against the building, walks in and says, “I need an ambulance.”

It’s a nice way to end your work week, don’t you think?  Not sure how it ended, but I’ll follow it up next Friday.

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Defeated And Lost – Part Two

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When we left off, I had just gotten Delilah free from her concrete entrapment.  If you missed that story you can read about it here.

I head into the woods where I unclipped Sampson so I can at least have one hand free and I wrap what’s left of Delilah’s leash around my hand.

We meet Kingston’s mom about half-way up, get into the field and walk to the area where we part ways.  I walk out to the car, load the dogs and head home.

I am defeated and resigned.  I am lost, treading water in a vast ocean of disappointment.  I am an utter failure in trying to train this dog.

After almost five years, I give up.  I’m done.

Hubby comes home and says, “How are you?”

“I’m ok.”

“What’s up?  You seem like you’re in a pissy mood.”

“Yup.”

Then I go on to tell him the story.

We talk about it.  Seriously talk about it. I am conceding, I am giving in and getting an electronic collar for her. I don’t know what else to do.

I thank him for not being an ‘a’ hole about the whole thing and saying “I told you so.”

Meanwhile, the dog that sprang from Satan’s loins will not sit while I’m in the kitchen.  After trying to teach her for 1,746 days, I’m frustrated.  I yell at her to “SIT DOWN.”

It’s time to feed the dogs.  They need to sit on the edge of the kitchen when I am preparing their meals.  She will not.  She gets up, she changes spots for a better vantage point.  She tries to advance into the kitchen.  My frustration with her from her earlier adventure hasn’t gone away.  I have no patience for this.

Then yesterday morning she comes into the bathroom while I am trying to get ready for work.  My frustration with her from the previous day has not gone away.  She comes in and shoves her head between my legs and gets brown goo (from Dog knows what) on my work pants.  I banish her from the bathroom and once again I feel lost.

Hubby says she is stubborn.  It’s not that she isn’t smart, she is stubborn.

So am I. I am not a defeatist. You can knock me down and I will get back up. Do it 100 times, I will get back up.  I might cry and rage, but I will get back up and I will figure out a way to knock you down.

Not this time.  This time I’m defeated.  It’s a horrible feeling.  I’m not quite sure how to deal with it.

Crying, lots of crying.  Which is another thing I don’t do well.

I have no confidence, if I can’t help this dog after almost five full years, then maybe I’m just not the right person for the job.

I’ve failed.  I failed myself.  I failed you, my faithful readers.  I’ve failed all the positive reward based trainers out there but most of all I’ve failed my dog.

I wonder if the rescue will take her back.  I wonder if this is the reason she was surrendered in the first place.

I wonder how people do this, day after day and still manage to put a smile on their face and accept the uniqueness that is their crazy, wild, untrainable dog.

P.S. This was written yesterday and I am in a much better place today, I haven’t put the collar on her yet (even though I borrowed one from a friend.) I want to order the DVD by Dr. Patricia McConnell and give it one last shot.

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