tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post7904360485842954876..comments2024-02-07T00:59:48.956-08:00Comments on Pooch Smooches: Mirth Watch Thursday: Educating Rita Jackie Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-11018676390415776132013-07-13T01:27:24.139-07:002013-07-13T01:27:24.139-07:00Interesting! I wish there's a turtle trainer t...Interesting! I wish there's a turtle trainer too.<br />Good luck...hope Rita can be much better after the training :)Novrozhttp://kamekroten.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-82607684911135908262013-07-12T20:45:26.317-07:002013-07-12T20:45:26.317-07:00Oh, no worries - I understand. It's so hard to...Oh, no worries - I understand. It's so hard to keep up with the commenting on all the blogs I like to read! <br /><br />She's fine with us having anything weapon-like in our hands. It's just strangers. For instance, the first time she met my 86 yr old friend, who walks with a cane, she was very scared and cowered, but now she knows Mazli is okay. One weird thing she does though is keep barking at any overnight visitors. Like when my mom stays over, she gets used to her being here, but then when my mom comes out of the guest room in the a.m., Rita will run and bark at her! It's like she forgets! <br /><br />It's funny how a little dog can make themselves into this FORCE that seems to weigh about 10X as much! Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-49422330009291185192013-07-12T19:52:28.380-07:002013-07-12T19:52:28.380-07:00I so love your diagram of The Avoidance Walk! The...I so love your diagram of The Avoidance Walk! The wieners are maniacs, maniacs I tell you, so all walks are avoidance walks. Thankfully not a lot of people are walking their dogs at all hours of the day around here, so it's pretty easy to avoid other dogs. Cats, however, are a different story. It's funny, because whatever they see pass by outside the front window, they go absolutely ballistic over... whether it's a dog, a person, a cat, the UPS truck, the mailman, or God forbid - all of those at once! They don't just bark - they lunge at the window. But on walks, they mostly (MOSTLY) control themselves and don't get too crazy. Except when Austin sees a cat. Then it's all over. You better have a tight grip on the leash and be ready. Whatever he is mixed with... he is STRONG. Walking him feels like walking a much bigger dog. Anyway, we have been considering training for all of their "issues". Will definitely have to be one-one-one. They are not ready for a group class. <br />Rita is such a doll. I'm sure she will improve with her issues with a little work. As for the "anything that could be a weapon" fear... does she also react when you or hubs has something like that in your hands, or only strangers? Like is she bothered when you break out the broom? <br /><br />P.S. I keep up with all your posts - I'm just super far behind on commenting. Pam@DachshundRescueList.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07689903747983017569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-84290039685157834312013-07-12T10:48:32.874-07:002013-07-12T10:48:32.874-07:00Yes, she has a low threshold! Glad to hear Wrigs o...Yes, she has a low threshold! Glad to hear Wrigs overcame most of his issues. I think Rita will too!Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-3184725143894480762013-07-12T10:47:40.730-07:002013-07-12T10:47:40.730-07:00Yes, it is good mental exercise for me! Have to st...Yes, it is good mental exercise for me! Have to stay on my toes - sometimes literally as we jog to duck down a side street and avoid an oncoming dog!Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-56132141938090264672013-07-12T10:46:51.311-07:002013-07-12T10:46:51.311-07:00We do have one walk we do where we walk past a cof...We do have one walk we do where we walk past a coffee shop that always has lots of dogs outside. I call it "walking the gantlet". Rita actually does really well when (most of the time) if we walk confidently right up to another dog - but I'd like to feel more certain about it. I'm sure we'll be fine eventually - we just both need some work. Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-42278495787629097502013-07-12T10:45:04.758-07:002013-07-12T10:45:04.758-07:00Oh, that's awful about the dog passing other d...Oh, that's awful about the dog passing other dogs to get to hers! Something like that would definitely set Rita back! So many things to be on the watch for when out on a walk! Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-82244932489544804912013-07-12T10:44:16.991-07:002013-07-12T10:44:16.991-07:00Oh, Pippa - Rita's a wimp too! Just last night...Oh, Pippa - Rita's a wimp too! Just last night she shrieked when she accidentally got caught up in a branch out in our yard in the dark. Scared the heck out of herself (and me!).Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-32640785368682587872013-07-12T10:43:29.077-07:002013-07-12T10:43:29.077-07:00Yeah, sometimes it takes a little work, but it'...Yeah, sometimes it takes a little work, but it's so worth it. We are working with the trainer who works part of his time at the shelter where I volunteer. Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-67833812932176482402013-07-12T10:05:23.531-07:002013-07-12T10:05:23.531-07:00Loved your map! I understand your trainer's th...Loved your map! I understand your trainer's thinking in trying to keep Rita below her "threshold" and know how hard it can be to accomplish sometimes. When we adopted Wrigs nearly 7 years ago, we discovered that he had a few issues. He overcame most of them, though he still gets excited when people walk past our house on the street. <br /><br />Susan and WrigsLife with Wrigshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10391045831485462448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-54671134984226110332013-07-12T06:56:11.304-07:002013-07-12T06:56:11.304-07:00Apologies... laughing so much at your walk map and...Apologies... laughing so much at your walk map and description. Good luck with that avoidance thing! Sounds to me like good mental exercise for the human ;-)Talking-Dogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11562973510419612443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-20003386460078232022013-07-12T04:22:08.243-07:002013-07-12T04:22:08.243-07:00My mom confronts this problem head on. She refuses...My mom confronts this problem head on. She refuses to avoid other dogs and sometimes we react to other dogs but she holds on tight and forces us to go by. Most of the time it works well, sometimes it is a bit scary but she figures if we avoid others it will never change. Good luck training with Rita.My GBGV Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00281486885814998377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-34962391326420743952013-07-12T04:05:10.315-07:002013-07-12T04:05:10.315-07:00Typist dog has similar problems and she has been o...Typist dog has similar problems and she has been on similar walks herself, and then just when things seemed to be going better this dog got loose and came and bit her dog. The other dog ran from the other side of the field - past other dogs - to get to hers. SO it's a few more steps back! <br /><br />Good luckAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-87765272911378232232013-07-12T02:14:28.199-07:002013-07-12T02:14:28.199-07:00Hi Jackie!
Aw, Rita sounds and looks lovely, but w...Hi Jackie!<br />Aw, Rita sounds and looks lovely, but what a lot she's been through! That walk sounded so hard, good luck with training her. I'm scared of most other dogs too, but that's because I'm a wimp!<br />Pippa :)Pippa Sheltiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14832703529871989902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-20106839999843537842013-07-11T16:03:07.499-07:002013-07-11T16:03:07.499-07:00Sorry for rita's issues. far too often things ...Sorry for rita's issues. far too often things happen to rescue dogs or shelter dogs that the ne owners don't know and have to take care of the issues because they love them and want to help them. glad yr working with a trainer and in time patience and desenisation i think you will makw rita less reactive and scared. good luck to you both. love yr mapJoAnn Stancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17908735948454928872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-71476838295287692762013-07-11T14:00:37.880-07:002013-07-11T14:00:37.880-07:00You're probably right. He was a great ambassad...You're probably right. He was a great ambassador! Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-3501529645973979362013-07-11T11:14:51.250-07:002013-07-11T11:14:51.250-07:00I love Skidbood. He probably did more to encourage...I love Skidbood. He probably did more to encourage people to train their dogs than any other dog or person. And he always seemed to have so much fun and to know how entertaining he was.Janhttp://thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-65133699464534905272013-07-11T11:07:27.917-07:002013-07-11T11:07:27.917-07:00We are not early folks... Especially Rita! She LOV...We are not early folks... Especially Rita! She LOVES to sleep in. We went out again today at 10 and only saw one other dog and she actually walked past it with zero reaction. (Whoohoo!) Unfortunately, she did lounge at one gardener and one motorcycle though. Oh well - the dog thing was one for the win column.<br /><br />Wow - just looked up Tally - she looks a lot like Rita! (Rita also had mange when we first got her.) Funny, because I've since met/seen a lot of dogs that look like Rita, and I've had 2 folks ask me if she was from Mexico. They said, "She looks like a Mexico dog."Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-16801201392299538232013-07-11T10:13:26.533-07:002013-07-11T10:13:26.533-07:00Another avoidance tip - go early in the morning be...Another avoidance tip - go early in the morning before most folks are out. That's what I do with Jack as he has some challenges too. A trainer is a great idea - has helped us immensely. Also, My sister rescued a dog from Mexico - her name is Tally, she looks like a cousin of Rita's. Check out our Tale of Tails my sister wrote about her on our Blog.SlimDoggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10830198538573500213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-17866497224673226342013-07-11T08:36:53.825-07:002013-07-11T08:36:53.825-07:00I wanted him to check her out before signing up fo...I wanted him to check her out before signing up for a class, but he said she would be fine to sign up. After we do a couple more one-on-one sessions, we'll sign up. He said it would be good for her to be in a controlled environment w/ other dogs on leash. <br /><br />I was trying on my own to train her to focus on me and then give her a great treat. It would work sometimes, but other times I just couldn't get her to look at me. She's on VERY high alert once we see another dog. Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-64774107095432233592013-07-11T08:34:49.885-07:002013-07-11T08:34:49.885-07:00Yep, as I commented above - we are prepared for th...Yep, as I commented above - we are prepared for this to be a marathon and not a sprint! <br /><br />And, yeah, if the other dog is reactive too - that's when she reacts the worst!Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-55088443726685544672013-07-11T08:33:23.513-07:002013-07-11T08:33:23.513-07:00It was definitely a "silly walk." And, y...It was definitely a "silly walk." And, yes, I was thinking you might want to skip the walking for the sleepover!Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-82040079146053648622013-07-11T08:32:32.985-07:002013-07-11T08:32:32.985-07:00Okay... you're right... I didn't *exactly*...Okay... you're right... I didn't *exactly* say Shoot - but it was something close to that. :)<br /><br />Billy? PJ? Dolly? Guess I have some googling to do.Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-40179610859904124082013-07-11T08:32:05.614-07:002013-07-11T08:32:05.614-07:00Have you done just a regular obedience class with ...Have you done just a regular obedience class with Rita or is she too reactive for that? Sometimes just learning to focus more on the handler helps the dog be less reactive.....That way, when on walks, you ask for eye contact when you see a trigger, and provide an extra yummy treat. I imagine your trainer will work through that kind of stuff....Tarynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523449106100926340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3543082260652276010.post-79292561777438888332013-07-11T08:31:28.597-07:002013-07-11T08:31:28.597-07:00I knew Maggie was signed up for classes but didn&#...I knew Maggie was signed up for classes but didn't realize it was for the same thing. Hopefully both Maggie and Rita do well with their training! Jackie Bouchardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05854479764528604256noreply@blogger.com