[Rita M]

Thank you for sharing your experiences as they are helpful, yet entertaining! Sounds like Z is giving you an enjoyable time.

[goldendog]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Great account! It sounds like this will be a good experience for Z. Does this trainer give classes to the general public, or does he only work through the shelter?

I took her to Boondocks K-9 Search and Rescue. It is a free class offered to the public on Saturdays at 11AM. You just have to show up at their location in Sumterville.

[goldendog]

This week’s adventure started with our normal 4pm walk around the neighborhood to the post office and back through the neighborhood.

Everything was going fine and the walk was uneventful until…..we were going to cross the street to walk our final neighborhood home when I noticed a woman walking two dogs crossing the street heading in the same direction we were going. She had a small poodle and a collie. So to keep things calm I waited a little and held back giving them space for their walk.

As we cross the street to continue the walk I noticed the woman was slowing down and her dogs then spotted us and the poodle barked. Z does not like to be barked at so she barked back. I gave her my best Cesar “tsch” to correct her and said with me and we continued on.

The woman next stops at her house and walks to the garage with her dogs. So I decided they must be in the house or at least under control and continued to walk past. Then the little poodle comes racing out of the garage to the edge of his lawn barking away. Z starts to bark but I correct her and move forward to the opposite side of the street. The poodle, which is dragging its leash, is now coming into the street and running towards Z and barking. The woman tries to catch the poodle unsuccessfully, apologizing. I stopped so that she could catch the dog as it is a street well-traveled and did not want the dog to get run over.

I have now shortened the leash on Z and I noticed her hair on her back is rising up. And now to complicate things the collie comes charging out at Z from her backside. Z is being patient much to my surprise. I am holding on to her while a poodle is barking at her face and a collie is charging up from behind. I told the woman this was not good as Z was scared. She apologized and gathered her two dogs and Z and I proceed on our walk home.

I praised Z telling her she did well. As it could have been very ugly with the two dogs if Z had decided to stand her ground instead of being good.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by goldendog

The woman next stops at her house and walks to the garage with her dogs. So I decided they must be in the house or at least under control and continued to walk past. Then the little poodle comes racing out of the garage to the edge of his lawn barking away. Z starts to bark but I correct her and move forward to the opposite side of the street. The poodle, which is dragging its leash, is now coming into the street and running towards Z and barking. The woman tries to catch the poodle unsuccessfully, apologizing. I stopped so that she could catch the dog as it is a street well-traveled and did not want the dog to get run over.

I have now shortened the leash on Z and I noticed her hair on her back is rising up. And now to complicate things the collie comes charging out at Z from her backside. Z is being patient much to my surprise. I am holding on to her while a poodle is barking at her face and a collie is charging up from behind. I told the woman this was not good as Z was scared. She apologized and gathered her two dogs and Z and I proceed on our walk home.

I praised Z telling her she did well. As it could have been very ugly with the two dogs if Z had decided to stand her ground instead of being good.

Z did very, very well indeed!
Not many dogs would stay calm in that situation.
Our two dogs would be freaking out with excitement, not hostility. But freaking out nevertheless.
Good dog Z! And good training!

[CFrance]

Had you not given Z such good training, it might have ended differently. Good job! Nice that the owner of the two dogs realized the error and apologized. Sometimes dog owners get overly defensive, even if they're in the wrong.

Way to go, Z! And goldendog.

I ascertain from both of all your posts that Z is on a fairly regimented schedule of walks and training. So hard to be consistent, but you two are very good at it. And I suspect it is doing Z well.

[Mrs. Robinson]

Good dog. Good dog. Whew!

[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I ascertain from both of all your posts that Z is on a fairly regimented schedule of walks and training. So hard to be consistent, but you two are very good at it. And I suspect it is doing Z well.

Not really regimented, likely comes across that was because we post examples.

I do like to work with her, but never scheduled and not that often. That said, life offers training opportunities all of the time. An example is every time I want to head out to garage she would follow. From day one we worked on teaching her she cannot follow out of the house without being invited. Now when I head to garage, she waits at threshold 90% of the time

A tough one we try periodically is greeting people at the front door. If someone knocks or rings bell she barks, this is good. What we work on is once we approach the door, we claim the door, we work with her to understand we own the door and whoever comes in. It is not until she is invited she can greet the guests. It is good to have friendly guests as it can take minutes until she calms down This is a very hard exercise for all of us, but if you do not get frustrated in can be fun to see her grow albeit slowly

We try to do all of this without talking, no names, no 'NO', , no "Stay', just by blocking and claiming and waiting for her to relax...

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

We try to do all of this without talking, no names, no 'NO', , no "Stay', just by blocking and claiming and waiting for her to relax...

You are a good lesson to a lot of dog people.
I hate to say it, but our house abounds with no's, stays and names!
When you get through training Z, would you like to try a rambunctious, excitable goldendoodle puppy?
And how about an extremely stubborn cairn terrier rescue?

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

You are a good lesson to a lot of dog people.
I hate to say it, but our house abounds with no's, stays and names!
When you get through training Z, would you like to try a rambunctious, excitable goldendoodle puppy?
And how about an extremely stubborn cairn terrier rescue?

No!! I get him first, for the door thing. Ours doesn't bark when the bell rings or someone knocks, but no amount of blocking the door or the dog will keep him from "the greet." Oh, but there's time... he's only 10.

[ajbrown]

Easy now... I think you missed a word in my post... TRY.

I am as close to being a professional dog trainer as to being a professional tour golfer. That is not quite accurate, one could be in my reach with training and work

Z and us have not mastered any of these, but it is fun to try...

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

Easy now... I think you missed a word in my post... TRY.

I am as close to being a professional dog trainer as to being a professional tour golfer. That is not quite accurate, one could be in my reach with training and work

Z and us have not mastered any of these, but it is fun to try...

Oh, rats! I thought you had the magic dog-at-door wand.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

Easy now... I think you missed a word in my post... TRY.
I am as close to being a professional dog trainer as to being a professional tour golfer. That is not quite accurate, one could be in my reach with training and work
Z and us have not mastered any of these, but it is fun to try...

You obviously get first prize for having mastered the art of staying calm.
And for your patience and consistency.

[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Oh, rats! I thought you had the magic dog-at-door wand.

Originally Posted by Barefoot

You obviously get first prize for having mastered the art of staying calm.
And for your patience and consistency.

Anyone who owns a Golden is calm!

[ajbrown]

I am up in MA for a long weekend; goodness I love the fall in MA but that is a different subject. MY lovely wife had to put down our cat today in my absence. It was a wonderful cat, but old. For reasons I cannot explain cats even nice ones do not attach to my heart like a dog, but I felt so bad for my wife. Not sure what Z will think about her missing ‘friend’ .... time will tell...I doubt it will be an issue…

New subject… Z poop story... we need another poop story right ? This is just another example of how good this dog is...anyone would be lucky to have her.

Z is becoming part of our home for sure, she now sleeps in my office while I am working. This is new in the past month’ish. One day as I am working; in fact on a conference call, she leaves the office. In thirty seconds she comes back and walks around my legs then lays down behind my chair. Thirty seconds later she is up again and leaves the office and thirty seconds later she is back… This repeats three times…

It is at this point this dum*ss realizes this is not normal and I figure she is trying to tell me ‘we’ need to go out. I grab a leash and she is chomping at the bit. Chomping at the bit or not I still make her go out the door behind me. We get to the back yard and . Not to be too specific, but no bag would help, this required a hose.

This happened one more time that afternoon.

How a dog that we no little of her history would fight that hard to hold it is just another reason this is a special dog for some wonderful people…

[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by ajbrown

I am up in MA for a long weekend; goodness I love the fall in MA but that is a different subject. MY lovely wife had to put down our cat today in my absence. It was a wonderful cat, but old. For reasons I cannot explain cats even nice ones do not attach to my heart like a dog, but I felt so bad for my wife. Not sure what Z will think about her missing ‘friend’ .... time will tell...I doubt it will be an issue…

New subject… Z poop story... we need another poop story right ? This is just another example of how good this dog is...anyone would be lucky to have her.

Z is becoming part of our home for sure, she now sleeps in my office while I am working. This is new in the past month’ish. One day as I am working; in fact on a conference call, she leaves the office. In thirty seconds she comes back and walks around my legs then lays down behind my chair. Thirty seconds later she is up again and leaves the office and thirty seconds later she is back… This repeats three times…

It is at this point this dum*ss realizes this is not normal and I figure she is trying to tell me ‘we’ need to go out. I grab a leash and she is chomping at the bit. Chomping at the bit or not I still make her go out the door behind me. We get to the back yard and . Not to be too specific, but no bag would help, this required a hose.

This happened one more time that afternoon.

How a dog that we no little of her history would fight that hard to hold it is just another reason this is a special dog for some wonderful people…

I think the time has come to change this thread from a "foster dog" to "My four-legged son!"

Z os not only a wonder , but simply wonderful!