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Because we're home most of the time and live on 100+ acres, our cattle dog mix, Lola, has only been out on car rides to the PO and vet. This morning I brought her with me to a small Farmer's Market to see how she'd do. The 45 min. car ride was uneventful but she was puzzled as to where we were going. Upon arrival at the market, we were greeted by an off-leash barking chihuahua who literally intimidated Lola. We moved on and Lola, though on leash, wanted to greet everyone and I had to keep her from jumping on people (needs more work). There happened to be vendors there who owned cattle dogs and were very interested in Lola, saying she looks like a purebred (a white cattle dog????). We didn't stay long but Lola was exhausted by all the socializing and took a very long nap this afternoon.
Comments? Anyone have first-outing stories to share?
How lucky you can take her to the farmers' market! In my state, dogs aren't allowed at the farmers' markets, which seems utterly ridiculous since all the food is directly from a farm WITH ANIMALS! All my dog's first outings are literally the day after I bring them home at 8 weeks, so nothing particularly interesting!
Because we're home most of the time and live on 100+ acres, our cattle dog mix, Lola, has only been out on car rides to the PO and vet. This morning I brought her with me to a small Farmer's Market to see how she'd do. The 45 min. car ride was uneventful but she was puzzled as to where we were going. Upon arrival at the market, we were greeted by an off-leash barking chihuahua who literally intimidated Lola. We moved on and Lola, though on leash, wanted to greet everyone and I had to keep her from jumping on people (needs more work). There happened to be vendors there who owned cattle dogs and were very interested in Lola, saying she looks like a purebred (a white cattle dog????). We didn't stay long but Lola was exhausted by all the socializing and took a very long nap this afternoon.
Comments? Anyone have first-outing stories to share?
Your dog sounds sweet I think it's actually a good sign she was intimidated by the barking chihuahua. It shows unfamiliar "dog smarts" IMO. My beagle puppy hid behind me on his first outing when the same breed in my neighborhood barked at him. He is scared of every dog that barks excessively. However a HUGE dog he is fine with if they are calm.
One of the neighbors has a small maltipoo puppy that on the other hand was afraid of HIM so he got down on all fours and crawled on his belly toward her. She wanted to play with him after that. He did that same move with a known "nasty" dog in my neighborhood who doesn't like any dogs and is friends with her now too.
This may be a sign that your dog is respectful and "street smart" with other dogs. This will be great in the future as she won't be leash reactive or aggressive with strange dogs. A HUGE plus. Sounds like she already loves and wants to meet unfamiliar people too.
Because we're home most of the time and live on 100+ acres, our cattle dog mix, Lola, has only been out on car rides to the PO and vet. This morning I brought her with me to a small Farmer's Market to see how she'd do. The 45 min. car ride was uneventful but she was puzzled as to where we were going. Upon arrival at the market, we were greeted by an off-leash barking chihuahua who literally intimidated Lola. We moved on and Lola, though on leash, wanted to greet everyone and I had to keep her from jumping on people (needs more work). There happened to be vendors there who owned cattle dogs and were very interested in Lola, saying she looks like a purebred (a white cattle dog????). We didn't stay long but Lola was exhausted by all the socializing and took a very long nap this afternoon.
Comments? Anyone have first-outing stories to share?
Sounds like she did great! Have you posted a picture of her?
There happened to be vendors there who owned cattle dogs and were very interested in Lola, saying she looks like a purebred (a white cattle dog????).
So much for expert opinions! It can be laughable what these owners believe. Cattledogs are not white. Neither should they be primarily brown, have partially flopped ears, or large black patches (expect a facial mask), or have their tails docked. I've met a few owners of ranch stock dogs who dock their tails saying it conforms to the breed standard. It doesn't. Cattledogs should be born with full tails and KEEP them! Just to make it even more confusing, there is a closely-related breed that is supposed to have a naturally-occurring bob tail; The Australian Stumpy-tailed Cattledog. Their tail can be up to 4". Mine has just a nub....referred to as a "rumpy" stumpy. It's pretty adorable IMHO.
Because we're home most of the time and live on 100+ acres, our cattle dog mix, Lola, has only been out on car rides to the PO and vet. This morning I brought her with me to a small Farmer's Market to see how she'd do. The 45 min. car ride was uneventful but she was puzzled as to where we were going. Upon arrival at the market, we were greeted by an off-leash barking chihuahua who literally intimidated Lola. We moved on and Lola, though on leash, wanted to greet everyone and I had to keep her from jumping on people (needs more work). There happened to be vendors there who owned cattle dogs and were very interested in Lola, saying she looks like a purebred (a white cattle dog????). We didn't stay long but Lola was exhausted by all the socializing and took a very long nap this afternoon.
Comments? Anyone have first-outing stories to share?
Well, I do think it's encouraging that Lola wanted to greet everyone. Agreed, if she's jumping up she needs more work, but you're aware of that, and it's a relatively easy fix anyway. (When I first got my cattle dog mix, I had to teach her very quickly that she wasn't allowed to jump up on car doors to say Hi to the people inside...this actually began before I had even adopted her, when I was walking her at the Humane Society and she attempted to jump against a truck door to greet a fellow...he said, 'oh, it's okay', and I had to explain to him that while it might have been okay for her to jump up on his truck, her greeting might not be met so lightly if it was with someone in an expensive sports car.)
Personally I think that getting a dog used to different environments - including crowded areas, such as farmer's markets - is a good idea, so long as the dog is able to handle it and the owner is constantly watching out for them. (If the dog is too upset in such an area, start out with a much smaller, less crowded venue.) I used to take my cattle dog mix to the farmers market downtown, and she learned very quickly how to maneuver through the crowds, how to not approach those who didn't want to be approached, and how to sit and stay in a confined area while I made a purchase. A few times I was met with sneers and comments as Kaya sat obediently in a corner: 'people shouldn't be allowed to bring dogs here!' even though it was an outdoor, open air - and supposedly dog-friendly - area, but I learned quickly to ignore them. Unfortunately, I live in an anal-retentive, dog-unfriendly city, for the most part....I've found that many dog owners are at the receiving end of glares, sneers, and snide remarks no matter where they are in the city.
There was only one instance where we had a bit of a kerfuffle...I was at a stand ordering a hot dog - to give to Kaya, her once-a-year-treat - and the owner of the stand had a water dish on the sidewalk so thirsty dogs could get a drink. A woman who was in line for a hot dog had stepped aside after she'd ordered, not noticing Kaya drinking from the bowl. Before I could say anything, she'd stepped on Kaya's tail...and Kaya whipped around and barked a warning at her, before suddenly stopping and wagging her tail. I reprimanded Kaya for her reaction - even though she was rather justified - and the poor woman felt terrible, saying it was all her fault. But I told her that no matter who was at fault, Kaya should not have reacted that way. There were some things she needed to learn to not react to, at least not in any type of threatening manner. At any rate, all was well...Kaya greeted the woman with a wagging tail and a grin once she realized it was unintentional, and she and the woman became friends. These are the risks of crowded areas, and had Kaya reacted even worse (a snarl, or a threat) I wouldn't have taken her there again.
All that to say, I think every person needs to be their dog's best judge in a situation. If the dog is anxious, upset, and otherwise not comfortable in a certain venue, then best to back off and start out with less crowded, less threatening areas. If the dog seems okay, then repeated visits would be welcome.
*Oh, and I once took Kaya to the same area when Buskerfest was on - where street performers are everywhere, entertaining crowds. We stopped to watch a mime as he went about his performance, and rather embarrassedly, Kaya began *rowr-rowr-ROWR-ing* every time he finished a set. I was about to remove her as I thought she was disturbing his set, but then the guy began laughing and stated that she was his most vocal critic ever, and people absolutely loved her. Her vocal critique actually drew more spectators to his act...she had a great time, got lots of attention, and the guy who was performing loved it.
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I think it's actually a good sign she was intimidated by the barking chihuahua. It shows unfamiliar "dog smarts" IMO. My beagle puppy hid behind me on his first outing when the same breed in my neighborhood barked at him. He is scared of every dog that barks excessively. However a HUGE dog he is fine with if they are calm. 
