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Took the dogs on a pack walk this morning. Some young trainers in the area started these awhile ago but I usually work weekends so can not go. I sort of have the weekend off. I say sort of as yesterday I spent half the day in a work related class
Yesterday was Dazzle 7th birthday so I decided a pack walk would be something he would enjoy so we went. There were probably 50-60 dogs and it was a beautiful walk. Many of the dogs are reactive dogs so the trainers are helping people that need help. It is all for free as I think they do it to help keep dogs from ending up back in the shelters which is very nice. They work with a couple of the local rescue groups. They do seem to follow Cesar Millan's style and many of the reactive dogs had pinch collars on which I am not fond of nor am I a fan of Cesar but being my two walk well with others it really did not effect us.
In the positive light I noticed them pointing out to many of the reactive dog owners that it often starts with eye contact so they need to pay attention and break that eye contact before the dog acts out. And then get their dog back to a calm relaxed state.
Dazzle was a great dog to go on this as he is so mellow and relaxed and reads other dogs well so he tends to have a calming effect on other dogs so a few owners asked if their reactive dogs could meet him and you could see the tension in the other dogs at first but Dazzle did not rush them and let them come up to him while he averted his eyes and none of them reacted to him in a negative way.
Chaos did well but some little pit that she had walked side by side with reacted to her after the walk and she responded back. I told her to sit she came around to my other side and sat and looked up at me very relaxed while the pit was still acting like she was going to eat Chaos. It took awhile for the other dog to get back to a calm state. One of the trainers saw it and came over to talk to the pits owner to help her get the dog calmed down and to make it stop staring at Chaos who now busy watching the drone flying around taking photos and totally ignoring the pit.
It was a fun way to spend a morning. I heard quite a few people say they wish they had other dogs owners to walk with. I often walk with friends and their dogs but am thinking it might be fun to start some smaller walking groups that walk during the week.
Nice calming signals, Dazzle. Sounds like a great exercise for those dogs. Thanks for participating with your dogs!
Yes, eye contact is often the first cue that something is gonna go wrong. That stare is an invitation to rumble.
I saw some great hunting dogs going through the paces this weekend. Munstenlanders, German shorthairs, Griffons, Weimaraners, Viszlas, Brock du Bourbonnais, pudelepointers even a cute as HELL Spinone Italiano!
Wonderful testing event- the dogs were on field hunt/searching, pheasant tracking and water working.. Such a great event. At least 50 owners/handlers camping out on a ranch in the Big Hole near Wisdom MT. One of my friends ran a male GSP he bought from our litter and got a prize 2 for natural ability- great little guy..
Fun, fun, fun.. Lot's of birds to hunt and retrieve, coyotes howling at night and hunting the leftover field birds, elk mingling in the open rangeland above us- perfect training event.
It was a fun way to spend a morning. I heard quite a few people say they wish they had other dogs owners to walk with. I often walk with friends and their dogs but am thinking it might be fun to start some smaller walking groups that walk during the week.
My experience is limited, but a twice weekly pack walk has done a world of good for my reactive dog. He really likes the walk and while he knows most of the dogs, there is almost always a new dog or two so he learns to meet other dogs in a calm environment. There is an energy level of the pack that ends up becoming the energy level of the individual dogs.
Yesterday was Dazzle 7th birthday so I decided a pack walk would be something he would enjoy so we went. There were probably 50-60 dogs and it was a beautiful walk.
In the positive light I noticed them pointing out to many of the reactive dog owners that it often starts with eye contact so they need to pay attention and break that eye contact before the dog acts out. And then get their dog back to a calm relaxed state.
Dazzle was a great dog to go on this as he is so mellow and relaxed and reads other dogs well so he tends to have a calming effect on other dogs so a few owners asked if their reactive dogs could meet him and you could see the tension in the other dogs at first but Dazzle did not rush them and let them come up to him while he averted his eyes and none of them reacted to him in a negative way.
Chaos did well but some little pit that she had walked side by side with reacted to her after the walk and she responded back. I told her to sit she came around to my other side and sat and looked up at me very relaxed while the pit was still acting like she was going to eat Chaos. It took awhile for the other dog to get back to a calm state. One of the trainers saw it and came over to talk to the pits owner to help her get the dog calmed down and to make it stop staring at Chaos who now busy watching the drone flying around taking photos and totally ignoring the pit.
It was a fun way to spend a morning. I heard quite a few people say they wish they had other dogs owners to walk with. I often walk with friends and their dogs but am thinking it might be fun to start some smaller walking groups that walk during the week.
Good job Dazzle and happy birthday sweet boy. Drone? I haven't seen one where I live, but what a novel distraction.
Very true about the eye contact and interrupting that behavior before it escalates.
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Sounds like a great exercise for those dogs. Thanks for participating with your dogs!
