She's a giant ball of fuzz & worry.
Cute, if not a bit pouty.
R & I adopted her about two years ago, and she has been making steady progress ever since. Kira's biggest issue was reactivity with other dogs. Not all dogs, but, a lot of them. Especially the napoleonic chihuahua's that shake constantly. Whether it was her prey drive kicking in, or just those tiny terrors and their smug sense self importance (can you tell I'm not a fan?), our poor darling would freak the hell out and try to eat them. Even a previous neighbor's awesome, wiggly bulldog pup wasn't immune to her mood swings. At least when she let go when he squealed...
The problem was so severe, we couldn't even park near a dog park. Kira would throw herself, snarling and barking, at the window trying to go after the dogs. We attempted a couple of dog park runs, with very few dogs around, and well...it's fortunate that nobody but me got the pointy end of her teeth (at least it was an accidental grazing). Walks were tense when another dog came into the picture, regardless of the distance between them & her. Kujo comes to mind in this instance.
At home, she was our gentle caramel ball of love, and got along especially well with the little man, barely 20lbs of snark and gas. I mean, they even sleep together for cryin' out loud!
So, obviously, the problem wasn't "all little dogs" or all dogs in general, just, those that weren't her "family." Unfortunately, we don't live in an area where we can consistently expose her to other dogs, to help alleviate the behavior. Most folks have "purse" dogs around here, and those that don't are rarely seen walking their dogs. Let's be honest, Texas is not a place people often go outside, especially in this town, where sidewalks do not exist outside of neighborhoods. Seriously, the sidewalk literally ends and the last house in our area. Then it's your choice of tall grass which you know is harboring rattlesnakes & fire ants, or the road. Considering how Texans drive, I think the grass is safer.
Anyway, getting her to calm down around dogs has been a sloooooow process. Consistent walks, hoping to catch a glance of another doggie. Lot's of attempts at refocusing her attention (which rarely work). Lots of comforting tones. Crazy mad praise when she doesn't totally spaz out. Other than passing dogs-behind-fences (which, next to chihuahua's, are her mortal enemy), she has been doing exceptionally well. Recently we started walking with our next door neighbor & her weenie dogs, which has been going wonderfully. We even run into escapee dogs (strays, or dumb ass people who "walk" their dogs off leash), and most of the time I'm used as a human shield. Ever see a 90lb dog cower in fear behind someone? It's kind of hilarious. Good to know not to trust her for help if I'm ever attacked by a yorkie.
The point to this rambling, run-on of a post, is that I adore her, neurosis and all. I resigned myself to the fact that she just wasn't a "Dog Park" dog. Which is ok. I can respect her need for space. My little oreo of a dog is a fantastic dog park dog, and he plays beautifully with big dogs at that (he too is afraid of the little shakers). So, one out of three isn't bad. I just don't trust our other girl to ever come back, if let off leash. She can easily scale a several-foot-fence from a sitting position.
This face is nothing but trouble.
Anyway, something awesome happened recently. A park opened up about 20 minutes away. Why is this exciting? Parks don't exist in this town. Seriously. Other than playgrounds at schools and a couple outdoor "recreation" areas about 40 minutes away, we have not seen not heard of any outdoor play areas, in the two years we've been here. So, there being a park, in general, was VERY exciting. Then I find out it also has two dog park areas (one for small dogs 30lbs & under, one for dogs 30 lbs & over).
With fluffy-butt's progress, R & I decided to at the least, walk her around this new park and get nearish the dog areas, to gauge her reaction.
Let me tell you, she.was.AMAZING!
We started on meandering path around the park, running into the occasional walker, and she would just sniff the air as they passed by. A couple of tyrant chihuahua's rattled her a bit, but in all fairness, they were lungung at the ends of their leashes snarling at her. All my girl did was pull a bit and huff. Thatta girl!
Then came more pedestrians. A couple of bikers. She sat pretty and just watched as they went by. A couple of gorgeous huskies & their people came towards us, and my darling sat nicely as they passed. She continued to sit nicely as we chatted with the husky-people a moment, then after us asking permission for her to "say hello," she politely introduced herself by walking past the dogs, showing them her side, and going behind for a proper sniff. It was incredible!!!
I was so proud of my girl in that moment! All of her previous anxieties seemed to disappear, and she was suddenly this happy, friendly, well adjusted pooch just out for a stroll. I actually had to stop myself from crying, I was so happy! Shortly after that encounter, a walker came up from behind us (something that would have seriously spooked her in the past), and Kira politely moved to the side with a tug of her leash. More bikes whizzed by, and she tucked in close to us. Another pair of large dogs passed by, and again, she sat nicely while they walked on by. Then came the dog park areas. Lots of big & small goofballs running around, being silly. She noticed, but kept walking. A few even ran up to the fence to get a better look, and still, no reaction. She saw them, she looked back at us, she kept walking.
Did you read that? A bunch of strange dogs, being rowdy, near her, and not.a.peep.
WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
I'm still thrilled (if you couldn't tell) about the whole experience. I thought about taking her into the dog park, but the number of dogs (over a dozen) might have been a bit too much for her, so we figured we'd end the day on a high note and head home. I'm so proud of her progress, and so excited to take another trip to see how she does in an off-leash setting, with just a couple of dogs around. This is me, doing a happy dance. Seeing how far Kira's come has definitely strengthened my resolve to work with dogs that have "behavior problems." There's really nothing like seeing how much progress a dog can make!
Kira, letting her buddy "win" the game.
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