Hello! Firstly I would like to apologize for my long absence from the forum. I have really missed this space.
Quick summary and catch up on what Harley and I have been up to...very very little. I have been struggling with back problems and at the beginning of the year a very serious chest infection that just wouldn't let up. But on all fronts my health has been improving and I am determined to get back to having fun with Harls. In the period where I was inactive Harley has been going to daycare regularly and playing daily but no training and no on lead walks only visits to an enclosed dog park with her friends that you "rent" for an hour and play dates. Harley went on short visits with me to get weighed at the vet or similar but I wasn't able to walk her during the rehab period for my back. Of course Harley has still been spending time with me in my practice where she has been spectacularly successful.
Oh, also my good friend and her husband brought a Beagle pup into their lives and Harley has become a very fun Aunt Harley to Ruby. So last week Harley and Ruby go for a walk on a local golf course that is a well used and known dog walking area. Harley and Ruby have a very nice walk with Harley meeting a lovely Visla and standard Poodle with a great sense of humour. She was off lead with both meetings and all dogs were polite and calm with each other. I only let Harley off lead when there weren't other dogs around, the Visla and Poodle arrived with their people. Harley's recalls were a little rusty but still pretty reliable. Ruby the Beagle is not recall trustworthy at this point and runs where ever her nose takes her so she was on lead all the time (she is only 5 months old). Aunty Harley helped her meet the nice two dogs.
But back to the title of this post.
Something that had happened a few times throughout the walk is that Harley would do a little wiggle and slip her flat collar. The collar seems to be a bit faulty with the grips slipping and it getting a bit large. So each time she slipped it I would recall and she would let me put back on.
So we are walking back to our cars and a car comes driving in with what looked like chickens running behind it - I realised it couldnt be chickens. My friend and I are having a quick chat before wrapping up the walk and Harley and Ruby are having a chat. The person in the car gets out and comes towards us - the chickens turn out to be two mix breed chihuahua x Min Pin types - really little with the big eyes and heads and one slightly larger, older dog also a mix breed. The larger dog comes up to Harley and they greet. I am not charmed by this but all three dogs dont even have collars, much less on lead. To add to the mix the Standard Poodle and owner arrive to get into their car and the poodle floats (they really are incredible graceful) over but actually interacts a bit with puppy Ruby - very sweet and Ruby is so happy that a big dog is paying her attention.
The larger of the little dogs then moves away and one of the little little ones approaches Harley - at the time the owner is nattering to me but I am keeping an eye on Harley and Ruby with the poodle and a quarter ear on the little dog owner.
Suddenly Harley snaps and charges at one of the little little dogs. I have to admit here that I was guilty of not reading my dogs body language, if I had been I most likely have noticed that Harley wasn't feeling safe. Obviously I get a fright and pull Harley back and the little dog owner says very loudly that she has never seen or would expect that from a labrador. Then Harley tries to charge after the second, or maybe it was the same one again and this time slips her collar. To her credit and true to her nature she doesn't go more than 2 meters and stops. I get to her and put the collar back on. Then the little dog owner says that she thinks Harley isn't gettign attention and that is why she did it.
I was too shaken to say anything but obviously, later I was furious. My dog was "trapped" on a leash and to be honest I don't trust those types of little little dogs at all- my mom always had Min Pins and they bit me all the time.
But in that moment I was so humiliated and upset I walked Harley to the car, asked for a sit, gave her a treat and then put her in the car.
What I have done in the meantime is buy a nice dual attachment harness and the retractable lead but I haven't been back to the golf course. We have been on other walks.
What should I do if that happens again? Should I tell the woman to keep her dogs away? Should I move Harley? What if they follow? That happened the other day - I will post about it later, I have to go work.
Replies will be appreciated.
Quick summary and catch up on what Harley and I have been up to...very very little. I have been struggling with back problems and at the beginning of the year a very serious chest infection that just wouldn't let up. But on all fronts my health has been improving and I am determined to get back to having fun with Harls. In the period where I was inactive Harley has been going to daycare regularly and playing daily but no training and no on lead walks only visits to an enclosed dog park with her friends that you "rent" for an hour and play dates. Harley went on short visits with me to get weighed at the vet or similar but I wasn't able to walk her during the rehab period for my back. Of course Harley has still been spending time with me in my practice where she has been spectacularly successful.
Oh, also my good friend and her husband brought a Beagle pup into their lives and Harley has become a very fun Aunt Harley to Ruby. So last week Harley and Ruby go for a walk on a local golf course that is a well used and known dog walking area. Harley and Ruby have a very nice walk with Harley meeting a lovely Visla and standard Poodle with a great sense of humour. She was off lead with both meetings and all dogs were polite and calm with each other. I only let Harley off lead when there weren't other dogs around, the Visla and Poodle arrived with their people. Harley's recalls were a little rusty but still pretty reliable. Ruby the Beagle is not recall trustworthy at this point and runs where ever her nose takes her so she was on lead all the time (she is only 5 months old). Aunty Harley helped her meet the nice two dogs.
But back to the title of this post.
Something that had happened a few times throughout the walk is that Harley would do a little wiggle and slip her flat collar. The collar seems to be a bit faulty with the grips slipping and it getting a bit large. So each time she slipped it I would recall and she would let me put back on.
So we are walking back to our cars and a car comes driving in with what looked like chickens running behind it - I realised it couldnt be chickens. My friend and I are having a quick chat before wrapping up the walk and Harley and Ruby are having a chat. The person in the car gets out and comes towards us - the chickens turn out to be two mix breed chihuahua x Min Pin types - really little with the big eyes and heads and one slightly larger, older dog also a mix breed. The larger dog comes up to Harley and they greet. I am not charmed by this but all three dogs dont even have collars, much less on lead. To add to the mix the Standard Poodle and owner arrive to get into their car and the poodle floats (they really are incredible graceful) over but actually interacts a bit with puppy Ruby - very sweet and Ruby is so happy that a big dog is paying her attention.
The larger of the little dogs then moves away and one of the little little ones approaches Harley - at the time the owner is nattering to me but I am keeping an eye on Harley and Ruby with the poodle and a quarter ear on the little dog owner.
Suddenly Harley snaps and charges at one of the little little dogs. I have to admit here that I was guilty of not reading my dogs body language, if I had been I most likely have noticed that Harley wasn't feeling safe. Obviously I get a fright and pull Harley back and the little dog owner says very loudly that she has never seen or would expect that from a labrador. Then Harley tries to charge after the second, or maybe it was the same one again and this time slips her collar. To her credit and true to her nature she doesn't go more than 2 meters and stops. I get to her and put the collar back on. Then the little dog owner says that she thinks Harley isn't gettign attention and that is why she did it.
I was too shaken to say anything but obviously, later I was furious. My dog was "trapped" on a leash and to be honest I don't trust those types of little little dogs at all- my mom always had Min Pins and they bit me all the time.
But in that moment I was so humiliated and upset I walked Harley to the car, asked for a sit, gave her a treat and then put her in the car.
What I have done in the meantime is buy a nice dual attachment harness and the retractable lead but I haven't been back to the golf course. We have been on other walks.
What should I do if that happens again? Should I tell the woman to keep her dogs away? Should I move Harley? What if they follow? That happened the other day - I will post about it later, I have to go work.
Replies will be appreciated.
