Woah!!!!
Living with Poppy 9/11/22
- Thread starter David
- Start date
I picked Poppy up this morning. It's about an hours drive and it was raining cats and dogs all the way until the last minute when the rain stopped and out came the sun. Judy was in the driveway with Poppy on a lead when I arrived. She'd just got back from a last walk with Poppy. Poppy is a funny little soul. She was clearly pleased to see me but got straight into the back of the car rather than make a fuss.
Fingers crossed pretty much, I asked how it had gone. It was all good mainly. Judy had been concentrating on Poppy's heelwork and recall mainly. Poppy does walk to heal but has a tendency to pull in new locations. Her recall is ok too but she sits a few feet away so Judy had been working on getting her to sit up close and expect to be put on the lead.
Retrieving is no longer an issue as far as Judy could see. Poppy does her stuff and has also moved on to cold game per the little picture above.
One problem I wanted Judy to look at with a critical eye was Poppy's interaction with other dogs. Judy said Poppy was absolutely fine with her own dogs and they interacted very well in the house and outside at play. Also Judy had taken Poppy on a shoot day and the mixing with all the other dogs was normal and that Poppy seemed to be very good with dogs and with people. She did say, however, and I had warned her about this, that cars parked with their doors open could be a nightmare as Poppy was straight into them to check them out (for drugs and stuff). She'd been working on training that out as well but so far without much success. So I guess where things go a bit pear shaped with the occasional dog it's probably not Poppy kicking it off.
The cars issue, above, was when Judy took Poppy on a shoot. She exposed her to the beaters coming through, the guns, other dogs and hers retrieving and all good with no barking.
My homework is concentrating on heelwork and recall to the lead. We have yet to make another training session date. So all in all a good experience.
Having said all that, I took her for a walk just now and we met the rescue dog that bit her and that she has ongoing issues with as a result. She went ballistic! The annoying thing is it was the other dog that kicked it off way back then but I get the blame for having an aggressive dog these days! I guess that's just something we'll have to live with.
Fingers crossed pretty much, I asked how it had gone. It was all good mainly. Judy had been concentrating on Poppy's heelwork and recall mainly. Poppy does walk to heal but has a tendency to pull in new locations. Her recall is ok too but she sits a few feet away so Judy had been working on getting her to sit up close and expect to be put on the lead.
Retrieving is no longer an issue as far as Judy could see. Poppy does her stuff and has also moved on to cold game per the little picture above.
One problem I wanted Judy to look at with a critical eye was Poppy's interaction with other dogs. Judy said Poppy was absolutely fine with her own dogs and they interacted very well in the house and outside at play. Also Judy had taken Poppy on a shoot day and the mixing with all the other dogs was normal and that Poppy seemed to be very good with dogs and with people. She did say, however, and I had warned her about this, that cars parked with their doors open could be a nightmare as Poppy was straight into them to check them out (for drugs and stuff). She'd been working on training that out as well but so far without much success. So I guess where things go a bit pear shaped with the occasional dog it's probably not Poppy kicking it off.
The cars issue, above, was when Judy took Poppy on a shoot. She exposed her to the beaters coming through, the guns, other dogs and hers retrieving and all good with no barking.
My homework is concentrating on heelwork and recall to the lead. We have yet to make another training session date. So all in all a good experience.
Having said all that, I took her for a walk just now and we met the rescue dog that bit her and that she has ongoing issues with as a result. She went ballistic! The annoying thing is it was the other dog that kicked it off way back then but I get the blame for having an aggressive dog these days! I guess that's just something we'll have to live with.
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
I so enjoyed reading your post, Judy has done a lot with Poppy. Rourke was a little bit like Poppy but my friend had him in her house with her four other dogs and this seemed to cure the problem. He did have one enormous white dog rush across the lane and attack him, but he fought back and since then is fine with other dogs, it did him a power of good, the interesting thing was I thought the enormous white dog (think it was s Maremma) would kill him, but it turned out it was all mouth and trousers, not a bite on either dog, just a lot of wet patches! I think Poppy will be fine now; do you think you feel nervous that she might not be? Whereas Judy had confidence.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
@David, when Red was a puppy, she had various dogs here in our village have a go at her - fortunately she never got bitten. She has a very long memory (she’s nearly 6) and if she sees those dogs or dogs that look like them, she reacts. I used to use A to B a lot with her but now that doesn’t work - she’s too strong and the food ‘lure’ is not great enough to stop the reaction. I can minimise it but I can’t stop it - it’s too entrenched. This just happens in our village and not when we are other places. I don’t like it but I do understand it. She is fearful and it’s her defence mechanism. As she is such a good dog, I accept that that is her one foible and I don‘t care what anyone thinks - I care about her welfare and well being.
Hopefully Poppy will outgrow her reaction but don’t worry what anyone else thinks or says - you know what caused it and in all other aspects Poppy is doing great
Hopefully Poppy will outgrow her reaction but don’t worry what anyone else thinks or says - you know what caused it and in all other aspects Poppy is doing great
I can see it bothers you, but I find it so amusing that she wants to inspect all the cars. You never know what she might find!! Snowie sees an open house door or garden gate as an invitation to go inspect. He’s seen the inside of every house on our street!! Although it’s cat food he’s on the hunt for!
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Thanks for the nice support, guys. It does bother me a bit but not that much to be honest. After Judy confirmed what I thought already, that Poppy is fine with other dogs and reacts normally I'm more confident in that respect. It's just a question of keeping a weather eye on the approaching dog situation and put Poppy on the lead approaching unsighted areas until I can see that the coast is clear. 
Poppy has really benefited from the two weeks with Judy. It was clear as anything this morning on our first proper long walk together. Poppy is much calmer, recalls to heal nicely (a work in progress because if I go too far with her heeling she gets bored!
), and her general recall is now very good. Also she now does what Lady used to do if I drop the lead. She stops and turns back until I pick it up again. Magic and useful!
I feel we have pretty much got there so onwards and upwards - but after I giver her a bath. She was clean but stinky when I got her back from Judy and I've just put my finger on the smell - HORSE POOH! Judy has horses and ponies so we now know what Poppy was doing some of the time.
Poppy has really benefited from the two weeks with Judy. It was clear as anything this morning on our first proper long walk together. Poppy is much calmer, recalls to heal nicely (a work in progress because if I go too far with her heeling she gets bored!
), and her general recall is now very good. Also she now does what Lady used to do if I drop the lead. She stops and turns back until I pick it up again. Magic and useful!I feel we have pretty much got there so onwards and upwards - but after I giver her a bath. She was clean but stinky when I got her back from Judy and I've just put my finger on the smell - HORSE POOH! Judy has horses and ponies so we now know what Poppy was doing some of the time.