Because we live in a sort of 'out of the way' place, Simone doesn't get to see a lot of humans or their dogs.
Because of the way I raise my youngsters she's never had the opportunity to be around a lot of dogs.
I know this may sound strange considering how many dogs we have, but, because I'm ultra careful about the bones and joints of my baby shepherds Simone had up till this point only ever run free with my mini dachshund.
So, I did something I've never done before, when she was 4 months old I enrolled her in a local dog club.
Oh boy, what a mistake to make !!!!!!
In the past we've always had our own dog club, so my pups were introduced to other dogs in a controlled environment. In our dog club everyone had control of their dogs and the dogs were all well behaved, so it was an ideal place to 'socialise' our youngsters.
But going to our local dog club was a whole different experience. What Simone learned there has taken me the best part of 8 months to reverse!!!! and I still struggle at times to control her in a busy dog environment like a dog show.
The trainers at this dog club were very nice, very well meaning people, but........
Simone went to class for the first time and was absolutely 'gobsmacked' .... the expression on her face was priceless. She had never seen so many dogs and people all in one small space before and the noise and commotion blew her mind. After the initial shock, she launched herself into space. She tried saying hello to everyone!!!!!
It was not a place that was conducive to learning. There was so much going on, so many dogs scrabbling around on a wooden floor, so many people talking and walking that there was no way on earth that my little girl could concentrate on anything I was saying to her. Now don't get me wrong, all the dogs in the class had lovely temperaments and their owners were lovely people, but !!!
At one stage Simone was getting quite hysterical about wanting to launch herself to the end of her lead in order to meet and greet all her new found friends, so I got hold of her collar and attempted to get her to sit and calm down, but she was so excited that as she felt my hand in her collar she turned and attempted to grab my hand. This was just pure frustration at not being able to get where she wanted to go and to do what she wanted to do, but never the less, I have one abiding rule, you do NEVER put your teeth into a human being.... so she got a clip round the ear for it, and told in no uncertain terms that I would not accept her behaviour. Now Simone, wasn't unhappy at this, she sat and looked at me and accepted my rule.
However, my actions totally incensed one of the trainers, who came rushing over, and told me in no uncertain terms that I must NEVER smack my dog. What I should do is distract her with titbits and feed her. The trainer then took Simone and proceded to 'show' me how to manage my little kangaroo under these circumstances...
When Simone realised that I no longer had the lead in my hand, she looked up at the trainer with a look that said " Brilliant, I can now do as I please" and proceded to re-launch herself upwards and outwards towards her new found friends. The trainer then called Simone by name and tried manfully to distract her with a juicy titbit of liver. Well, Simone looked at the titbit, looked at the trainer and for all the world said " no thanks, I'd rather bounce all over these people and their dogs....." After about 5 minutes of trying and failing to get my girls attention, the trainer gave her back to me and said "It just takes practice, but she'll learn"
We stayed and 'trained' till the end of the class, but things didn't improve much. I felt as though I couldn't really do much about Simone's behaviour as they wouldn't let me bring her back under control, they just kept saying "she's only a baby, she'll learn"
Well she did learn, she learned that if there are dogs and humans around I don't have to do as I'm told.
She is much, much better now, but I still have to be totally aware of her when in company, as she can launch herself six feet up from a standing start with gay abandon.
I did persevere for another two weeks at the club, but, finally realised that she was learning all the wrong things and that if I continued to attend these classes that I would have a totally out of control dog. I didn't return...
So began our training at home........
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