tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123619179975663900.post2810975447195532646..comments2023-10-25T06:31:04.161-07:00Comments on Mindful Leadership: Dog Parks and Dog Playsilvia4dogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06754651331524490306noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123619179975663900.post-65665108208965824472013-03-20T08:33:41.739-07:002013-03-20T08:33:41.739-07:00Ah, just getting caught up on your blog, as usual ...Ah, just getting caught up on your blog, as usual a wonderful post. <br />My guys actually play quite rough, enough that some people are quite shocked when they see it (and hear it as they vocalize quite a bit), but they now easily self-regulate by taking pauses and "shaking it off" (often in unison) and then start up again right away (but calmer). I do have to be careful as my older guy will still play rough and loud even when there's about eight shelties around, who do not appreciate that level of arousal so he gets to practice his sit stay in an exciting environment (with lots of rewards of course) while his younger brother socializes. <br />The weird thing is, my older guy closely monitors the younger one's behaviour with me at home and other dogs when they're on leash. The younger dog is still working through some resource guarding, and if he grumbles at me the older one gives me a hard stare and a few warning barks or whines. If we meet a dog in our building that is especially hyper my younger guy gives what I consider "alarm barks"--short, sharp barks that aren't aggressive, but like he thinks that other dog is doing something wrong and he doesn't quite know what to do about it, and it it goes on while my older guy is next to him, the older one will correct the younger one. Yet while off leash the older one is the first to go up to another dog and bark in their face to try to get their attention for a chase, and he invariably singles out the one dog in the park that's looking the most tense. I try to put a stop to it (if he gets in another dog's face I recall him and give him a time out, after about two or three reps of that he stops trying gets his off-leash privileges back). I'm hoping he'll give up on it since some day I expect he'll run into another dog that can actually catch him. (PS: older dog is an almost three-year-old BC/lab mix and the younger guy is a 10 month old GSD with maybe some husky).Mufaasa's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08433146683827042664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123619179975663900.post-6085113743541927532013-01-10T09:12:41.169-08:002013-01-10T09:12:41.169-08:00EXCELLENT POST! Silvia you are so bang on. We all...EXCELLENT POST! Silvia you are so bang on. We all need to be acutely aware of what our dogs potiental capabilities are for good and for bad. I am also not in favour of breed bans, but I do feel that many advocates and rescue groups for pitt type breeds need to pull their head out of the sand and be much more responsible with how they portray these dogs in the media, as being "just fiendly goofs" and "nanny dogs." No dog should be put in a nanny position of having to look after children and it is foolish, irresponsible and dangerous to state this. These dogs were NOT selectively bred specifically to attend to children, they were initally a poor man's dog who had the job of being a general all round farm dog, and who were used in bull baiting and dog fighting, the poor man's recreational sport. They can be great dogs with the right people, but the ones who are putting them at the greatest risk are those who refuse to acknowledge all of their capabilities, and resort to blaming their victims and projecting the problems onto other breeds/size of dogs. <br /><br />I also love what you have to say about who should and shouldn't be in the park and why. Marjoriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18223031730187915195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123619179975663900.post-33396407558916884712013-01-08T13:22:23.338-08:002013-01-08T13:22:23.338-08:00Once again an excellent article and straight to,th...Once again an excellent article and straight to,the point. it is what it is and that is what the problem is. The wrong people with the wrong dog make for a bad situation. It is like a young male who, just got his licensed to drive and goes out and gets a muscle car to drive before he masters the skills to drive which is not right. Instead they should get a k car style but that is not cool. It should also be the same for when they get a dog. They should get a more calmer breed that is easier to work with until they have more knowledge, understanding and confidence.<br />Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13350495178667495599noreply@blogger.com