| Okay thanks! I will try both your ideas. Probably each will work at certain times and in certain situations. I knew mine was probably stupid. Thank you for saving me from myself and more important saving Mr. Bodhi. I will use gloves. I already got a rope burn from him once using our long line, and once was enough. It is the type you suggest, but the terrain here is quite rugged and even it can get caught up. Less likely though if I have one end held aloft and am following him with it.
I got our checkcord from Cherrybrook catalog. That is what I was thinking of using in the more cockamamie way I had thought of. your idea is far more straightforward. Is J+B a whole name or an abbreviation? I haven't heard of them. I always like knowing of more useful sources.
It is Mr. Bodhi's arbitrary first birthday!
Now that with your help, Judi, I figured out I was dealing with normal teen stuff last week, he is shaping up nicely. In most other ways he is far more difficult than Bekka was, but in this regard he seems to be easier. As soon as it became clear that I wasn't taking guff from him, he got this "oops, busted" look and changed his attitude, and has not yet tested me again. I am sure he will try again fairly soon (and I am ready for you Mr. B! :D :D ). She was more into testing as a teen. Not sure if that is boy girl difference, or just their individual quirks.
I also found out the GSD owner wasn't worried about my guy eating his guy. Apparently Ken the trainer puts dogs who are likely to bite people or other dogs in muzzles (and mine isn't, so that is understood to indicate that he is supposed to be at least reasonably okay). The guy was afraid because he had lost control of his dog (also a teen) and couldn't get it to recall, and had made it worse by starting to chase the dog, and had just gotten a correction from Ken to stop him from chasing and tell him to call enticingly (to which the dog did respond).
It seems like handlers too need proofing. One tries to call ones dog in the best most enticing way in training times, and then when the dog is really in trouble, in a real world situation, heading toward traffic etc. it takes a lot of presence of mind to recall the right way, not chase the dog or sound angry.
And everyone got a reminder warning about not doing things like taking a cell phone call in the parking lot and forgetting to watch one's dog. How it only takes an instant of inattention for a tragedy to occur. Just thought I'd stick that in here as a reminder also for all reading this.
Kate  |