Dog Buddies

There hasn't been too much exciting to report the past week, which is a good thing. So, I'll touch on a subject that I've been working on with Morey lately...

One of the reasons Morey is only "practically" perfect is because of his reaction to other dogs. I was told by his ICAN handler that he had a strange dog come up to him barking and lunging and, being the soft sensitive guy that he is, Morey was confused and scared about why he was being "threatened".

Since then, he has taken a more defensive stance when meeting other dogs; growling and tensing up until he determines the other dog is friendly. The problem is that Morey is the one who comes across as aggressive, which can create problems both with the other dog and the other dog's owner. I have been working on conditioning him that meeting dogs is a good thing and we have been making lots of progress.

After a few seconds of sniffing to determine that the other dog is not a threat, Morey is very quick to go into play mode. We met a chocolate lab last week and after the initial introduction both dogs played ball together. It was fun to watch Morey play with another big dog and I think he really enjoyed it. He grew up with lots of dog friends and since moving to Austin he has only met a little dog. On Sunday we met 2 Scottie dogs and Morey barely growled at all! Progress!

Austin is a very dog friendly city and most of the dogs I have met so far have been very friendly and well-behaved. On Friday I went to a concert held outside a grocery store (there are live music venues and events almost everywhere) and there were several pet dogs in attendance. All them were settled nicely under the table and politely sniffed Morey as we went by.

The next few months are the best time of the year to get out and enjoy Austin before it gets too hot (or so I am told) and I am looking forward to getting out with Morey, my practically perfect partner! : )