You'd bite too!

So we tried the calming collar on Cheetah again last night. Both dogs got agitated around 9pm, but especially Cheetah. Not sure what it was about. I think it might've been bugging Cheetah that Dan and Swiffer were in the basement and I was upstairs watching TV. The pack was not together! Anyway, my impression this time was that the calming collar made her worse. I gave her some Rescue Remedy and that helped. After I took the collar off of her, I put it on myself for a while! I figure if I am going to subject the dogs to it, I should see what it is like. It made me sneeze and gave me a headache. Dogs have a keener sense of smell than I do, and I found it overwhelming. I know it works extremely well for some people, but so far I can't buy in. Neat concept though.

My soap box moment for the day:

I have to get this out. I have been thinking a lot lately about what makes a good trainer (and a good owner for that matter). I don't necessarily think there is one correct school of thought, although I am more inclined toward the positive reinforcement methods, especially when dealing with a fear case. But I do think that an indespensible element is the ability to see the world from the dog's point of view. They are not people and they do not think like people. But it is possible to put yourself in their shoes once in a while.

Imagine, if you will, that you are in a foreign country. You do not understand them and they do not understand you. You are in an environment that is unfamiliar, surrounded with strange people. The tour guide with whom you are familar just introduced you to a new guide and walked away. There is a lot going on around you so you are trying to be as alert as possible. Shortly after your familiar tour guide walks away, a strange & daunting man walks up to you, gets in your personal space and puts his hand on your shoulder. You yell, "hey! get off of me right now!" and push him away. With that the new tour guide comes up behind you and immobilizes you, putting his hand over your mouth so you can't speak or defend yourself. What would you do? Personally I would struggle, bite and try to get away. I would be terrified.

This weekend I dropped off Cheetah at the adoption event. I handed her leash over to another foster (we'll call him Foster A) and started discussing her care for that evening. In the mean time another foster (Foster B) walked up with one of the other dogs. I felt like I was in a bad dream because I saw that the body languages of the other dog and Cheetah were not good, but I was positioned poorly to do anything about it or say anything fast enough. Sure enough a fracas broke out. The two other fosters pulled them apart and foster A clamped his hand down on Cheetah's mouth and held her mouth shut. At this point I got between Cheetah and the other dog, and knelt to calm her. I said "please take your hand off of her mouth." No movement. She was wide eyed and struggling. So I grabbed his hand and got in his face and said "do not do that" and stroked and calmed her back down. I left feeling very uncomfortable and watching foster B + dog getting too close to foster A + Cheetah again. I still feel guilty that I left. It was reported to me that she had one of her worst adoption days ever and nipped at multiple people.

My point in this is not to put down the other fosters. Everyone does the best they can. After the event, Foster A took Cheetah for a two mile walk and played with her all afternoon. I think she probably had a grand old time with him. And I am certainly not without fault in the whole scenario. I let social ettiquette get in the way of protecting my dog.

Those negative interactions could have been avoided. I want to find a way to raise awareness and need to think of the best way to do it.

• If you are handling a dog, pay attention 100% of the time.
• It is your responsibility to protect your dog and make him/her feel safe.
• Read the body language of your dog, the dogs around it AND THE PEOPLE.
• Think about what you are doing and how the dog might interpet your action and the actions of those around you. Remember - your dog is always in a foreign country. All they have are gestures.