Last weekend we participated in a local agility trial, where I showed Daisy Mae. She is working on points and double Q's for her PACH 2. Gunny and Pirouette always go with me, as trials are excellent places for training of many kinds. Right now I am working on getting Gunny more comfortable being around a lot of dogs that he doesn't know. He does not have to make friends, just not be reactive under normal circumstances.

When I first got Gunny and he started going to trials, he was very worried about all of the dogs. I suspect that he never went out of his back yard in his previous home, so he was never exposed to dogs. We started with lots of yummy treats, and getting him to focus on me. At first we had to stay way back from other dogs...it was easy to see where his comfort level stopped and started. We worked on "look at that", then turn and refocus on me. We worked on back up and come. He has come so far in a short time.

But last weekend we had a set-back and I realized how hard this whole thing is to explain to my boy. We were about 10 feet away from a crate, when the dog inside went off on him, growling, barking
and going at the front of the crate. It didn't help that it was a soft crate...so Gunny wasn't the only one who was worried. It didn't help that the owner said, "She is just worried." I said, "But we are 10 feet away." She said, "yes, but she is worried." That is not what I would call it! She finally threw a cover over the front of the crate and we were able to go by, maintaining our distance. From that time on, Gunny was on alert, and I couldn't blame him!

I am asking Gunny to trust me to keep him safe, in a place where it feels dangerous. How can I tell him how to sort out all the barks...he assumes they are all aimed at him. How do I tell him the dog can't get out of the crate when I am not sure? How do I explain that the dog we are passing is barking because the owner is in the ring, running their other dog? Or that the other dog is barking at another dog and it is unrelated to him? Why do some dogs seem oblivious to all the sounds, or most of them?
I think it will take me a long time to help him sort it out. I really understand his feelings!

However, he did pass his barnhunt instinct test. This did require me to take his leash and collar off to work him in a semi-fenced area, with 3 other people in the ring. It meant he had to take some direction from me, without any treats involved. I was thrilled that he did his work and came back to me for leash and collar. So,he really is making amazing progress!