Today I had the courage to take Kachina to the dog park (a.k.a. "evil place") for a training exercise.  I kept the leash on her this time!!!  The training exercise was for both her and me. My goal was to be able to walk my dog down that bike path with confidence.  My goal for Kachina was for her to be able to walk down that path and avoid confrontation.

 

It was scary as there were many people at the evil place. Their little demon animals running around - some obviously out of control. I wore my MP3 player so that if anyone got the urge to scream at me I could just turn the volume up. It's not that I'm afraid of confrontation, I just don't want to have to call Cathy to bail me out of jail. Ha ha 

 

Anyway, we did pretty good today. There was a couple of times when a dog approached Kachina. First I got in between them and told Chena to "leave it" as soon as she growled or made her "attack" noise, I gave her a pretty stern leash correction. I was using a prong collar and felt in control of her at all times.  A young guy came along with a young bull dog who didn't get the hint and got into Chena's face despite my efforts to avoid the issue. Kachina made some noise and the guy grabbed his dog out of the way and apologized to me.  Go figure ... someone else apologizing for a change!  It really wasn't Kachina's fault because she is on a two foot leash and had no where to go.  She did get a correction anyway because I don't want her doing that kind of thing ...I'm Alpha damn it!  LOL

 

I noticed a sign at the park that said that the bike path (where I was walking) was "on leash". That gave me extra courage because I felt like I was exercising my right to be there. After all, if my dog is on the leash in an leased area and someone else's dog come up to her and causes trouble ... I'm not the one at fault. I hate that when it's my fault and I get yelled at.  Why that matters I don't know.

 

My goal is to be able to walk Kachina at the evil place and she just ignore other dogs. It's going to take some training but it can be done ... or so I think.

 

M.

To me the dog park is an evil place because temptation and trouble are just a dog away. To others, it's Kachina that is the evil one.

 

So it's been a year or more since I ventured to the dog park.  I thought, maybe we'll go there and I'll keep Kachina on leash and it will be okay. Ha! That's why it's evil ... it lures you into trouble.  So we are walking along and there is no one around and I'm thinking, hey this isn't so bad, maybe we'll be able to come here once in a while.  Kachina had been playing well with the neighbor's dog and a visiting dog.

 

What's that ahead?  Another Belgian?  COOL!!!!  I'm excited now.  So the dog approaches and Kachina does her growly thing. The owner says, "What that all about?"  I said, "Maybe it's because she is on leash." And stupid, stupid, stupid me lets her off the leash. Chaos, to say the very least follows. Two Belgians fighting and the owner screaming.  I'm thinking "Shut up lady, you are making it worse!"  I get the dogs apart and no one is hurt (we'll psychological damage put aside) and the lady is acting like we are the plague ... okay Satan incarnate. I can't say that I blame her as I feel totally stupid for my act.  Letting her off the leash. What was I thinking?  It goes to show you my inexperience as a dog trainer! Sigh.

 

Anyway, I say to the lady.  "I know this incident scared the bejesus out of you. Your dog is okay. If my dog really wanted to hurt your dog, she would have. What you just saw was a battle over dominance. I'm so sorry you were frightened by it. I will not bring my dog here again."  I kept talking and got her calmed down enough that we were able to walk together and talk about Belgians and how much we love the breed (most of the time).  Sigh ... oh Kachina, you are such a be-otch!  Then we went home.

 

We are in my back yard talking to the neighbor, telling him about the latest adventure in the dog park and there goes Kachina and Teko - fence fighting. Where's my remote trainer when I need it!!!!  We decide to let the dogs play. Cujo is over there (lab x) and normally they get along. Kachina finds a bone and Cujo makes the mistake to go up to her to what, take the bone. Yikes!  They begin fighting. Okay the cool thing is about to happen.  Kachina and Cujo go at it and then Teko comes up behind Kachina and bites her in the ass.  LOL  Way to go Teko!!! He put a stop to that nonsense in a hurry.  Now if only he could do that at the dog park.

 

Note to self: I will never, ever let Kachina off leash at the dog park ever again. 

 

Andy has been able to walk Kachina at the dog park without incident (on leash). I would like to be able to do this.  Now I'm chicken.  I hate it when people say "What's wrong with her" when she acts up.  There is nothing wrong with her. She is a dog with an attitude. Now, I'm not saying it's a great attitude but she isn't mental or anything. Face it Marisa; it's a place of evil. Nothing good will ever come from going there.

 

Sigh.