MaryK
Honored Member
I am just so PROUD of Ra Kismet
Today he passed his biggest test yet, walking on the same side of the road past another dog!
To be strictly honest, it wasn't at tight close quarters, the other dog was slightly removed - but it was on the SAME SIDE within easy reach had Ra Kismet pulled!
Let me set the scene
On the corner of our street there is a very large, busy gas station with multiple entries and exits, not always used in the correct manner either by motorists. Plus two of the entries and exits are onto a very busy main road. Care and Caution are the key words, especially when walking a dog.
Rakins and I were waiting for the long queue of cars to exit onto the main road. He was sitting perfectly, his 'road drill/kerb/car/wait' is excellent, so I was able to keep watching for the cars.
I was also watching for cars 'about to leave' as they can race up to the exit, to be first in line, if there are other cars also ready to leave.
Out of the corner of my eye I spied Rakins was a alert, nothing more, but definitely alert. However I was too busy watching traffic to really note, as I would normally, his alert sit.
As the last car, a large four wheel drive, was almost out onto the road, around it's back but heading slightly at an away from us angled to walk across the forecourt, was a very large chocolate brown Lab!!!!!!! Rakins had spotted it I hadn't!
Took me a second to 'recover' last thing I expected
. I am being very honest here, no point in being otherwise, Rakins did swing his head in the direction of the Lab and I was a little slow and a tad anxious in my Ra Look At Me, so it took about three or four Look at Me's to gain his focus. But the BIG thing is he DID NOT PULL at all. His head was pointing in the 'wrong direction' but his body was following me as we moved off, and the only tautness in the lead was due more to the fact I had originally been holding it half way down (for safety reasons) than to Rakins actually pulling!
Had we been in a safer place, he would have got the JACKPOT for that grand behavior. But I compromised and as we were walking away held my hand down with a massive load of treats, which the boy daintly ate 'on the move'
And some say, not on this forum, that click/treat Positive Reinforcement Training will not work with dogs with 'behavioral' problems or traumatized dogs as Rakins was (note past tense please). He's almost 'back to normal' walking without any problems and all this in LESS THAN ONE MONTH. Started with the clicker August 5/6 worked in the garden for a week before even going out, for very short walks up and down the footpath. So really, for full walks, about two weeks!
Today he passed his biggest test yet, walking on the same side of the road past another dog!
To be strictly honest, it wasn't at tight close quarters, the other dog was slightly removed - but it was on the SAME SIDE within easy reach had Ra Kismet pulled!
Let me set the scene
On the corner of our street there is a very large, busy gas station with multiple entries and exits, not always used in the correct manner either by motorists. Plus two of the entries and exits are onto a very busy main road. Care and Caution are the key words, especially when walking a dog.
Rakins and I were waiting for the long queue of cars to exit onto the main road. He was sitting perfectly, his 'road drill/kerb/car/wait' is excellent, so I was able to keep watching for the cars.
I was also watching for cars 'about to leave' as they can race up to the exit, to be first in line, if there are other cars also ready to leave.
Out of the corner of my eye I spied Rakins was a alert, nothing more, but definitely alert. However I was too busy watching traffic to really note, as I would normally, his alert sit.
As the last car, a large four wheel drive, was almost out onto the road, around it's back but heading slightly at an away from us angled to walk across the forecourt, was a very large chocolate brown Lab!!!!!!! Rakins had spotted it I hadn't!
Took me a second to 'recover' last thing I expected
. I am being very honest here, no point in being otherwise, Rakins did swing his head in the direction of the Lab and I was a little slow and a tad anxious in my Ra Look At Me, so it took about three or four Look at Me's to gain his focus. But the BIG thing is he DID NOT PULL at all. His head was pointing in the 'wrong direction' but his body was following me as we moved off, and the only tautness in the lead was due more to the fact I had originally been holding it half way down (for safety reasons) than to Rakins actually pulling!Had we been in a safer place, he would have got the JACKPOT for that grand behavior. But I compromised and as we were walking away held my hand down with a massive load of treats, which the boy daintly ate 'on the move'
And some say, not on this forum, that click/treat Positive Reinforcement Training will not work with dogs with 'behavioral' problems or traumatized dogs as Rakins was (note past tense please). He's almost 'back to normal' walking without any problems and all this in LESS THAN ONE MONTH. Started with the clicker August 5/6 worked in the garden for a week before even going out, for very short walks up and down the footpath. So really, for full walks, about two weeks!
So happy for you both 
) with Russ
. He sure does know I've got his back