Good morning!

Paddy is undergoing a slightly altered form of 'training' at present. In the past, he has always been very erratic in the way he greets other dogs that we meet on our walks. Sometimes, he's as good as gold, he and the other dog have a sniff round each other (recognised etiquette in the canine world) and then we continue on our way. But on other occasions the 'greeting' consists of  barking furiously and lunging with all his might towards the other dog. Often, I think, there is something in the other dog's body language or behaviour which elicits this reaction, but maybe I'm just making excuses for him. After one occasion recently when he got over excited and wound his lead round the legs of the other dog's owner, threatening to topple her over into the valley below, I decided tactics had to change. So, instead of allowing him to approach slowly and greet the other dog - or not - we now have a different system. When we see another dog and owner approaching, we withdraw to the side of the path and let them pass. If he gets this right, he gets a treat before we proceed on our way and he has mostly been getting it right.
So that's him sorted. Now I apparently need to work on my people skills. After all, what other reason could there be for this morning's encounter with a spaniel and his owner. who, when I said 'good-morning' to him, completely blanked me and called his dog away from Paddy?
Oh yes, he could just have been an ignorant so and so, of course.
The spaniel, on the other hand, was lovely and perfectly behaved.

4 comments:

Snowbabies said...

He is doing very well :o) Lucy just loves everyone she meets aint interested in the doggies just in their owners :o) was just coming to see if u had disapeared as no update on me blog to say u had posted and here you are safe n sound :o)

Debbie x

Jennytc said...

Hi Debbie, yes I haven't felt like blogging lately but I'm going to make more of an effort now! ;)

Yorkshire Pudding said...

The owner who blanked you had obviously read that recent report about Paddy that appeared in "The Leader" under the headline "Paddy in a Paddy"...."increasingly Wrexham residents are becoming annoyed and anxious about uncontrollable dogs in our quaint little hilltown. Just last week our star reporter Gwyneth Evans was walking her pooch when a rabid dog, ignored by his lackadaisical owner, deliberately wrapped its lead around Gwyneth's legs, almost causing her a life-changing injury..."

Jennytc said...

So was it you who wrote the article, YP? I could sue, you know!!;)

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...