By Suzi Jones –
Precious an 18 month old Rottweiler is one of the worst dogs in the case of protesting/ tantrum throwing. Use to doing as she pleased for 18 months and now very large I just could not watch the owner (also not a small man) getting dragged around.
It was really as if the both of them (owner and dog) were locked in a non stop battle of wills! It was like watching a tug of war game the very common wrapping the leash around your hand as a brace against her pulling back which in turn was making her pull more.
I of course recommended a prong collar, fitted one to her I took up the leash and off I went to gauge her reaction. It was typical she went to leap ahead of me.
( As she is use to doing) POW, She self corrected! And of coursed she let out a yip. O.k. let’s try this one more time, try walking again and this time she hit the end of the leash and once more a yip but this time she turned and tried biting on the leash. O.k. of course she is protesting being made to comply. I add the command of heel and start walking each time she would bend her head and try to nibble on the leash at every correction to stop her from pulling and trying to sniff at the grass. All the neighbors outside at this time are looking at us and smiling as they walk by! Wow I guess they just did not have the heart to tell the owner his dog was out of control and needed help? It just struck me as funny!
I then instruct the owner that I would buy him a HS as I can get them with 10% off with my dog club membership and at class she would get fitted so I can then teach him how to administer a proper correction through the collar. It was like fighting and pulling teeth to get him to break the habit of wrapping the leash around his hand in preparation of the tug O’ War with his dog, couple that with me for 1 hour reminding him to relax and not be so tense . But then after an 18 month Tug O’ War who would not be prepared for a daily battle? This was when he told me she had gone through obedience school in the states when she was a puppy, but it did not help. I did not say anything but “well I am here to help you now. ”
We also had a problem last week ( Bad me was speaking with another student about her dog as I hear this bark, bark, bark growl, growl only to look over and see the rott and a coonhound mix both females showing aggressive behavior towards each other. For some reason they passed by each other too closely, one ( do not know which one) started with that “Look” and the bad energy started to fly. Oh no we are not going to have this in class! expecially as I was thinking during the first 2 classes that all the dogs got along strangely well, Do not let anything Lull you into a false sense of security……….. Boy I did not follow that rule!