Got a glimpse of the dog lover side of me this morning when out for a walk. I was looking forward to getting my dog-fix with all the dogs out on the boulevard. We lost Cagney last December and are in the process of selling our home and moving so can’t get another dog for a bit, so I am especially hungry for canine fuzzies. Came upon 2 dogs with their humans, who were standing there talking, so saw my chance to get some loving. One of the dogs was a bit hesitant but obviously friendly. The other came over, more because the other dog showed interest, but was yanked back by his owner. I should have read that cue, i.e. I am a bit concerned about my dog around people. Eventually she loosened her grip ont he leash and he approached me. I scratched his chin, then did what I instruct others not to do (especially with a dog displaying his stand-offish body language): I leaned over and started stroking his head and ears. He backed away but I continued to approach–I just couldn’t help myself. I was driven. I just wanted some doggie lovin’ but it was obvious he didn’t really want any part of me. If he had been a human, I would have taken the cues and walked off, but like many of us, I just let those “I love dogs” feelings take over. Finally, I got control of myself and left him alone before he got defensive. Goes to show you.
Glenn was working with a people-aggressive dog last night. The father-in-law, who was often the victim of her aggression, was able to pet the dog, in the appropriate way (waiting for her to approach then petting from under the chin, not leaning over the dog or making eye contact) many times throughout the session. But then the father-in-law started to feel more confident. You could see he was anxious to have the dog like him so that he could get have the loving kind of relationship he wanted with this dog. Spurred on by his obvious successes,  he went toward the dog, even though she was stiff and backed off a bit, leaned over and put his hand over the dog’s head and began stroking her head and ears. Wham! She gave him a good bite on the forearm.
Lesson learned.