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by RLHAR on 04 April 2011 - 15:04
Had an interesting experience yesterday.
After a good day training, since the weather was awesome we were all outside in the yard with the neighborhood kids in the yard playing around the dogs and just playing around.
Erik loves kids, I mean he thinks the sun rises and sets on kids and after spending a good 20 minutes trying to herd them, he gave up and went to flop on the lawn with his bacchie ball. This way he could watch them play soccer and all was well.
Everybody is playing and on the street some of the older teens are having an aggressive game of bike tag with one another. This is where they ride around like lunatics on their bikes, shooting empty painball guns at each other. Empty paint ball guns make a rather strange rapid fire noise and Erik lifted his head for a moment to identify the noise and then calmly went back to trying to gnaw his ball.
Well the teens got a little too rambuncious at one point and someone crashed into someone else and a bike and a teen came careening into the yard, paintball gun in hand as bike, teen and gun all went down in a rather ungangly tangle in the yard. Erik very quickly but calmly jumped to his feet and paced until he was between the teen and the younger kids playing a little lower in the yard. He drew himself up to his full height, his body posture very alert but otherwise calm as he carefully watched the teen get his feet under him and pick up his gun and his bike.
At one point, the teen jerked awkwardly further into the yard and Erik stepped forward, intent on the teen and also keeping himself firmly between teen with paintball gun and smaller kids. He never lifted his hackles, growled or otherwise gave threat he just made it very plain that this 'uncertain' behavior was not coming any closer to 'HIS' babies.
Teen got his bike sorted out, shouted down an apology to my husband and I and started to walk his bike back up to the street. Erik very politely but FIRMLY escorted him to the drive, at which point I called him back and he recalled over to me and then went back to gnawing his bacchie ball and wistfully watching the soccer ball the younger kids were playing with.
After a good day training, since the weather was awesome we were all outside in the yard with the neighborhood kids in the yard playing around the dogs and just playing around.
Erik loves kids, I mean he thinks the sun rises and sets on kids and after spending a good 20 minutes trying to herd them, he gave up and went to flop on the lawn with his bacchie ball. This way he could watch them play soccer and all was well.
Everybody is playing and on the street some of the older teens are having an aggressive game of bike tag with one another. This is where they ride around like lunatics on their bikes, shooting empty painball guns at each other. Empty paint ball guns make a rather strange rapid fire noise and Erik lifted his head for a moment to identify the noise and then calmly went back to trying to gnaw his ball.
Well the teens got a little too rambuncious at one point and someone crashed into someone else and a bike and a teen came careening into the yard, paintball gun in hand as bike, teen and gun all went down in a rather ungangly tangle in the yard. Erik very quickly but calmly jumped to his feet and paced until he was between the teen and the younger kids playing a little lower in the yard. He drew himself up to his full height, his body posture very alert but otherwise calm as he carefully watched the teen get his feet under him and pick up his gun and his bike.
At one point, the teen jerked awkwardly further into the yard and Erik stepped forward, intent on the teen and also keeping himself firmly between teen with paintball gun and smaller kids. He never lifted his hackles, growled or otherwise gave threat he just made it very plain that this 'uncertain' behavior was not coming any closer to 'HIS' babies.
Teen got his bike sorted out, shouted down an apology to my husband and I and started to walk his bike back up to the street. Erik very politely but FIRMLY escorted him to the drive, at which point I called him back and he recalled over to me and then went back to gnawing his bacchie ball and wistfully watching the soccer ball the younger kids were playing with.
by Ruger1 on 04 April 2011 - 15:04
I am jealous of your story....
I am certain Prince's reaction would have been much different...;)
by RLHAR on 04 April 2011 - 16:04
I've always suspected that of the two, Erik was the one who was more likely to respond to a situation he didn't trust.
My female was down running around with the younger kids and did nothing more than glance over at the ruckus then went back to trying to chase the soccer ball.
My female was down running around with the younger kids and did nothing more than glance over at the ruckus then went back to trying to chase the soccer ball.
by Ruger1 on 04 April 2011 - 16:04
Prince thinks ALL balls and tires belong to him and are for biting...kids are for chasing, and anyone even looking in the direction of his yard is trespassing....No questions asked...;)
Go figure...He was so loved as a puppy..;)
by RLHAR on 04 April 2011 - 16:04
Erik and Hanni think kids are for herding, they *want* all balls to be theirs but I can call them off that game pretty quickly.
I have a picture of my son going after a ball in Erik's mouth. He'd seen me out with a top muzzle grab so he had hold of the dog's upper muzzle in one hand and his other was pushed past teeth tugging on the ball. Erik was a bit perplexed about this situation but gave up the ball with a lot more grace than he does to me!
As for strangers on the properly, both of them of fairly neutral about the situation. Erik's response was due to the suspicious way the teen was moving when fighting with his paintball gun and bike.
I have a picture of my son going after a ball in Erik's mouth. He'd seen me out with a top muzzle grab so he had hold of the dog's upper muzzle in one hand and his other was pushed past teeth tugging on the ball. Erik was a bit perplexed about this situation but gave up the ball with a lot more grace than he does to me!
As for strangers on the properly, both of them of fairly neutral about the situation. Erik's response was due to the suspicious way the teen was moving when fighting with his paintball gun and bike.
by Ruger1 on 04 April 2011 - 17:04
The call off is what I am still working on with Prince....That will solve some of our issues for sure...Prince is naturally very suspicious, unfortunately Prince is never neutral where strangers are concerned he always assumes the worst...lol...Most likely he is not going to be the kind of dog that will enjoy the luxury of hanging-out in the yard free as you have described...But, ya never know...: )
by RLHAR on 04 April 2011 - 17:04
Ah, I understand what you mean.
Erik punched his ticket for front yard privledges back in February when I had him out with the girls throwing ball. A neighbor's intact golden was loose and came into the yard unannounced, I looked around and realized I had an extra dog. Erik was a little 'uh ...who are you?' but I called him to me and continued with the game of ball and he never gave the other dog another look.
Poor Golden kept trying to engage my dogs but they were all 'Dude, playing ball here!'
I swear if my yard isn't hip deep in kids, it's hip deep in dogs.
Erik punched his ticket for front yard privledges back in February when I had him out with the girls throwing ball. A neighbor's intact golden was loose and came into the yard unannounced, I looked around and realized I had an extra dog. Erik was a little 'uh ...who are you?' but I called him to me and continued with the game of ball and he never gave the other dog another look.
Poor Golden kept trying to engage my dogs but they were all 'Dude, playing ball here!'
I swear if my yard isn't hip deep in kids, it's hip deep in dogs.
by Ruger1 on 04 April 2011 - 17:04
RLHAR...lol..I like the way describe things...lol
Sounds like your hard work has paid off and you are enjoying the benefits of very cool dogs... 'Dude, playing ball here!'...LOL...LOL...
by RLHAR on 04 April 2011 - 17:04
One of the first rules I learned out on the training field was I'd better be a damn sight more interesting than any other distraction out there.
We have a standard size SchH field out at my training club and at times have had up to four dogs working obedience on the field at any time. You've *got* to be solid in your bond with your dog when other people are throwing balls, squealing out recalls and otherwise ... training.
I'll admit when I saw the golden at first and realized he was intact my heart dropped into my toes but then I remembered both *my* training and the dogs and just made myself much more interesting than any ole wandering dog. Guess it must have worked because when I finally packed everybody up back into the house the golden wanted to come in and make himself at home!
We have a standard size SchH field out at my training club and at times have had up to four dogs working obedience on the field at any time. You've *got* to be solid in your bond with your dog when other people are throwing balls, squealing out recalls and otherwise ... training.
I'll admit when I saw the golden at first and realized he was intact my heart dropped into my toes but then I remembered both *my* training and the dogs and just made myself much more interesting than any ole wandering dog. Guess it must have worked because when I finally packed everybody up back into the house the golden wanted to come in and make himself at home!
by LadyFrost on 04 April 2011 - 19:04
RLHAR...:) great job raising him :)
Ruger..guess what you need another dog...believe it or not but it's easier with more dogs...when I had one it was selective hearing, selective command response, treats...who has to work for treats?...once i got second it became a competition..if he sits faster that I do he gets treat sooner..or if I drop the ball she trows mine to me and not to him...now with 3 its even better..they all line up at a snap of a finger..another span and one drops down so she gets reward and the other two are right behind I dont even have to repeat a command...
besides it helps them burn a lot of energy through out the day that they are perfect angels when taken for a walk or into public.....
Ruger..guess what you need another dog...believe it or not but it's easier with more dogs...when I had one it was selective hearing, selective command response, treats...who has to work for treats?...once i got second it became a competition..if he sits faster that I do he gets treat sooner..or if I drop the ball she trows mine to me and not to him...now with 3 its even better..they all line up at a snap of a finger..another span and one drops down so she gets reward and the other two are right behind I dont even have to repeat a command...
besides it helps them burn a lot of energy through out the day that they are perfect angels when taken for a walk or into public.....
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