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Monday, August 13, 2012

Great Time with Gracie

Over the weekend, we attended a dog festival and had a blast. We attended the same festival two years ago. Then, Gracie tried to attack the larger dogs and frantically ran around the venue. She was overly anxious and overly stimulated by all the sights, sounds, and smells.

This time, Gracie still dashed around the city’s streets. However, when she encountered other dogs, she acted like a normal dog, smelling them in all the right places and allowing them to smell her. To my surprise, a pair of Boston Terriers actually snarled at her instead of Gracie being the first one to snarl.

She enjoyed all the attention. You have to admit; she is pretty darn cute. One little boy even walked up to her, patted her on the head, and said, “I love your dog.” This made Gracie’s day.

It was ridiculously hot and humid so we only stayed about an hour. As always, the important thing is to provide Gracie with a positive experience when we take her on little adventures. We were so tickled with her progress that we had big smiles on our faces all weekend.

She is doing so much better riding in the car and engaging other dogs in social situations. Be patient. You can reap the rewards of all your hard work too. It took three years for us to get to this point.

Rescue Mommy and Daddy

Tip from Rescue Mommy: Avoid tightening your grip on the leash when your dog meets another dog. You are telegraphing anxiety down that leash when you do. Slacken the leash and think positive thoughts.

I know that sounds a little “New Age.” It works, though. Your dog knows you better than you probably know yourself and can sense your anxiety. She will think the source of your anxiety is the other dog and react accordingly.

Yes, it is hard to do. It will take practice. Just try; it works.

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