For a Dog, the Grass is Always Greener - Over There

Dagney is the living example of the cliché; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, a saying that is meant to be figurative but in this picture is quite literal. While walking through the RV parks during our travels, it is understood we will encounter numerous dogs. Thus, a strategic plan has developed to decrease stress. 

Traveling with Dagney is easy until another dog enters the scene. She loves attention and to play but strangers cause her anxiety. We have discovered a small drop of Hemp on her tongue calms her if administered prior to our adventures. She wears a harness to decrease pulling around her neck, and it provide more security. If another canine approaches, we detour to a different route and have been known to hide behind large bushes, so the threat is just out of sight.

She has been part of our family for five years adding daily joy, but also constant challenges. As a pup, we deliberately socialized her to decrease her aggressive attitude, or as I call it jealous personality. She loves to make friends but it takes a while for her to become comfortable in new situations. We frequent dog parks and if she remains on the ground, acclimates well with other dogs. Before entering a park, it is routine to let her watch and sniff the area. She remains calm and wants to play.

It didn't take long to realize the importance of removing the leash once in the park. If leashed, she snarls when other dogs approach, probably why there is that small, isolation area prior to the main gate of most dog parks. This is a normal response as the leash makes a dog feel trapped with limited control causing their anxiety to increase as does their fear and negative behaviors. 

Dagney loves people. She will jump onto the laps of other dog owners and claim them as her human. When their dog approaches, she barks as if someone is approaching her territory. Our goal is to ask people to not let her sit on their lap to extinguish this behavior. However, the cuteness factor of a Yorkie is difficult to ignore and once we conquer one problem, she sprints to the other side of the park to make another new human friend. If she meets one of her own species on the way, she frolics a bit but eventually returns to her search of human companions. 

Since she was a wee little one, Dagney has played with other dogs. We take her to friends' and families' homes and after a butt sniff and a short chase, they get along fine. But her unpleasant behaviors continued when we go for walks and cross paths with strangers. She barks and pulls on the leash forcing us to take other measures.

A spray bottle of water shocks her to change behaviors. She stops barking momentarily. Avoidance strategies are beneficial but not always available in populated areas. When agitated placing Dagney in a submissive position on her side and stroking her calms her as another dog passes. 

About now, I am sure many readers are wanting to reply with suggestion of how to remedy our problem. This may have been one of our worst mistakes. We asked, read, and tried so many strategies that we became inconsistent. Since my husband and I are parents and teachers, we understand the need to be consistent but somehow failed with Dagney - again probably caused by the cuteness factor. 

Happily, I can report behaviors improved with time with constant, consistent responses. If you have similar problems, pick a strategy and be consistent. There are many resources available. This article provided valuable information.

Why Does My Friendly Dog Bark and Lunge at Other Dogs When They are on Leash?

We have also opted to use a vibrating collar that is activated when she barks. For us, this is not our first choice because of her size in contrast to the size of the collar. However, it works. In fact, when she barks, we can hold up the collar from across the room causing Dagney to stop parking immediately. 

We travel in our motorhome several months of the year. Dagney goes everywhere with us as part of our family. Until we identified the best strategies and consistently applied them, sightseeing adventures caused all of us stress. Overtime, we are beginning to relax and enjoy the experiences. Consistency is the key. 

____________________________________________________

Dagney has her own FB page, A Dog Who Thinks She's Human, where you can read about her adventures on the road and meet her brother who joined our family this month.

How Can Something So Cute Be Such a Terror?