The "Dreaded Trip To The Petstore" With Murph

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I thought I'd start here, since I think many of us have gone through this experience (or go through it regularly).  Because I'm trying so hard to be in a "new mindset" and expect more of Murphy, DH and I decided to "bite the bullet" and take the boys to Petco yesterday.  We had a "game plan" worked out....we would keep them separated in the store, and DH would take Guinness while I walked with Murphy.  I got myself all "psyched" for this, took several deep breaths in the car, stood up straight, and in we went.  I was hoping there would be other dogs in the store (because that's his "downfall"), and there were.  When I saw the first one is when I started to sweat....yes, literally.  Murph did his usual lunge when he spotted the dog.  I was ready, stepped into him to let the leash go loose, and gave him a quick "tug".  Woo Hoo, he turned around to look at me.  I quickly gave him a little treat, and at that point the dog disappeared into an aisle.  Okay, we dodged the first bullet. Then we headed for the "squeaker toys"...his favorite thing.  He immediately found one he LOVED, and I gave it to him and let him carry it in his mouth for the rest of the time.  This may have been a mistake...I'm really not sure.  Was I indulging him because of my own insecurities...maybe?  Anyway, he was happy as could be, and that toy took most of his attention.  As I think back on it, I should probably have been trying to focus all his attention on ME and not the toy.  Oh well, I'm learning.  We stayed in the toy aisle for a while, and then the really long walk to the cash register (with Murph still carrying his prize squeaker toy).  There was another dog ahead of us in the line.  You guessed it....lunging (but no barking because the toy was still in his mouth).  I put him in a "sit/stay", which he did quickly....HE CAN DO IT.  No treats this time, because he had his toy.  He never took his eyes off that other dog though, and was making some "growly" noises.  I'm not sure...should I have corrected that?   We just waited until they were finished and left.  Then it was our turn at the register.  We managed to pay and get out of the store with NO MAJOR EVENTS.  Now I know that Murph (and I) and I can do it.  I'll definitely be less worried the next time.  I'd love some feedback on how other Doodles do in this situation, and how you manage to make it a "fun experience".  I did all this with Guinness (and still do), but he never was reactive the way that Murphy is.  His only challenge was that he wanted to meet all the people in the store, and I had to teach him that he couldn't jump on them.  But he only weights 18 pounds (and when I was training him he only weighted about 12 pounds), so that was a whole different scenario.

[Carol Brand]

About me. I'm the poodle lady. I show in competitive obedience. I have put a CDX title on one bitch (earned with all 1st place finishes) and CD titles on two others. My senior girl was showing at the Utility level (highest level) before she was sidelined by a serious health issue. My thoughts......

Re Murphy...... good start. I personally would not let him carry a toy around. The toy should not be a distraction. It should be a "reward" for correct behavior. In my world, any sort of grumpy behavior would get corrected.

Re Charlie...... I think it is terrible advice to feed Charlie anytime she looks at another dog. You are actually rewarding her for focusing on the other dog. She should be looking at you the whole time. If she is working for you, she does not have time to think about other dogs. I find that reactive dogs actually feel more secure when they can do a job for their person.

Re Sasha....... mind shift issue here. Ok.... this is going to be hard to hear. Sasha is not SUPER FRIENDLY she is actually sort of a doggie social nerd. As you said, she wants to barrel up on other dogs even if they don't want her too. Like many retrievers, she lacks understanding of canine social cues. Many breeds (especially the herding breeds I've noticed) don't appreciate dogs getting up in their faces. For small dogs, it can be terribly intimidating. So, you need to make it clear to Sasha that her job is to work for and with you, not to focus on other dogs or people. I like the prong collar for just this situation. You can give tons of praise and reward for good working behavior but if the dog strays, you have a strong correction available to make sure that your dog knows you mean business. Another mind shift thing here...... I generally don't let my dogs visit with other dogs. My dogs are companions for me, not for other dogs.

One last word about asking vets for advice. People seem to think that vets walk on water and that they know everything about dogs. Vets are medical doctors not trainers. Unless your vet does competition dog sports and has put working titles on her own dog, I would not be asking her for training advice. Look at it this way. If you broke your leg skiing, you would expect a doctor to fix it. However, you would not expect your doctor to be able to give pertinent advice about how to telemark ski or negotiate a mogul run.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Carol,
Thank you so much for this valuable feedback. In hindsight I so realize I should not have let him just "have" the toy (and carry it around the store). I was nervous because of past behavior issues around other dogs, so I took the easy way out. I need to stop that. Clearly, he started out very focused on me, but I lost that once he had the toy. Thanks again!