Skateboard Monster - Sophie Bear to the ... rescue!?!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

There is a new phenomenon in Sophie's life ... Skateboards are showing up in our neighbourhood and attacking young boys by getting under their feet and rolling around. Thankfully, Sophie Bear is there to save the day... or so she thinks.

 

My sweet as pie doodette thinks it's her job to chase away skateboards by running at them, freaking out and barking aggressively, much to the shock and dismay of their riders. This is an obvious problem because it might appear as if Sophie is being aggressive toward the kids riding the skateboard, which couldn't be further from the truth. I am pretty sure she thinks she is saving them from the monster.

 

All joking aside, when this started up recently I was taken by surprise. This is not the doodle I know and love. To be honest, ever since we moved she hasn't really been herself. She's more jumpy and edgy than before. Every strange noise causes her to bark at the window. She is getting better because I am always correcting her and reassuring her that nothing is wrong, but the skateboard thing is getting worse. She's always been skittish around skateboards, but this attacking thing is a whole new ball game.

 

There have been three skateboard episodes of concern, twice she was on leash, so I was able to hold her off and of course correct her, which she responded well to. However, this past week, she caught me off guard by bolting out the front door when I was taking out the garbage, onto the road in pursuit of her number one tormentor skateboard and the fourteen year boy who practices his skills on the street. She circled the poor boy, barking and looking like she wanted to pounce but was just slightly too afraid to do so. Basically, she was acting insane. She zoomed around quite a bit, completely oblivous to all my hollering (so much for my perfect recall), and then got distracted by the barking dog at the window of a neighbours house and went to investigate.

 

From my perspective she was trying to chase away the skateboard, but to a stranger (like the man hiding in his van), it must have looked much much worse. All I can do is thank my lucky doodles the boy's mother is a dog lover who just laughed it off. The boy seemed to take it all in stride too, and tried to play it cool, but I know if it were me and a dog came at me like that I would freak out. The boy and the man soon realized she meant them no harm, mostly because she went up to them after and gave them kisses reassuring them that they're safe now, she's got the monster under control.

 

There are so many problems here I don't know where to begin. Attacking skateboards, barking excessively, bolting out the door, running on to the road, not listening when I call...  When did my sweet, well behaved doodle become such a handful? I though I was doing so well... What I know for sure is that a) this cannot happen again b) I need to get a skateboard and work on making her more comfortable with them, and c) back to basics with recall the bolting out the door thing (I had nipped this in the bud at the apartment).

 

Anyway, just venting more than anything. I'm pretty sure I know how to handle all of these things, but all of these problems all at once is so overwhelming. It's just so frustrating to see all my hardwork over the past year and half flushed down the drain over one stupid skateboard. Moving to this house was supposed to make my life so much easier and the doodles so much happier, but now I'm not so sure it is all it was cracked up to be. I don't regret it or anything, but it has come with it's own unique challenges.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Skateboarders are a problem for Murph too....along with roller bladers, bikers, etc.  We take him to a skateboard park....actually that's where we were this morning.  This is a fenced area with jumps and tons of teenage boys skateboarding.  We sit outside and I give him treats for staying calm and looking at me.  We go for a walk first and then we go right up to this area (which is always very loud) and I put him in a sit/stay.  Then I keep his focus on me.  It really has helped to desensitize him.  Initially he would go absolutely crazy, and now he's learned to control himself.  I started this by having him sit with his back turned and staying fairly far away from the actual area.  Then we just kept getting closer and finally I could have him sit actually facing the skateboarders.  Even though he's doing so much better with this I bring him back every couple of weeks or he would regress.  In the Spring we'll have to start the process all over again.  Good luck!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

The skateboard park is a brilliant idea. There is one very close by so I'll go there. Sometimes she reacts to rollerblades too, but not harshly and usually only when someone is wizzing by us. I have roller blades, so maybe I can take her with me for a blade.. it would be good for me to put them to use.

 

I'm so impressed with how committed you are to Murph! He is a lucky guy to have adopted you!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Hi Jane, just wanted to update you that I went to the skateboard park on the week-end and Sophie did really well. I got her to sit or down when she was nervous or agitated and made her focus on me. She did well and after a while she stopped reacting when they came close and she just sat and watched. I asked one of the boys if she could sniff the board but she wouldn't go anywhere near it. She backed up as far as she could and looked scared and jumpy but at least she didn't growl or bark at it. It's still a work in progress. Thanks for the great tip.

[Lynda Kamrath]

New experiences, and especially noisy experiences, can be alarming to our doodles.  Once they get accustomed to what it is, however, it should be okay.  We were riding on the bike trail in Monterey with the boys on bike tow leashes and a skateboarder kind of swerved on the trail as he came near us.  Harpo ran behind my bike and pulled me off the trail, but no damages.  The next day, I took him on leash to the skatepark and he saw lots of boys on their skateboards coming over the tops of the concrete.  Just took him a few minutes and he walked away and raised his leg on the fence.  Dogs are like that.

[Becka]

LOL--"Just took him a few minutes and he walked away and raised his leg on the fence." I guess that's a pretty definitive statement from Harpo! :)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Quick update, so last night I was at a friend's place with the doodles. Her kids had just been put down and we were relaxing in the living room. I had just finished explaining to my friend sophie's recent skateboard issues when suddenly some kids went by on the street on skateboards and the sound was very loud with the windows open. My friend and I both jumped up to stop Sophie from barking and waking the kids but there she was, chilling out on the rug and looking at me like "WTD is your problem mom?, it's just a skateboard". So now I have a new theory that it is not the noise that bothers her but the movement...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think the difference was that she wasn't at her own house, so she didn't feel a need to guard anything or anyone, and didn't feel it was a threat to her pack.

 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

well, maybe but when my friend's husband came in from grocery shopping and was making a racket, she got all up in arms - until she realized it was just "Uncle John".

I can't remember specifically, but have no doubt there would be skateboards making noise passing by on the street below when we were in the apartment and I don't remember her ever reacting to it. She only reacts when she sees them going by.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I see your point, no pun intended. If she doesn't see them, she doesn't react. You may be right.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

If it makes you feel any better..... bad pics but I thought it was a place to post  :)

The cat will still run and I am positive Spud would get excited and think it is super play time if confronted again by one of these things.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

OMD, is that baby Spud????? He looks like a stuffed animal!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

BABY SPUD!!! soooo cute!