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I'll start this by saying I'm definitely not an expert, but it's amazing to me how some people really seem like they don't even try to understand their dogs. There is a woman who lives in our community who I occasionally see walking her two dogs when I'm out with Jessie. I think they are little Shih Tzus or mixes thereof. From a distance they're just happily bouncing along and behaving well on leash. But as soon as the owner sees another dog, she starts saying "Romeo's a good boy" in increasing speed, volume, and pitch. You can almost immediately see Romeo stop and frantically look around for whatever thing it is he's supposed to be ignoring (or defending her from) and then when he finds it he starts feverishly barking and lunging while she continues to literally scream what a good boy he is and is pulling at his leash. I feel sorry for Romeo and his confused little friend dog and generally try changing directions when I'm walking Jessie to avoid passing them by so they can enjoy their walk without being sent into frenzy mode by his owner. I've seen Romeo walking with others in the household and while he does express interest in Jessie, it's a friendly alert bark that is quickly acknowkedged by an easy touch correction and a vocalization along the lines of "Thanks, Romeo I see her" and he just merrily goes along his way.
It must be frustrating to be a dog trainer- thanks for any of you out there trying to help people communicate with their pets!!
It must be frustrating to be a dog trainer- thanks for any of you out there trying to help people communicate with their pets!!