Following slightly on from my post yesterday and also one from my friend Colin today, Maggie let the side down this morning by reacting to a playful 18 month old labrador.
We are usually very proud of her behaviour, but Hubby misread the situation and Maggie ended up being banished to The Naughty Step (in this instance the back of the car) after nipping the labrador as it rushed up to her in its friendly haste.
We were embarrassed and apologetic as we explained that Maggie has a blind side, and as a rule we keep her close should a strange dog, puppy or smaller dog come towards her too fast, but Hubby thought the lab would slow down when instead he just kept coming full pelt, and well, Maggie didn’t handle it well.
The owners were marvellous and understood, no harm was done, and it was just a question of surprise more than anything else.
This lab is a solid dog. Absolutely gorgeous and daft as a brush. His attitude is much like her ladyship’s, insomuch as he is more likely to lick you to death, but he’s a lab, and in my experience, labs love to run, play and eat if they’re not asleep.
As we four adults chatted on the dogwalk and the lab ran after the rabbits, Maggie looked suitably forlorn (and guilty) on the back seat.
We will not tolerate bad behaviour from her, and discovered that by removing her from the situation to where we aren’t and carrying on as normal, makes the point that she has displeased us. We don’t carry this on indefinitely and after a short while, we normally invite her back into the group and she is fine.
The lab and his owners were off for a walk and we had plans to go into town in the car, so we parted company and no doubt will see them again as their boat is on the opposite side of our basin though they’re not live-aboards like us.
When we arrived in town, Maggie was good on her lead as we walked along the high street, and when we stopped for a takeout coffee, she sat on the little wall with us and waited patiently for her frothy bit.
Coming home, I suggested that Hubby drop me off at the gardens and I’d walk her back along The Ham to give her, and myself, a bit of exercise.
I met up with a variety of dogs of different ages, breeds and size, and she was good with all of them. A lady in a boat on the river called her over and Maggie came nose to nose with her two dogs, and they all greeted each other like lost friends.
Maggie is good for us 99% of the time, but there is always that chance that not only will she be blind sided, but so will we. This morning fell into that 1%.
pensitivity101 
In Maggie’s defence she was only protecting herself. I see more problems from over friendly dogs that rush up to another dog far too fast, than actively aggressive dogs, that tend to give fair warning. Any dog can have that 1% – my dog LM has at least 10%!
So don’t worry. I think you did great. 🙂
I think so too. Because of her blind side, she tends to react first then think about it! Apart from time out on the naughty step, we don’t make an issue of it as it’s usually a rare occurrence. 🙂
Absolutely! Dogs live in the moment and simply react to any given situation. Even LM pulling my arm out of the socket was an instant reaction – I forgave her! 🙂