Walking with the In-laws
Among the great joys of sisterhood is the morning dog walk. Since I got Fozzie, this joy has been curtailed by the fact that he turns into a raving lunatic at the sight of most dogs, especially those with pointy ears, and especially those who, like Genghis, project largeness and confidence.
The other morning, we decided to give it a try anyway. One of our favorite walks is along Lake Artemisia.
Fozzie, Lamar and I got there a bit after my sister, so we set out along the trail and kept our eyes peeled for duckies, beavers, and other wildlife while we also scanned the trail for my sister and her little family unit.
There they were up in the distance! Time for Fozzie to start his delightful lunging and yodeling routine and for me to break out the tasty cheesy snacks.
Fozzie takes a while to settle down when he sees Genghis, but once he does we can walk behind them a ways without anyone freaking out too much.
Fozzie, what is it about Genghis that you find so threatening?
Not sure if we'll ever know. Maybe it is just the big face, the confidence. Or maybe Fozzie is just such a high-strung man that he can't figure out another way to interact with Genghis, and if we could figure out how to introduce them without anyone getting hurt, they could eventually learn to coexist happily.
Fozzie, you are a mystery bear! I hope I'm not just making you more high-strung and hyped-up with my efforts to socialize you. And I hope some day you can learn to just relax and enjoy a lovely walk with your extended family.
Oh Fozzie! What a nice place to walk though! Hope you got to enjoy the outing a bit too!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder if it's the leash. Delilah does much better meeting dogs off-leash then on.
ReplyDeleteGenghis looks ginormous! My Hurley struggled with larger dogs for a while; he's better at it now but sometimes will still react a little bit. Granted, he's not a reactive dog at all so one or two barks is about all we get. He also sometimes has the same reaction to uber confident dogs. I think they shake his confidence. If I redirect, reward and then let him have the first hiney sniff, he then does A-OK with them.
ReplyDeleteAwwe Fozzie! Maybe someday you'll enjoy it a little better!
ReplyDeleteThe mind of a dog will always remain a mystery to us. I'm sure in their doggie way there is a logical reason for everything they do. But that is all part of their great charm.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirsten, as long as you're trying, Fozzie will get there. In the meantime, it looks like he's having a good time.
ReplyDeleteJust keep walking and trying daily - he will get there - it takes a long time. Nice walk. Morning walks are a great way to start the day.
ReplyDeleteNina, Myshka, Sasha, Betsy, Lucy, Phoebe and Lily
Gotta keep the in laws happy. Looks like a great place to sniff around
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
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DeleteWhat a beautiful place for a walk! I hope it gets a little easier to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI know a little girl who struggles with the same thing. I wish pep talks worked-- all their fears would be conquered.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place for a walk! And the last photo by the lake is so pretty! Sorry to read that Fozzie is nervous about Ghengis. It would be great if they could eventually meet and enjoy one another. Good luck, Fozzie!
ReplyDeleteSuka