Day 82: Hotdogs

My hands smell like hotdogs.
Microwaved hotdogs.
Yuck.

Hotdogs are my latest version of a cheap, high-value treat that will motivate Sam to continue his training journey. Don't get me wrong - Sam is a wonderful fur friend. He just lives up to his name.

You see, Sam's namesake is Sampson of Biblical fame.

Sam and Sampson have a lot in common.
They got tied to stuff.
They are really strong.
They got their hair cut off.
And they LOVE the ladies.

Well, Sam's not actually too particular. Guy dogs, girl dogs, he'll do them all.
Except for the little ones.
I think he thinks they're cats.

After two near misses, we decided that Sam shouldn't go to the dog park until he was surgically altered and no longer able to sow his seed.

Have you ever chased your love-struck dog around a fenced-in area while others watched in amusement?
While the object of his affections (a young male pit bull) didn't seem to mind, his owner certainly did.
I can say this - at least Sam's persistent.

Although he can get excited, Sam really likes hanging out with other dogs. Mounting isn't an issue if I keep a leash and a close eye on him. But when Kia went into heat, Sam's hormones went into overdrive. He paced and panted and howled and refused food. We kept them both away from other dogs.

And then things went back to normal.
And then spring came.
And more people than just us were walking their dogs.
And Sam wanted to meet them all.

Before I continue, I should mention that since we got him in December, Sam has come a long way.
He went from constantly pacing and pulling and trying to hug everyone we met to walking calmly by my side, sitting quietly, and accepting pats from even the smallest of children.
He will sit, stay, and lie down on command inside or out. (Come is a little more iffy!)
He no longer tries to hug casual passers-by (although house-guests are sometimes fair game).
He will wait in the busy Superstore parking lot and let people coo over him, then carry our groceries home in his backpack.
He even came to school with me. He stayed totally relaxed and obedient in a strange room in front of a crowd of fifty grade three students while I gave a presentation - and then he let everyone pet him after. Teachers and students alike commented on how well-behaved he was. They couldn't believe we'd only had him for a few months.

But all his training goes out the window when he approaches another dog on a leash.
He pulls towards them and whimpers and whines.
And he is strong.
At first, I decided to use a halti.
But it made things worse.
Because it stopped him from looking at the other dog as it passed him, he would struggle frantically to break free and bark like a maniac. And he is big. Almost as tall as me.

No more halti. Just me and my painfully inadequate muscles.
Too many creme eggs and not enough weightlifting, me thinks.

While there are plenty of dogs in our area, we don't meet enough on any given walk to do any actual training. But there is the dog park.
Ah yes. The dog park.
The fence keeps dogs in. But it also keeps dogs out.

So if you see a shadowy figure wandering around outside the dog park with a big, black, fluffy dog and a pocket full of sliced hotdogs, you know who it is.

And - surprisingly - it's working well.
We work and walk closer every time.
I walk away if he gets excited.
I reward him when he notices another dog and remains calm.
As soon as he realized hotdogs were involved, he got calm pretty quickly.

Last night, on our way home, I was busy cleaning up a pile of poo and didn't notice another dog walking towards us.
Sam did.

He still pulled, but I didn't hear a single whimper. Both dogs sniffed each other politely, and then we moved on. I gave Sam a sliver of hot dog.

"There's a light at the end of this tunnel/Shining bright at the end of this tunnel..." - Third Day
I just have to keep walking toward it.
And if it is a train, I just hope it's got a bathroom. Because I need to wash my hands. 

Nuked hotdog smell never really goes away.

Anyway, happy Tuesday!
T minus 7 days...

Completely random note:
Nathan just suggested we put Kia's milk in a bowl and feed it to the cats until the puppies come.
Say what?

I hope he was joking.