It’s been a while since I have come up with a blog – Alys calls them dispatches. I’ll tell you what. I have so much going on that I don’t have time to tell the world about it. But every so often, like today, there is down time. And down time gives me time to think and reflect and think and reflect some more. Thinking and reflecting is actually sort of boring. I’d rather be doing something.

I knew something was up when I did not get any breakfast. Pete then relented and gave me a little bit of food, which meant that something was up, but it wasn’t going to be like two weeks ago when I didn’t get any breakfast and I went under the knife. I would not wish that on any dog. Cats, well, this is a matter that I’ll take up in another blog.

So, they loaded me up into the car early in the afternoon, after they’d eaten their respective lunches. I manage to scrounge some crumbs off the floor.

Soon enough, we turned onto the road to Claudia’s place. There have not been any agility classes since I had surgery – I got my hopes up, thinking that finally, we’d resume obstacle work. But no, we went into the Better Companion training center and there for a while just stood around. I thought that perhaps other dogs and their owners would also appear, but none did.

Shadow and Dr Zach

Soon enough, Claudia came in and began talking with Alys and Pete, about me. I then understood that the reason why they brought me here was because they wanted to learn how to deal with me when I become aggressive.

Yes, a few weeks back, I did growl at a child who was petting me. Alys grew alarmed and took me into the dog training room.

So why did I growl? The child, she wasn’t at all enthused about petting me. Her mother thought that perhaps she’d like to get an Aussie like me, but no, the child has her heart set on getting a Leonberger. That’s not a food, it’s a dog. The truth be known, I don’t go for mindless petting. I want to be praised and told what a good dog I am. So I growled. I had no intention of biting the child, none at all.

The threesome spent the next hour talking about how to work with me when we are around children. It all made sense to me, that is what Claudia said. Alys and Pete, they need to be proactive, and make it so that I, with them, am approaching the child, rather than vice-versa. Alys and Pete also need to talk with the child and if need be, tell him or her to back off. This may mean stepping out in front of the child, and saying “No.”

Claudia got her dog Luce and used her as an example. We all then understood what she was getting at.

There was some talk about resuming agility. I say, hey hey, let’s get back to work.

Next: 190. 7/10/21: The Story Continues