02/11/2022
“Wait a minute!” everyone cried. “You said Mica’s a cranky old lady who hates other dogs!”
Oh my gosh you guys, she is and she does, I can’t even express it properly.
I took Mica with me for Luci’s walk for a few reasons, which I’d been tossing about for a couple of months now. First and foremost, I hate to admit it, but Mica doesn’t get walked anywhere near as often as she should. There’s a special kind of guilt to driving off three times a week to walk Luci while leaving Mica at home. Second is the usual concern at the forefront of my mind with Luci, which is socializing her through positive experiences to all different kinds of attitudes. The most difficult one for her is definitely picking up the vibe from dogs, people, and other animals who DONT want to be her friend. Third, and the clincher for this walk… Kansas had another Climate Change moment and went from 6” of snow to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. A perfect day to get everyone outside.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that Mica is wearing a muzzle. While she’s never bitten a human, ever since she was first attacked in a dog park years ago, Mica will occasionally “defend” herself from a dog who doesn’t pay attention to her growls and warning barks. The dog in question is never actually a danger to her, but she perceives them that way. With that history and to make sure my attitude was calm for the entire experience, I pulled out the Baskerville. Mica’s a big drama Queen about it and tried several times on the walk to rub the muzzle hard against the back of my legs (and gave me several flat tires in the process), but she got lots of treats, Luci got to hear and see the Stay Off Me signs Mica was giving her, and everyone stayed calm and comfortable.
There are absolutely ways to get your reactive dogs back out into the world with safety AND fun. Find a certified trainer and work on the specific needs of you and your dog to get back out into the world and enjoy your lives together!
