meeting another dog accompanied by Sam has always been interesting. he used to be scared, to the point of wanting to flee, whenever we met -- or even just saw -- another dog on our walks. once, faced with an enthusiastic free-running dog, he broke the lead and tore off -- fortunately down a cul-de-sac and not into the ill-fated big road.
he gradually calmed down enough to just lie down whenever he saw anything canine. he looked like a rather fetching furry rug, but was impossible to get up until the menace had passed... unless, that is, he unexpectedly LEAPT at the other dog, making it scamper.
so, scared or scary, Sam has been a far cry from the "polite" and "well-behaved" dog we'd like to see. in part because of this, he's often walked at unsociable hours, or in fairly deserted areas.
yesterday, the two of us took the road less travelled, a path next to a bird sanctuary which was even partially flooded. and... we met a dog. a happy black lab, which splashed through the water ahead of its owner, then came out of the brush to have a look at us.
now, usually i have Sam on a fairly tight leash when we're approached by other dogs. and yes, i do feel anxious about what he may unexpectedly do next. then, however, i just felt calm. i greeted the dog happily, and so did Sam. just a polite nose sniff -- no jostling, and absolutely no jumping. the lab's owner even praised him for being such a nice big dog.
i can't guarantee that the next time we meet a dog it will be in such a relaxed situation as this. but i hope so, and if it is, i'll be confident Sam will behave -- and he will.
No comments:
Post a Comment