There is much to recap - probably more than I remember or care to write.
On Friday we went for a walk at Lake Moreau - a supposedly on leash area, but I often see off-leash dogs, not just on hiking trails, but along the waterfront, on the paved road, etc. Once previously, I had both with me on a trail - snowy and icy and steep - above the paved road and a person with 2 loose medium dogs came by. I could hear him calling them from a distance so I was prepared, I put both leashes around my waist and held onto a tree. One dog ran towards us, barking, but was put off by Grouchy's barking initially and then tried to re-approach a few times. Luckily we were up a hill and the dog really didn't come close. Fast forward to Friday. A couple with their off leash standard poodle-type dog comes walking down the paved road. We see them from a distance and walk off the road, to let them pass. Guess what - the poodle runs at Grouchy and then at Sassy. And the owners have no control over this dog. She's friendly but won't return to her owners. Every time they move towards her, she runs away. Grouchy is lunging, growling, and whining - I think he is confused and if he were let off, they would play. But that's not the point. Growling and lunging shouldn't equal run off and play time. Sassy too - she was way excited but somewhat responsive to me. We were lucky. We are lucky Grouchy is pretty good, not really dog aggressive, and that we each only had one dog. It's not fair if something were to happen, Grouchy, not the illegally off-leash dog, would be in trouble. And that encounter could have set our training back. I wonder if that couple will walk their dog off-leash again at Lake Moreau. I told them it was an on leash park and they should especially leash their dog if she does not have a reliable recall. A truck drove by as she was running around! And then she ran off into the parking lot, ahead of all of us. Luckily, they got her into their car. And left her there instead of just leashing her and taking her on a walk.
Takeaways - Grouchy is reactive but pretty quick to recover. A woman with her on leash small dog walked directly at him (and passed him) on our way back to the car immediately after the off leash dog incident and he wasn't worried or reactive, he actually seemed relaxed. The incident did not give us the opportunity to show him we were in control, we couldn't really block the other dog's approach to him.
On Thursday we took Grouchy to the vet for bloodwork. He actually got an exam! Dr Serfis checked hi pulses, looked at his ears, checked lymph nodes, listened with a stethoscope, and even checked range of motion by stretching out each of his back legs. No growling, a tail tuck, but nothing else. Very cool! I think Dr Serfis has really good energy. She's upbeat and will lay on the enthusiasm/excitement thick for him. She is really similar to Dr Browne in Maine - they even look alike - I wonder if Grouchy generalized.
Last Saturday, we had a consult with Suzanne Clothier at her farm. I learned that I am not strict enough. Grouchy needs to be given explicit permission to do or not to do something and I need to expect more precision from him. This is going to be hard for me to work on. She also suggested we teach him a default down instead of sit. And stressed keeping him in the "think and learn" zone - where he will respond to something he knows how to do in the same amount of time as he would normally at home. We also need to practice him getting used to paying attention to us by varying our requests when he wants something, i.e., instead of always asking for a sit and eye contact before eating, maybe something else. She calls is Puppy Poker. I was somewhat surprised to learn that Corso's are only 30 years removed from working dogs, meaning they have pretty strong instincts to work in a rural setting. And they were meant to work independently, unlike shepherds that work with/for their handler. Mastiffs supposedly are entrusted to do their job how they see fit. I thought that was a Great Pyr.
Grouchy has walked twice with Mr Dog Walker's dog. It was a little tense the first meeting, but the second one seemed to go really well. I think they could play well together, just need an enclosed space for them.
Sassy is growing up! She is walking much better and can pay attention if she knows there are treats. Usually saying "good girl" will get her glance more than her name. She's learning better impulse control, although she can still fixate on another dog. She has taken to barking fiercely at dogs passing in front of the house and Hunter, the dog that lives across the street. Unlike Grouchy, she doesn't disengage easily. More work... Puppy Poker would be good for her...
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