Justice is not only doing agility for the next few weeks, we’re also doing a basic group training class, specific to leash handling & basic obedience. She knows most of the things we’re working on already, but has “distraction” issues, which is what group classes are good for.
So, Saturday morning found us in Kitsilano, running late due to construction on King Ed, running across the field to be the last one to arrive. (Damnit. I hate that.) Justice is the oldest student in the class I think, her classmates being all around 1-2 years old (Justice is 2 and a half.)
Let’s back up a little. Nick was up at the godawful hour of 6am so that he could take off for the weekend to go fight in a ring of fire. It was right around when the alarm went off that Justice started being a dick — barking over any little disturbance such as, say, the world daring to exist or the idea that there might be, somewhere, somehow, a dog.
I finally gave up and was up at about 8am. Too damn early on a Saturday.
So, continuing her “I’m going to be an asshole today!” routine, she was super-reactive, overly anxious, extremely distracted, and basically just being an all around pain in the ass. Not exactly the most conducive mood to train in, but whatcha gonna do?
Off we went, and amazingly, she wasn’t actually over reactive around the other dogs. She was still extremely anxious, but instead of turning her anxiety into reactiveness, she decided to turn it into bird-obsession. While all of the other dogs sat nicely & calmly at their owners feet, Justice barely held a sit, entire body tense and ready to burst into action, head rocketing from side to side watching the birds fly by. Any time one would come too close (like, say, flying OVERHEAD), she’d lunge after it in a frenzy of barking. Justice. Sweetheart. Darling. Puppy of mine. You’re not going to win this one. THEY FLY, DUMBASS.
Actually very unlike her. She hasn’t been bird-obsessed since last summer (when I let the battery on her remote collar die so she could spend half an hour circling birds and completely ignoring me. oops.) No idea where this came from all of a sudden, it’s not like the birds JUST came out for spring. She’s been dealing with them calmly for a few months now.
I keep telling myself that if she’s going to be a total dick from time to time, it’s better that she do so in front of the trainer, so they can see her at her worst, but there’s a little part of me that would like to, y’know, SHOW OFF WHAT AN AWESOME DOG SHE IS. No, instead, she was a bigger jackass than I’ve seen her in ages. Craptastic!
Well. Here’s hoping she’s somewhat less idiotic at her next class. We’re working hard on her Not Being an Idiot at home, it’ll be nice if I can show off improvements next week. (Tomorrow night, we have another agility class. I’d like to see her not being a jackass there, too.)