Saturday, April 3, 2010

Hikes

I must apologize for Texas, he can get a little annoyed at having to stay home all the time! Plus he likes being....dramatic shall we say. :)
Though I do wish it were really a joke...Pompei is growing way too fast, making me realize each day how short a year is!

Anyway I think we made it up by taking him hiking up a rock quarry yesterday. I wish he were more trust worth off leash, but when these doxies put their noses too the ground there is no deterring them. So he had to stay at the end of his leash tangling up everyone in his path.

Another reason I don't use retractable leashes hardly ever.

But he thoroughly enjoyed himself I believe; his nose was going into over drive, while Pompei was content just to follow the group. After a while I carried him through the dense parts of the forest, since we hopped off the beaten path to find a cave my room mate was POSITIVE was back there....somewhere..

After wandering aimlessly for a while we decided to head back. We made our way back to our cars through a different route, and wound up having to walk along a fairly busy road. Neither Texas nor Pompei gave heed to the cars wishing past them, which is a good and bad thing at the same time.

Both were completely nap ready by the time we arrived home.

Where was Bubbles in all this?? Weeeellll my darling Bubsy had made her way under the house and stayed there the entire time we were gone, and for about two hours after we got home. By the time I decided to go find her it was dark, and I had to use the cars headlights to peer underneath the house, and coax her away from the animal she was hunting.

Between you and me, I think it was just the smell of a cat that used to live under there she caught wind of... but she was convinced there was something down there.

Later on we had guest over, my roommates BF is in town for the weekend, and her sister and another friend came over for a little while..they attempted to scare me, but forgot I had dogs so it backfired on them. :)

Texas has been progressing soo well with all these new people, while I don't normally agree with "flooding" a dog (Basically placing them in an environment that scares them, just to make them "see" nothings going to happen) I haven't really had a choice in the matter. He still reacts badly at the door, and in the car but I can easily refocus his attention on me.
Thankfully my roommate and friends are not at all intimidated with his noise, and will ignore him until he's back into a calm state of mind.
I am sooo happy about this!
I have been doing a lot of research on dog aggression for school, and I am more confident that he is not aggressive, and that this is just reactivity. We have a looonnngg way to go, but I can see a little more light at the end of the tunnel!


8 comments:

3 doxies said...

I don't care how well a doxie is trained, you never let them off leash. There instincts will take over and they will become the most stubborn little creatures.
You know we have Whitney that reminds me of Texas but unfortunately she is becoming aggressive because she is entirely too protective of me. She is not progressing as I had hoped.
Allison (Puddles mum)

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

What a grrrrrreat hike!! And of course SOMEONE had to stay behind to keep the HOMEFIRES BURNING.

Kari in Alaska said...

Under the house? that sounds like an odd place to hang out

houndstooth said...

That looks like a great walk, and I hate Flexi Leads, too! I had to giggle at the image of you being dragged down the hill, I admit it! Perhaps Bubbles just didn't want to go for a hike. I have this vision of her hanging out under the house thinking she outsmarted you all! I love hiking with our dogs, too.

JacksDad said...

Well, you shouldn't apologize for Texas. We all have to pay them! :)

Brandon - The dog with a blog said...

That first picture is so sweet!

Sandra said...

Wow it sounds like Texas had a great time. He is too cute. I'm glad he is coming around so well to all the people that are around him. Flash has the same problems with strangers and they make him very nervous. It's a process, but he is doing better now than when we first got him two years ago. I'm sure Texas will only approve more and more as time goes on.

Sandra, Flash, Alven and Dottie

Sarah and Romeo said...

yeah, that nose of theirs can get them in trouble, but glad everyone had fun! pompei is getting so big!