A weekend win for Miss Collie

[Karran]

so I've posted on here about the work I've done with Miss Collie.
Just as a recap, EXTREMELY fear reactive when she arrived. Sat on her to stop her launching herself on a passerby, got advised to PTS and a behaviourist told me he could suggest nothing to help me that I wasn't already trying.

Anyway, in February just before lockdown a work colleague came to watch Mrs Spaniel at a local flyball show and bought her young niece and nephew. I muzzled her for safety's sake and glad I did so as there was lip curling and growling at them.
Fast forward to yesterday and we went to the Paws In The Park Covid-Compliant show (i have no idea how it got past the latest rules!) and I invited them along so they could do some of the have a go activities with Mrs Spaniel (2nd place in fancy dress!! Makes up for our E's in the agility competition....)
I had bought Miss Collie along, slightly nervous as the biggest event shes been too, but prepared to pop muzzle on and take away if needed.
Well she utterly blew my mind. I dont have small children in my family and cos of lockdown she's not even been around the kids who are part of our flyball team.
The kids are not dog savvy but they followed all my rules to the letter, even stopping a child who wanted to stroke her and explaining to them how to do it slowly. She happily allowed herself to be taken around various obstacle courses and go on "training walks"
We had one hiccup when she got too close to a Yellow Lead dog but that was my fault as I was preoccupied with Mrs Spaniel and they didn't know the meaning of it, but the little girl, handled it just the way I told her to at the start of the day and Miss Collie regained composure and settled instantly back to focus on her.

This picture sums it up for me (edited for forum purposes as not my child).
Here she is with A in "Best Rescue" in the novelty dog show, just a few hours after meeting her for only the 2nd time

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Lovely picture, and glad to hear how well Miss Collie did at the show.

 

[SusieT]

I know its a lovely pic - but I am a bit worried you are giving a dog who is still reactive to small children to handle at a busy public space- it would be indefensible if there was an incident - and I'm hopiong when you say they told the child how to do it slowly that you mean a strangrs child did not pet a potentially reactive dog - again indefensible if anything happened.
It's nice for kids to enjoy dogs but part of being a responsible adult is ensuring they don't get bitten and children will not read a situation as quickly as a reactive collie. Keep the handling of the collie to adults.

 

[Bellasophia]

Very well done. she looks very focused on her work and her young handler.

 

[{97702}]

Well there is another person on UI this evening.... your previous posts have assured me that you know what you are doing handling this dog, you don’t need the attentions of a keyboard warrior who ALWAYS thinks they know best to advise you I believe! ?

I’m glad you had a good day and that she was good ??

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I know its a lovely pic - but I am a bit worried you are giving a dog who is still reactive to small children to handle at a busy public space- it would be indefensible if there was an incident - and I'm hopiong when you say they told the child how to do it slowly that you mean a strangrs child did not pet a potentially reactive dog - again indefensible if anything happened.
It's nice for kids to enjoy dogs but part of being a responsible adult is ensuring they don't get bitten and children will not read a situation as quickly as a reactive collie. Keep the handling of the collie to adults.

But only because the dog was extremely fear reactive when Karran got it, doesn't mean she has to be the same today. It looks like a Border Collie, and if it is one breed that can be complete lunatics in the wrong home, and become much more sane in the right home where their intelligence is taken care of properly, I would say that it is Border Collies.

 

[Karran]

I totally understand where you are coming from SusieT and I also know my dog after a long time of watching her and learning when she is getting stressed and what might be a trigger point. If at any point the kids did not follow what they had been told, I would have parted them for safetys sake. She has made incredible leaps in her interactions with people and yesterday was a valuable step in her education.
We assessed the situation in an empty area of the showground first of all, introducing slowly and then took them to a less crowded space where I could be between them and her and as the day went on and all showed themselves capable they were allowed more freedom but at all times supervised and adults ready to step in.
The other child was queuing for a have a go activity at the same time as us and reached out for her. I was stood between them (social distancing) and at no point would I have let the strange child reach for either of my two - even Mrs Spaniel who believes that its not a day out unless she has made at least one new friend, preferably a child - the girl had Miss Collie and her brother put his hand out before I could say anything and told the child that he wasn't to touch her without asking me and that she was "a scared dog who needs slow people".
She was fully attentive to her young handlers and they to her needs and when I told them to give my dogs space to rest and decompress they did so.
I do understand your concern as I would be the same reading the story online when you hear of so many idiots who put their children in harms way and gotten bitten but I take the safety of people around my dogs very seriously and if I had had even 1% of doubt I would have muzzled her and kept her either with me, in the car or with another responsible adult. It was a judgement call, they learned a lot about dogs and all went well with appropriate supervision.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I was really confused by Lev's reply as it doesn't tell you when someone you've got on UI has posted ?

Sounds like a great day out Karran, you've done wonders with Miss Collie, keep up the good work!