Feisty Fidos!

Yesterday Dewey attended his very first training class - Feisty Fidos! The workshop was focused on managing on leash dog-to-dog aggression. Although Dewey is a delightful little chap, like all dogs, he does have his "issues." When he meets other pups in the neighborhood, he tends to be a bit bossy and overbearing. The same goes for joggers and kids dashing down to street to get to school on time. Additionally, none of this is helped by the fact that Dewey suffers from a serious Napoleon Complex!

Anyhow, we both learned a lot last night. Our instructor recommended a two-pronged approach of desensitisation and counter conditioning. The idea is to refocus the dog's attention and create a positive association with the sight of other dogs. Since this involves doling out treats, Dewey was a star pupil! When it was his turn to pass by Molly, the neutral dog, he was so excited about the bag of food in my hand that he barely gave her a second glance. Hooray for food motivation!