Spur: Training the Beast, Part 7

Thursday, April 25


When nobody is home to be with Spur during the day, Doug’s been taking him to a cageless boarding facility/ doggie daycare called Barkin’ Buddies. Spur loves it there. They have a pool where he can go swimming, other doggies to run with, and girls to snuggle on. This particular morning, Doug arrived around 6:15 am and the girls were late. When they arrived, Spur went nuts. We scratch our heads. He ~knows~ these girls; he loves these girls; yet, he still acts like a total mean dog when he sees them outside the car. Sigh. Plus, since he was going to doggie daycare, he wasn’t wearing his collar, so Doug had no way to correct him except with his voice; which, when Spur gets into that crazy aggressive mode, he doesn’t hear.

Later that night, I was flying back into town. My son had parked my car in a remote lot and took the ticket with him when he left for Boston earlier in the week, so I needed Doug to come pick me up. He decided to bring ~both~ dogs with him. He waited in the Cell Phone Lot for me to arrive and I think he may have needed some correction on Spur while there. When they pulled up to where I was waiting a boy on the curb spotted the dogs in the car and started calling, “Hi Doggie, HI DOGGIE!” As I was putting my luggage in the trunk of the car, I warned the boy, “The blue dog is not very friendly. The red one is very nice, but the blue one is not.” Another woman asked, “Is that an Australian Shepherd?” “Yes,” I replied. “They both are.” Doug had a hold of Spur and I held my hand flat to the window and called “Stay.” I hopped in the passenger seat and was completely overcome with dogs! Spur couldn’t help himself but to climb on my lap. Denali stretched her tongue from the back. “Hi mommy! Hi mommy! Hi mommy!” I never heard Spur bark or even “oof!” at any of the other people standing crowded on the curb. As we drove away from the curb down the exit lane, I heard a slight “oof” and I grabbed the remote to correct him if it got louder. He was so happy to see me. Denali was, too, but she reserved her demonstrations until we got home.