Dog Mom

I am a new mother to my new dog and I am full of self doubt, does he like me, am I wearing him out, am I confusing him? Meanwhile Romeo is a sweet and eager student inspiring me to be a worthy teacher. This morning without a prompt Romeo sat at the back door as I attached his leash. "Good boy," I said.

We've been working through the sticky spots - walking past the things that normally frighten him (couches on the sidewalk, electric doors) and he is making progress. Maybe this is because he is trusting me and his new home. I think it's also because he is very smart and eager to please.

This morning on our downtown walk I kept saying "good boy," as he walked beside me, heeling. Yesterday in the empty fenced-in ball field at the park, I asked him to sit and stay. Then I walked backwards while facing him and tossed him the ball. He caught it. We did it three times alternating with rounds of fetch. Then it was time to stop.

As I was leaving I spotted Sylvia off in the distance. I called her name and ran towards her with my arms spread wide. She did the same thing and we hugged laughing at ourselves. Then the sun came out and people started arriving at the park and some of them had dogs. One older woman sporting fashionable black leggings had a spaniel wearing a pink and gray argyle sweater. Her dog greeted Romeo with his mouth wide open ready to bite. "He's not good with big dogs," she said pulling him away. A young lady with a tan hound was struggling with her dog. "He's afraid of other dogs, sorry," she said turning around and leaving. A man walked over to me with his 4 year old daughter and he kneeled on the ground to meet Romeo. Romeo was immediately snuggly with him. "I'm impressed," I said.
"I love dogs. My daughter loves dogs too but she doesn't like to touch them, even our own little dog at home," he said. Another man arrived with a gigantic pitbull with a head larger than a basketball that he was barely able to hold onto. His dog went nose to nose with Romeo. "Be a good girl," the man said. I heard his dog's low growl so I pulled Romeo back trying to be cordial. Then as I was leaving I saw Abby and her gigantic mastiff/pitbull/Labrador. I have known Abby since she was a girl. "Mia just wants to play," she said as Mia stuck her front legs straight up in the air to greet Romeo. Abby used her whole body to hold back her dog, "She needs to run," Abby said putting the chain leash behind her back for needed stability. Then her dog calmed down and sat still for a moment while we talked. "Look at the light hitting her, she is a gorgeous dog," I said. "But Romeo is tired from playing fetch. So we have to go home now, maybe they can play together another time." I was also worried that Mia was too out of control.

This morning I was thinking, Maybe parks are the worst places to bring a dog. Generally I feel much better walking on sidewalks where the rules of conduct are a bit more straightforward.