Jekyll and Hyde

You remember our "Cujo" dog, Keenan?

All of a sudden at 8 mos of age (infamous fear stage in dogs) she became "Cujo" on an outing to our friend's house when she saw/heard their loud yet harmless German Shepherd.  Since that moment she's been pretty reactive to other dogs.  (it's "reactive" now and not "aggressive"  - I discovered - for those not current in dog training lingo for this sort of thing...which I wasn't)

Tho' she is fine with our 3 dogs at home and she still goes to a doggie daycare 2x a week. 

We started taking her to daycare when Furry Husband couldn't take her to work with him anymore... she was still young and we figured it would assist in her "socializing" with people and other dogs as well as wear her out vs. being in a kennel all day cuz our dogs are crate trained and in kennels when we are away at work.

The doggie daycare sends all dogs home with report cards.  It's really very cute - and I absolutely realize it's for the hoo-mans and not the dogs.  

The hoo-mans pick up their cute, widdle,  goggies from daycare and they ooooo and ahhhh over the report cards which list the dog's "friends" they played with that day (Max the Golden, Sasha the hound X, Toodles the Poodle).... whether or not they listened well.... what their favorite toys were.... and if they played well with others.

Awesome marketing ploy.   Chalk up a point for the doggie day care staff.

Every time we go to pick Keenan up from daycare the staff remarks how she is the absolute BEST player there.   She "loves" the small dogs at nap time and would prefer to snuggle and sleep with them, lets them crawl all over her as she is laying down.  She plays SO WELL with ALL the dogs there and it's really pretty amazing what a great dog she is with everyone!

Last night her report card said, "I played with all the new dogs today, I am a GREAT WELCOMER!"

And while I realize this place is taking our money and wants to keep taking our money.... They tell people when they come to pick up their dogs if Fluffy was nasty and tried to fight and had to be placed in a kennel.  I don't think they would blow smoke up our arses if Keenan was being "Cujo".

Glowing, glowing reports of Keenan and how fabulous she accepts other dogs at daycare.  She loves all the staff and she is a great dog.  There are rainbows and unicorns and little care bears dancing around in this alternate universe.

And then we get her home and she sees a dog in the "real world".

We go for walks most mornings.... a woman I'd never seen before in our neighborhood was walking a well behaved Golden down the road.  We would have to pass her... there is no other way out... it's a long country mile before we reach an intersecting road.

Keenan is going ape-shit.  Cujo - muther f*%cer I will KILL you - red eyes - froth - and her head is spinning around like that girl in the Exorcist movie.

The woman with her Golden looks at us in horror, like we are the absolute worst dog owners in the universe, speeds up and gets past us as fast as she can thanking whatever God she believes in that she and her dog did not die that day.

Yeah, yeah - I get it, Keenan is used to daycare and the "rules" and dogs are so very literal.   Behavior in one place doesn't = behavior in another place.... and we are working with someone to re-direct Keenan and get her figured out and it's not a laughing matter.  (the ONE day I forgot our emergency "Keenan b good ez cheese can" to keep Keenan's focus on us and work her thru the "reaction" we come across this poor lady with her Golden.... the ONE day.... every other day nothing - not a thing for Keenan to react to... sigh)

I dropped her off at daycare... the gal taking the dogs told me to wait a minute and she'd be right back.  A guy was sitting in the lobby area.

I practiced getting Keenan's focus, asked her for some tricks to which she complied happily and readily.... the guy sitting in the lobby says, "Wow!  She is really well trained!  MY dog could learn from her!"

Yes.  Yes, absolutely your dog could learn from Keenan. 

Learn to KILL.....