First Class with Juneau

For a week I have been wondering how we could possibly get 4 dog-reactive dogs into a room and learn anything. When we arrived the teacher had the room divided into four areas with knee high fences covered in sheets. We entered one at a time (from far corners of the parking lot) and got each dog settled on a mat and actively practicing laying down and staying calm while each other dog entered. They were each tethered to a separate wall of the room and were also on a leash just to make 100% sure there were no escapees and dog fights.  Then we hung out for awhile and just focused on being calm. Dog look around? Click and treat. Dog lays quietly? Click and treat. Etc.

We also practiced sitting (so they could slightly see the other dogs over the fence.) Also, we started to learn an emergency escape in case you are walking down the street and another dog appears from around a corner, or a small child is suddenly in your face. There was calm time on the mat between each exercise.

The teacher gave us some tips for how to deal with two dogs in your house (basically train them both) and also how to get the leash onto Juneau when the anxiety starts as soon as she sees it.

It's going to be a long road, but I think we have a great Sherpa.