Fears for the New Years

Gretchen has turned skittish in the park behind our house. You have to force her to go for a walk. She's fine in our yard and on our hikes, but hates the park. She's constantly looking around like a paranoid wild animal. She'll stop and turn around over and over as you try to move forward. Strange sounds freak her out. When we hit the point to head back, she pulls like mad to get back faster. It makes walking in the park behind our house very unpleasant.

Last week there was a kid on roller blades. He was holding the leash to his big unruly dog. As they approached Gretchen and Jen, the kid lost control and dropped the leash. The dog continued toward Gretchen and Jen. He did not attack or even appear aggressive, but it was enough to totally freak Gretchen out.

The particular spot where it happened in the park is now the hardest to get through.

We take our time with her. We are patient. We make her sit and identify the sounds she hears and the images she sees. It's a bunch of steps backwards, but it's important to treat it right. Skittish dogs can turn to aggressive dogs. Not that I fear this is her path. It's just the setback is annoying and I need to remind myself to do the right thing.

- b