Bing Blog #10
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"Cape May" -- January 3, 2006 It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog on the Bingman; last we heard, he was doing awesome at the local dog shows, just getting used to being in such a hectic environment. Boy, was I proud of him! That was on December 17 and 18. Only a few days later it was Christmas…and here are some of his exploits… We packed up all dogs and gear and dropped Maddy, Pete’s English Setter, off at his parents house (along with gifts, of course!), then we drove to my sister’s house in New Jersey, about a two hour drive. This required that Bing be in the car with me driving, Acacia in the crate next to his, Montana on the floor in front of him, and Pete in the passenger seat. This is exactly the configuration with which Bing has a difficult time. I’m not sure why, but I suspect it goes back to the original day at the park with the tennis ball and everyone barking (see BingBlog #1). We had lots of treats for all dogs, and Bing had a new knuckle bone on which to chew. Still, he was in the car with only three short breaks from 11am until 5:30pm, in the driving, pouring rain. It truly was not a pleasant day, in any respect. Our entries to the car resulted in much barking and biting of the crate, but he quickly settled down each time, to his credit. |
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| During our driving times, he was completely quiet, and slept most of the time. This has led me to suspect that his ‘barking in the car’ behavior is not fear-driven, but rather excitement related. Sometimes it seems as if it’s control-related. He can’t WAIT to get into the car…so much so that he’s nearly obsessed with getting into that crate and I have to wait for him to sit before I even reach for the hatch to open it to let him in. Once he’s in the crate, he sort of hunches down a little, and shows me the white rim of the lower part of his eyes. Some trainers call this ‘whale eye’ and it’s related to fear. But in this case, he’s not afraid; he’s waiting for me to move so he can BARK! at me. I’ve discussed this with trainer friends Tammy Hilberg and Linda Strauch, and we agree that Bing is aroused at the concept of the crate door, then the car hatch, then the top hatch closing. So I’ve decided to simply wait for quiet in order to close the door (there is no problem with opening the door). |
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| After he jumps in the crate, I close the crate door (not usually a problem there). Then I reach for the lower hatch, and if he’s quiet I close the door. If he barks, I either walk away or just wait until he’s quiet to continue closing the lower hatch. For the past few days, I’ve placed chicken strip treats on the ledge where the crates sit, then reach for the upper hatch. If he’s quiet, he and Acacia both get the treats. If he barks, she gets a part of his treat and he gets ignored. This continues until I can close the hatch. Overall, he’s much better if he’s munching on something! Back to our Christmas trip… We drove to Cape May, New Jersey, and checked into our hotel, the Marquis de Lafayette. This was our third stay at this hotel, and they are one of the few hotels in the area which accept dogs. Montana and Acacia have stayed there before, but Bing had only stayed in a motel one night. He was AWESOME! He was quiet at all times in the room, didn’t chew or urinate or defecate on anything, and played appropriately with toys. And he LOVED shredding the wrapping paper on his Christmas presents! What a model canine citizen! |
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We spent much time walking the dogs. It was a bit more cumbersome than it has been in the past because Bing isn’t wonderful on the leash (this is COMPLETELY my fault because we are so used to hiking offleash with him twice per day) so I had Bing (and a constant opportunity to work on not pulling!) and Pete had Montana and Acacia. Montana is so frail now that we constantly have to slow down or stop to wait for her, or help her up or down steps. But she will NOT be left behind! We all explored several different beaches, and at night, we walked (illegally) on the boardwalk (I took others’ lead on this; it being off season, I don’t think it’s really enforced). |
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| On the beach, Bing was a silly boy. He ran and ran and ran, chased the sea foam, and discovered the fun of retrieving a tennis ball. This habit originally developed with him in the fall, when we’d kick fallen walnuts for him and he started to bring them back (it was always very sad when the walnut would eventually disintegrate and he could no longer find it!). The sand on the beach didn’t bother him in the slightest, nor did the waves; he maintained a healthy respect for the waves. He did not, however, care for the saltiness of the water! But I think that in warmer weather, and with a bit more encouragement, Bing could be a real beach dog, unlike Acacia, who sees NO point in the beach! Bing and Acacia played quite a bit on the beach, and indeed, anywhere they could. I must say that I am so very pleased that they have decided that they love each other. Acacia’s favorite thing to do with Bing is to take him down and flatten him on his back, while holding him down by the neck with her mouth. It looks truly evil, but Bing’s tail mostly wags during these takedowns, and when it stops wagging he squeals and she lets him up. They then continue to run and chase and play. Dogs are weird! |
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| I managed to keep Bing at a distance from people in the sense that I didn’t want anyone marching up to him and frightening him, making him feel like he had to snap. We were pretty successful in this endeavor with one exception. We were in a pet boutique called Whiskers, and the owner was taken by the dogs’ beauty. She offered treats to all, who gratefully accepted, but then she leaned over Bing, stared at him and reached for him. In an instant, his eyes got big (the aforementioned Whale Eye) and he air snapped at the woman. She seemed nonplussed but I knew that I had managed the entire situation poorly. I had not given a moment’s thought to what might happen in the store. I spent a lot of time rewarding him for standing or sitting next to me, but I should have called him immediately back to me after he received his treat from this woman and I didn’t. There is always room for improvement, no? |
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| I am grateful that Bing’s snaps are air snaps and that he is sending a clear message. I’m learning a few new things about this behavior as I continue to work on it. I learned almost immediately that if he does not suspect that you are going to ‘examine’ him, he will likely be fine and sweet and accepting of petting. I also learned in the past week or two that if he is warmed up, so to speak, with approaching/treating, leaning/treating, looking/treating, etc, he has time to relax in that context. But if someone walks straight up to him and reaches out, it’s too difficult for him. So, still more work to do. However, yesterday, Bing was an absolute mush with Pete’s friend Jack, who was here on business for over an hour. Bing sat quietly next to Jack while Jack petted him for long minutes at a time. And he was also fine for my Dad on New Year’s night, as Dad had his hands all over him, petting him for long moments, also. No food was involved in those circumstances. These are people he has seen on many occasions, people he has snapped at in the past, and people with whom he has also been very affectionate. So, again, more work to do. |
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| We stayed at the shore from Sunday until Wednesday, and Bing was overall a wonderful pup. But by Wednesday morning, all dogs told us they had had enough! The night we came home, I loaded him and Acacia back in the car and drove to meet Tammy and Linda so we could play at training. And THAT is another blog! Ali Comment to the Webmaster about this story. Your comments may be posted. Comment to Ali in private. Return to the Main Blog Page. |
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Above, Bing chases a seagull. More pictures below, including Montana walking on the beach, the perfect sunset at "Sunset Beach" and Acacia on the porch of the "Marquis de Lafayette." |
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