Sitting by a Curb
Cesar was right! Give a dog plenty of exercise (and socialization) and his behavioral issues go away!
(To be fair, any dog trainer will tell you this; I don’t mean to single out Cesar specifically.)
Here he is, sitting by a curb. It’s one of the rules we give him. When we stop at an intersection and need to wait for a walk signal, we make him sit first. When we allow him through a doorway, we make him sit first. When we play fetch with him, we make him sit first. It’s good doggie discipline.
I took Mocha for a nice hour-long walk today. Sometimes he’ll bark at bicyclists and skateboarders. Other times, he’ll growl at pedestrians and other dogs. Occasionally, he’ll lunge at someone he probably perceives is threatening, perhaps because of his protectiveness.
But during this walk, he was totally fine. Hurray for exercise and doggie discipline!
I had the leash high up on his neck and kept him by my side the entire time. This is what I do whenever I walk him for bathroom breaks and exercise. Thankfully, I’m beginning to see a change. The protective behavior is subsiding.
What does this mean? We need to walk him more often. Like every day. Our jobs don’t always allow us this free time, but we try our best. We take him on long hikes once a week and 3-mile runs about two-to-three times a week.
For some dogs, that’s probably enough. For a Jack Russell Terrier mix like Mocha, it’s not quite. And ironically, the more we exercise him, the more fit he becomes, and the more exercise he needs. On the plus side, we’re also getting more fit too. (Need to lose weight? Get a Terrier!)
Now that it’s getting nicer outside, perhaps I’ll start working in a downtown cafe and take Mocha with me. It’s a nice 1.5 mile walk away, which ought to give him the exercise and socialization he needs. And, of course, the exercise I need.
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