So I had a three-hour long conversation with a friend of mine who lives near Santa Cruz, California. She set up a sheep training area a few hours away from me and we (Y and I) are planning to go put some miles on Fury and help her finish out the build out next week. A lot of interesting conversations came out of that call. I never, ever talk on the phone for any amount of time, but she and I have a lot in common with our philosophies and perceptions and such.
She was talking about how most people are breeding away from the true Aussie temperament (reserved, protective, and very loyal) to get more of a friendly-to-everyone temperament. And I said, "Yeah, it is something I'm opposed to doing, but . . ." here I am with Rippa who is a very mellow little dog and very easy to take places, and there is Daca, who is exceedingly fun and friendly once she knows you but before that has a little wall up. As a hobby breeder (which is what I am, right?), I did this breeding out of idealism for what I thought the breed should be and what I had to contribute. And, as I have said before, I am proud of what it's done, where the dogs went, and what some very respectable people have said about the litter. But, I told her, the honest truth is that if Rippa were to come available today, she would be snatched up. Daca is a special case and needs a special home.
When you breed, home placement is the #1 thing. I was scared going into this breeding because unlike last time, I didn't have a wait list. The people that wanted puppies the first time went and got them elsewhere. I just had to have faith that it would work out - and if you know me, I am pretty weak on faith in such things. How much easier placement would have been if I didn't have dogs I wanted to be sure would be in homes that could handle them. And then, well, one home couldn't. No wonder people breed away from it. How many Aussie breeders are there? And how many live a legit lifestyle and are networked with the right kind of people? I live in suburbia (sort of) and we're surrounded by cattle ranches and such but I have no idea how to reach those people. I knew that would be a problem doing this litter, but I'd been assured that I would have help from people who did have that connection. It didn't happen.
That's okay, though. Lesson learned. If I breed again, it will only be because I have a fat waitlist. I'm not committed to the dog lifestyle enough to ever be seriously effective in the breed. But, with that said, I have always said that one shouldn't breed if someone else is producing something you want exactly, and I dare say that people come close, but no one that I know of is doing that. So, well, when the time comes, I may just have to make my own dogs again. But I am, in no way, "a breeder."
Anyway - Yishai took Daca to the dog park yesterday and reports a complete rehab success!
Gasp - she takes her dogs to the dog park? Yes, yes I do. This is highly frowned upon in dog people circles, but I do a lot of things that are highly frowned upon and don't really care. Fury has always liked being able to chase a ball in a wide-open space and I have always liked not having to get a ticket from the park rangers. I also think it's good to socialize your dog to people, dogs, good and bad, etc.
So, Yishai and I have been taking all the kids to the dog park with some regularity. Rippa has been very intimidated by encounters with strange dogs (a little timid, hackles up), so regular exposure makes her happier. Fury plays ball. Daca has had a tendency to bark and rush strange dogs (when I got her back, she would do it on walks on leash and to dogs across the street), so regular exposure to calm dogs who want nothing to do with her was the goal. As time has progressed, she has learned to play with strange dogs, but sometimes still does the bark-and-rush. If she accidentally makes contact with a dog (ie, it runs into her obliviously or she runs into it on a miscalc), she squeals and runs away. The dog park folks have been very patient with her - I am careful to explain what we're doing. Every week or so I go and someone tells me they see real progress.
Well, yesterday, there was no rushing. Just a little poking around, looking at other dogs, and somesuch.
I attribute this to Yishai's fine instinctual handling skills, but also to Fury upping the ante at home. I feel like Daca went through a fear period at her previous home and didn't learn how to warn people and dogs out of her space appropriately so she just bluffed people and dogs to get respect. As time has gone on, the Fury is quite done with Daca trying to bluff her (which before she would ignore) and she has been steadily working on ways to dominate her. Sometimes Daca will bluff and they get into a scuffle and the Fury waits until she is relaxed on her back before walking off, and then sets to licking her ears to calm her down. Dax also submissive pees, and this is crazy, but Fury still cleans her off when she does that. It's tough love, I guess. I remain very appreciative to Fury for being an awesome dog mother - and one who is not yet bored with her offspring's rearing needs.
What Fury has been effectively doing, in a way that Rippa can't, is teaching Daca how to submit, as well as that she can back off of problems instead of reinforcing them. She and Rippa still can't get that worked out. Rippa can walk away from something, but Daca doesn't get that it's over - she keeps bringing it. You can see it frustrates Rippa because she'd rather not keep fighting, especially when she always wins. It's unfortunate, but I can see Daca learning.
Anyway, I am pretty stoked that Daca's had an incident-free dog park exposure. I have redoubled my efforts to try to find her a home, but if nothing pans out soon, I am excited to get her started in agility classes with Rippa. She is going to be awesome fun to run - just like Fury has been. Too bad she has me as a handler - she'll never reach her potential - I just don't care enough to try that hard.
Anyway, quite a bright spot. It gives me solid hope that she'll come out of her stranger-danger with people fairly soon, too, and go back to what she was - a happy, friendly little gal.
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