What a difference a job makes!

[Stinky The Clown]

Our big GSD is really a cupcake of a dog. But being really big, at right about 100 lbs, and having a bark that has moved the needle of some of the closer seismographs, she can be scary to those who don't know her.

We walk all three at least once a day, and many days more than that. Over the last few months she has taken to barking at anything that moves, especially other dogs. She usually stops when we tell her to, but its not a behavior we wish to tolerate.

Last week we saw a woman with two dogs walking and sure enough, Big started. The larger of the woman's two dogs, a really pretty looking mutt in the 70-80 lb range, barked once then stopped. The dog was wearing a backpack. Talking to the woman, across the street so as to keep the dogs apart, she said she got it for her because she barked so much. The backpack, it seems, gives the dog a job and makers her less prone to barking.

Yesterday I bought a backpack for Big. She easily accepted it. No drama at all. Mama, our Border Collie alpha, sniffed it thoroughly and apparently gave Big permission to wear it. (Mama thinks she has veto power over everything . . . until I give her the eye and she backs down )

Today I put a pair of ski gloves in each of the two saddle bag pouches and harnessed Big into the backpack. Again, no drama.

Off we went. I immediately noticed that Bog had a very different posture. She was carrying her head lower, much as I would imagine she might if she were working hard, like pulling a sled or some such.

She was also *much* better mannered as we encountered the usual dogs along our route. Dogs she'd previously barked at got a perfunctory "wooft" and that was it.

We didn't encounter other dogs walking, but we will, no doubt.

Nonetheless, it seems pretty hopeful that giving her this "job" may well pay some dividends.

[Irishonly]

1. I am going to try that

My Ranger barks at dogs behind fences. They are usually charging the fence. Ranger is a blast at the dog park and plays with everyone but when we are walking he thinks his first job is to protect me and Sweetie.

We have been charged so many times by loose dogs and dogs jumping fences I finally had to get dog repellant. I have never had to use it. I have learned a lot about the kindness of strangers while walking my dogs.

[wildeyed]

2. Try adding filled re-usable water bottles.

I do that with my BC, plus snacks for the family on longer hikes. Twofold benefit, the pack is heavier and tires Ziggy out a bit, and he sees that he has an important function in the pack since he carries all the sustenance.

I read a funny story about a woman with an aggressive Great Dane. She put bottled waters, the disposable type, in the dogs pack and would stop by the neighbors houses and give them one each. Made the dog feel important and he quit trying to kill the neighbors after that. The neighbors were happy to go along with the game since it made everyone's life a lot better and safer.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Yanno . . . .

. . . . . . that sounds like a great idea! We could us the water bottles to make the sensation of "working" even more for her and, while walking, stop them to drink the water. She's maybe smart enough to get the notion that her "job" matters.

[uppityperson]

3. Great idea. I had a dog that was very quiet with backpack on, when it came off

he ran and ran and ran and friskied and had a rambunctious time. When the pack was on he was quiet and walked. Good reminder, will try this when my pup gets bigger.

[TorchTheWitch]

5. I like this idea

And have always heard great things about it. I wanted to try this with Boo, but then he got sick, so it never happened. He had his cadaver dog identity vest but it didn't have any pouches to add weight and it was only so he could be identified as a working dog on duty or in training. I definitely noticed a difference in his demeaner when he had his vest on. It was kind of like a light weight mesh so it was very breathable. That's the only thing I'm concerned about with the backpacks... are they made of similar light breathable material? My doggies are very suseptable to overheat because of having such thick winter doggie double coats. I know in the winter it would be fine, but not sure about the other months. It would be nice though to be able to carry water bottles for him so we don't always have to rely on the creek or rain puddles that may or may not be around. Yoshi also has a much thicker and heavier coat than my other Akitas did as well, so I'm more worried about him getting overheated than I did with the others.

Incidently, Boo never got certification because he always got too distracted by other people and especially other dogs... and he absolutely refused to wear his protective doggie boots. Rather a shame because he would have been good at it. I enjoyed going through the training with him though I doubt I could ever have been his handler on a job... I really don't think I could stomach finding a dead person, or worse, a dead person's parts. Funny, I never really thought that far ahead about how I'd feel about having to do the real thing. Basically, I guess we both flunked out, but I'm not sorry about it.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. This is something I have never heard about before

but what a great idea. And you say it appears to be working! I only have had cats, so dogs are not animals I have much experience with, but I know a lot of dog owners who may be able to use this information. Thanks for letting us know it is working for you.