A few weeks had passed, Edgar Allan’s kennel cough was gone and his transition into my home continued. As he began to feel better, I noticed more of his playful personality coming out. Edgar Allan had been lethargic from being sick and exhausted from being in poor living conditions prior to a stressful shelter. Now he was more energetic and curious. He became more curious about Poe. They began to have more playful banter. A lot of the time it ended with Edgar Allan chasing Poe, but Poe is no angel. Poe loves to egg on Edgar Allan. Regardless, I could tell even with Edgar Allan’s new found energy that he and Poe would remain the greatest brothers.
While Edgar Allan recovered from his kennel cough I could not take him around other dogs. I was told by the vet to avoid other dogs for 6 weeks while he recovered. This ensured that he would not infect other dogs with the virus. Ultimately, it is best to have your dogs vaccinated for kennel cough to help prevent the passing of the virus. We finally received the green light to begin going to the park. I was so excited to begin walking him at the park. My home is just a few blocks away from one of the most beautiful parks!
On our walks around the city I had noticed a few concerning behaviors. It became very clear to me that in his previous home the owners did not walk him much. He pulled a ton when we went on walks. We clearly had to work on his leash manners. This was to be expected. What I did not expect was his intense reactive behavior when he would see other dogs, cats outside, or children. Anytime Edgar Allan would see something that excited him, he would bark like mad, whine, jump and pull me in that direction.
Simply put, he was an obnoxious child having a tantrum. Fortunately, I could tell that his leash re-activity was related to him simply being overly excited and frustrated that he could not run up to every exciting thing he saw. I could sense no aggression, no intent to hurt anything or anyone. Needless to say, we gave the park a go and to no surprise it was way too overstimulating for him. I decided right away that he was not prepared to walk at the park and we had to enlist professional trainers to assist with this behavior.
I did research and found a trainer I felt was suitable for Edgar Allan. We began with a phone consultation to discuss my concerns and my goals. After speaking with the trainer I felt a sense of relief and direction.
I couldn’t wait to introduce them to my sweet Edgar Allan and begin our next chapter of our journey together. We were going to school and I couldn’t wait!
Until next time, paw prints and tail wags from Edgar Allan and Poe ?
