Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

For years I've avoided taking Cooper on walks in places where I don't have any control of the environment whatsoever.  I know it sounds silly, but Cooper, my little 20 pound pug, is very dog aggressive.  I know...have you ever heard of anything so silly?  What's silly is taking Cooper to the dog park and seeing him take down a Malamute who was a little too interested in his private parts.  I've never seen anything like it in my life.  Granted, the Malamute basically tripped over his own feet, so surprised and completely caught off guard by this pug missile that was launched unawares right at his face.

Cute little bugger...when he's not being a douche

I mostly blame myself for this behavior, as I was a complete and total failure at socializing him when he was young.  Cooper was the third dog that I acquired while living by myself in Rochester.  Why I thought I needed two dogs, let alone three, is a matter that has drawn scrutiny from almost every person I've met.  Simon almost didn't date me when he found out that I had three dogs.  Anyway, so Cooper was the third to come along, and to be completely honest, I was already somewhat overwhelmed by the other two that his training was lackadaisical at best, completely inept at worst.  Granted, none of my dogs had attended any sort of obedience training, and I was under the impression that good behavior in the house was good enough for me.  The problem with that, obviously, is that I had completely unsociable monsters on my hands whenever I tried to go anywhere in public.

Hanging out poolside in Florida

Lady, the oldest and largest of the three, would cry and howl bloody murder whenever she saw another dog, so desperate was she to go and say hello.  Brie was usually content to bark and carry on and puff up like she had something to prove.  Cooper immediately went for the throat.  Didn't matter how big the other dog was, didn't matter if the other dog was being aggressive or not, Cooper came out on the offensive every single time.  It was embarrassing.  And not only that, it was dangerous.  I remember him picking fights at the dog park with labs and pits and german shepherds, only to realize too late that he was in over his head and come tearing back to me, 100 pounds of big dog on his heels, ready to take me out in order to silence the little bastard who dared antagonize them in the first place.  Needless to say, the dog park excursions were short lived.

Getting to ride up front on one of our many road trips

Fast forward to now...we live in Flagstaff which is a super dog-friendly city (unless you're looking to rent somewhere...good freaking luck finding a place that will take pets, dogs especially).  People are always out and about with their dogs.  It's not uncommon to be in a store, any store, and have someone walk by with their dog in tow.  And for the most part, all these dogs are extremely well behaved.  I find myself out and about longing to bring my little Cooper with me, to join the dog brigade, only to realize that I would have no peace whatsoever as he tried to attack every dog within a 2 block radius of himself.

Napping, his most favorite activity

So it came to pass the other day that I was going for a walk with my friends Emily and Kelly, both of whom were bringing their dogs along.  I sat there and contemplated.  Did I dare try to bring Cooper along?  I did dare...and wouldn't you know it, the little bastard actually behaved himself.  Alarmingly so.  And I had him off leash for the entire walk.  I kept waiting for him to fly off the handle and try to take out one of the other dogs, but he didn't.  He was content to trot along at my heels, and I rewarded him handsomely for his good behavior with little bits of carrot...his favorite treat.  I was astonished.  Of course there was a bit of a scuffle when he realized that one of the other dogs was getting treats of ham, but it was very short lived and easily curbed with a little distraction.

The last photo of Cooper and Brie together

So maybe I haven't been giving my little buddy enough credit.  Maybe my anxiety when I'm out with him is part of the problem, putting him on edge when there's no reason to be.  I do think that having him off-leash takes the aggression down significantly, but that's frequently not an option.  I still don't think I'm going to try to taking him out downtown where I know there are likely be lots of dogs out with their people.  At 10 years old, I just don't know how good I can really expect it to get.  But for right now, I'm proud of my little curmudgeon, and I feel a little bit bad for doubting him in the first place.  I hope that he only continues to improve, and I hope that I continue to find the patience to work with him.