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Location: Cumbria, UK
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,111
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Evening Walk Turned Into Great PR Exercise!
Started off normally, just returning from a nice evening walk to tire Marius out before Sid came home late and we could chill for the night!
Got onto our estate where I see about 7 kids talking to this lady who owns Border Terriers on our estate. They were trying to stroke her dogs and one of the kids had a squeaky ball and was repeatedly squashing it making it squeak like mad. Another kid had a Jack Russell on the lead and it was bouncing around like it was on drugs lol
None of the dogs were playing nicely with the kids, both were yapping, barking and jumping at them.
As I came up the path I could hear one of the children saying "Don't touch it, it's got a muzzle on" and looking at Marius. I told her it wasn't a muzzle it was a Halti, and explained what it was. I told her it was a training device and it was like power steering for dogs:smt002 and I only used it to stop him jumping up as he loved people that much he got over-excited, but he was a baby and would learn when he matured!
One of the kids who knew Marius told her not to be so daft and "everyone knows how nice Marius is - look" and she patted him, next minute he had 7 different children all stroking him one after the other and he gave them a paw each. Big lush was lapping the attention up, all but showing off! Then he had a roll on the ground with the three Border Terriers and Jack Russell,
Her mum (who'd appeared like Mr Benn from nowhere!) - started chatting to me telling me she'd always been afraid of these dogs (Rotties), but could see how lovely he was.
The other four dogs who were present still couldn't be petted by the children and were still jumping up!
After about 20mins he'd given everyone a paw, licked every child until they were practically sopping, played beautifully gently with two dogs that were the size of his head and converted a worried, Rottie-fearful woman into a convert - not bad for an evenings work!
Just as I left them another woman off the estate congratulated me telling me it was a great job I was doing with him and how wonderful he was. I could practically not get into my back door for my swollen head lol-
We may never get an obedience certificate, win a show or any other doggie accolade, but I can tell you now I couldn't be prouder of my boy, even if we did