I have always wondered whether shy, downright cowardly Saskia would
ever step forward if the need came to protect me, my husband, the baby.
Well, the opportunity came to find out! Walter and I were not in any danger
but Saskia didn't know that. We were walking in the park across the canal,
and there was a small group of drunks being harmlessly off their faces
around a bench along one of the lawns. As Walter and I walked somewhat near
this area, while Saskia cavorted about with a stick on a bigger lawn about
50 meters away, one of the drunks (a man) left the group to relieve himself
on a tree, which I really wish they wouldn't do right along the path, but so
it goes. Before commencing with this activity (pants still zipped, thank
goodness), he double-took me (Walter was in the hip sling) and started
waving at Walter.

Then he seemed to feel some sort of explanation was in order, and he
proceeded to wax philosophical about the primal nature of a man's need to
seek out a tree instead of, say, a signpost or a car for purposes of
elimination. Saskia, I noticed, had stopped playing with the stick and was
eyeing the situation intently. The man was about, I'd guess, 5 meters from
me and Walter. He took one step in our direction. Saskia rushed over and got
between us and him, about 2 meters from me and 3 from the drunk man, and
proceeded to render a series of very convincing warning barks and growls.

I am very proud of her. She did it just right. At no point did anyone
think she was going to attack the man. She kept her hackles down, her teeth
put away, and her tail out, and just whoofed and rumbled at him until I
started away (after telling the man that yes, no doubt this urge DOES relate
to the days when we were all apes). Saskia followed me right away but kept
an eye on him for about another five meters, stuck close to me for another
five, and then went and found the stick again. She never looked at him twice
when, on subsequent rounds, we passed the bench again, where he had
re-ensconced himself with his friends.

She has never reacted this way to various non-drunk friendly people
I've stopped to chat with in the park. I have read and seen that dogs can be
very confused about the motivations of very drunk people, no surprise there.
Come to think of it, we have occasionally had a friend over who, usually
during a party but, rarely, also at another time, has become quite
sheeted-to-the-wind and dramatic and she hasn't been bothered either.

So yes, not only will she protect us, she will do it without hype or
overkill.
--Katrina

"White Monkey" said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

I am very proud of her. She did it just right.

Yes.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

"White Monkey" wrote in message
...
I have always wondered whether shy, downright cowardly Saskia would
ever step forward if the need came to protect me, my husband, the baby.
Well, the opportunity came to find out! Walter and I were not in any
danger but Saskia didn't know that. We were walking in the park across the
canal, and there was a small group of drunks being harmlessly off their
faces around a bench along one of the lawns. As Walter and I walked
somewhat near this area, while Saskia cavorted about with a stick on a
bigger lawn about 50 meters away, one of the drunks (a man) left the group
to relieve himself on a tree, which I really wish they wouldn't do right
along the path, but so it goes. Before commencing with this activity
(pants still zipped, thank goodness), he double-took me (Walter was in the
hip sling) and started waving at Walter.

Then he seemed to feel some sort of explanation was in order, and he
proceeded to wax philosophical about the primal nature of a man's need to
seek out a tree instead of, say, a signpost or a car for purposes of
elimination. Saskia, I noticed, had stopped playing with the stick and was
eyeing the situation intently. The man was about, I'd guess, 5 meters from
me and Walter. He took one step in our direction. Saskia rushed over and
got between us and him, about 2 meters from me and 3 from the drunk man,
and proceeded to render a series of very convincing warning barks and
growls.

I am very proud of her. She did it just right. At no point did anyone
think she was going to attack the man. She kept her hackles down, her
teeth put away, and her tail out, and just whoofed and rumbled at him
until I started away (after telling the man that yes, no doubt this urge
DOES relate to the days when we were all apes). Saskia followed me right
away but kept an eye on him for about another five meters, stuck close to
me for another five, and then went and found the stick again. She never
looked at him twice when, on subsequent rounds, we passed the bench again,
where he had re-ensconced himself with his friends.

She has never reacted this way to various non-drunk friendly people
I've stopped to chat with in the park. I have read and seen that dogs can
be very confused about the motivations of very drunk people, no surprise
there. Come to think of it, we have occasionally had a friend over who,
usually during a party but, rarely, also at another time, has become quite
sheeted-to-the-wind and dramatic and she hasn't been bothered either.

So yes, not only will she protect us, she will do it without hype or
overkill.

She was a Very Good Dog.

flick 100785

--Katrina

long winded letter for a shy dog so called problem.