Party Time! Community Forums - p1

Party Time!

Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:23 pm

Food.com Groupie

You recall how today's dog class was pre-empted by the teacher's "Client Appreciation Party," right?

Soooo. . . . the party was at a local park, in one of the lodges. I've never been to that particular park (turns out it's about 15 minutes from us), so I had really no idea what to expect. They did say dogs were welcome, so, I don't know, I pictured a bunch of people with their dogs in the snow around a fire pit or picnic tables or something, with rest rooms in the lodge. (Obviously I do NOT get out much!)

Well, we got there, and there was a nice what looked like a cabin, with a parking lot! And the parking lot was darn near full - though a lot of that was because people park like idiots in the snow when they can't see the lines, I think.

Anyway, we went in through a little porch area (where they were keeping the cold beverages cold!) - that was the back of the lodge - and it was a room FULL of people, about half of them with dogs!

Jar was . . . overwhelmed, I think. We kind of kept him toward the edge of the room and let him greet a few strange people, and it was fine. There was one smallish black lab (in a sweater!) that Jar was interested in when she turned her back to him - he did a little butt sniffing, and then, a few minutes later, they touched noses, and it was all good.

DUDE. It was a strange dog, and they sniffed each other, and it was all good!

Before he started getting too, you know, JERKY, I kind of hustled him outside, and we walked around the building and in the front. Again, we gradually worked our way in to a table fairly near the door, one with no other dogs, though we walked past a couple (!) and there was one rather rambunctious chocolate lab at the next table. Each time he stopped scanning the room and started focusing on any one dog, I got his attention back on me and treated him.

A couple of times, he started getting a little anxious, so I just moseyed him outside for a few minutes, then we went ahead back in.

There was this guy with a baby (maybe 8, 9 months old? Not walking yet, anyway. ) who seemed to be absolutely fascinated with him (the guy, not the baby!) and Jar was a perfect gentleman.

At one point, a lady from the next table brought the bouncy chocolate lab over to meet Jar (she actually walked up behind me, and I didn't see her until Jar said HEY GET THE EFF AWAY FROM ME), but he was in a down position and stayed there, and I grabbed hold of his collar and told the lady that he was a little nervous around bouncy smaller dogs, so she was fine and left. Later on, I went over and apologized if Jar had scared her and gave her dog a treat.

When my husband took him out for a break, he met up with the little show-offy poodly dog from class, and they did some nose-touching, too.

We didn't stay too long - I know better than to push my luck, and I wanted him to have had a positive experience, which I think he did.

And now he's SOUND asleep!

Yay for Jar!