# How many dogs can you fit on a picnic table?



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Eight, if you use the bench too:










We met with our trainer Lisa today at a park for some impulse control work with Halo and Keefer, and then we went for a hike with her four dogs and two boarders. From left to right: on the table - Axel, (boarder) Villier, Halo, Keefer, Kiki (boarder), and in front - Feist, Gooey and Cosmo. I took a bunch of pictures of them on the hike too, but haven't finished going through them all.

That picture is the money shot, it took us a few tries to get everybody in place. Here are some alternates and blooper shots:

First try - 6 dogs on the table while Lisa wrangles Axel and Kiki










Kiki is up, but Feist, Gooey and Cosmo have bailed










Close, but Keef is winking and Kiki won't look at the camera










Earth to Kiki.... (And WHAT is up with Cosmo?!?!)










ARGH - now Axel and Kiki are BOTH refusing to look at the camera! :headbang:










But with patience, persistence, and determination I finally got a great shot!


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## Katey (Aug 11, 2010)

Wow! Great pic -- looks like quite the impressive coordination effort. And Keefer and Halo are so handsome!!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

can i snag some of those for my video? shows they really CAN get along with other dogs too!


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

Wow I am impressed, lol. They are all gorgeous!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

KZoppa said:


> can i snag some of those for my video?


I don't know if I'm comfortable with that since I don't own all the dogs, I just took the picture. But I'm sure I can come up with some good pics for you - how about GSDs with cows?


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Very cool.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

Great picture. If I remember right one of your dogs were reactive. I think it was you who had the videos playing the look at that game. Excellent work!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Cool pics!!


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## BucksMom (Aug 13, 2007)

What a great picture and a great looking bunch of furkids!!!! 
It is so much fun when you can do things with your friend and her
dogs!!!!


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> But I'm sure I can come up with some good pics for you - how about GSDs with cows?


On a picnic table??? :laugh:

Beautiful pictures btw!


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## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

thats so funny!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Caledon said:


> Great picture. If I remember right one of your dogs were reactive. I think it was you who had the videos playing the look at that game. Excellent work!


Yes, that was Halo! Keefer is actually more leash reactive than Halo, but she'll snark sometimes too, mostly if the other dog is staring at her and especially if they're lunging and snarling. With neutral dogs that ignore her or that are under control by the owner it's not really a problem. 

I've been training her extensively since she was a puppy in order to prevent her from becoming as reactive as him, hence the LAT game. I read Control Unleashed in order to work on Keef's reactivity long before we got Halo and took him to a couple of CU workshops, so I was very familiar with the concepts and exercises, which I thought were a great foundation for raising a puppy. 

But both of them have been off leash around other dogs extensively from a young age, (4-1/2 months for him, 15 weeks for her) and they are not reactive without the leash. Keefer will sometimes be a butthead to adolescent GSDs, not other breeds and not if they are very young or over a certain age, and he can also be a bully if he senses any fear or insecurity in a dog. Axel at 8 months old is exactly within his target range, so I was watching them closely at first to see if Keef would try anything, but he was fine. Kiki is around the right age too, but there were no problems with her either. The other dogs they've both met - they were boarded with Lisa the last week in August while we were on vacation so they spent a lot of time with them then in addition to using Lisa's dogs in our training sessions prior to that. 

The funny thing about Keefer's reactivity is that he's almost obnoxiously friendly and social with other dogs off leash, and he's also perfectly okay once he has the chance to meet another dog even when he is on leash, or when he's on leash surrounded by a lot of other dogs, such as at the Oakland A's Dog Day event at the ballpark. Friendly sniffs and licks, and not a single bark.


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## michelleans (Jul 18, 2006)

Great shots, looks like a great stay exercise


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Yes, I would like to see the GSDs and cows on the picnic table too. Please post pics.


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## Deuce (Oct 14, 2010)

Great pics!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> Yes, I would like to see the GSDs and cows on the picnic table too. Please post pics.


:rofl: I'd like to see that too! Nope, no picnic tables in the dog and cow pics.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

C'mon Debbie....If you could do such a great job getting all those GSDs on the table, the cows should be no problem. (And no - Please don't cook them first.)


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## GoSearchk9 (Oct 20, 2010)

Oh my I LOVE it!!! Glad you had the patience to wait it out and get that shot ! Thats frame worthy!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Cows - no picnic tables, no plates: http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ures/144688-pictures-request.html#post1942386


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## arma_dylan (Aug 18, 2010)

This made my day. NOW MAKE THEM PLAY POKER!


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