# Mortal Enemy



## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

So while Agis is doing waaaaay better with his reactivity and strange dogs these days since we started going to Shield, he still does have two dogs he HATES - the dog of the server at our local (haven't seen the dog for awhile, but when we were still new to the approach, we had some moments) and the exuberant lab that has pestered Agis so obviously it is evil. 

Midday walk with Agis, we see 5 or 6 dogs, he was very good - some dogs crossed the street when they saw us, but that was because they were practicing being good dogs, not because of Agis (I could hear the owners talking to the dogs). He stayed calm. Get back to the building - who comes out but the lab.

We were still a bit back, so I moved to one side of some decorative bushes in the middle of the driveway, had him heel (not our finest work on heel, but oh well), he considered hackling, I gave him a little pop as he was also surging, he returned to position, dropped the start of the hackle, and calmly watched the lab which was exuberantly lunging and spazzing out (I don't think it's aggressive; it's young and underexercised from what I can tell, but Toby's had more interactions with it than me - Agis is not the only dog in the neighbourhood that dislikes it, based on what I see from the balcony).

Anyways, one of Agis's mortal enemies, and he did darned good! I know progress is not always linear, but to see a dog he hates coming out of the building as we were approaching and remain pretty neutral - I was thrilled! I don't care if he doesn't like every dog around, I just want him to be neutral.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Congrats on the progress 👍 I know the feeling that you finally make some positive improvement which is precious! Well done Agis and mum!


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

I hope you and Toby threw yourselves a great big party.

Some of our members are winning national awards and training dogs to save lives. For some of us and our crazy dogs, finally getting around the block without incident is an accomplishment worthy of celebration.


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## Zeppy (Aug 1, 2021)

Good boy Agis!!! Your hard work continues to pay off 😀


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Thanks all! He's a good boy, he just needs some help sometimes. But taking him out - even with Xerxes (IMAGINE!) is almost pleasant now haha! We stood outside with all three tonight and talked to some folk who live in the building we're friendly with, one who has a dog - and nary a huff! 

If I had one suggestion to people thinking of getting a dog - Teagan was dog aggressive when I got Neb, who is supremely chill, so the fact that Xerxes was a reactive (small, to be sure, being a beagle) jerk didn't phase us when we adopted Agis was perhaps a miscalculation as I think if he'd not been around Xerxes - maybe he'd still have his moments, but I think he'd be BETTER.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Sometimes you may think back like that (Agis was around Xerxes was a miscalculation) but this experience, either good or bad, you guys have been through it TOGETHER, it is your own memories. If you didn't adopt Agis, he may not have such a good life with you right now. He may not be as reactive but he also may not be as loved. At least you are willing to go through the trouble to help him and he is getting better. 

I do sometimes think similar stuff like that, if Buffy is trained by a better handler or with more experienced, she could well be more obedience but then I think about all the goodies about her, well, she is a VERY good girl in general, I have to learn more in order to communicate with her better. Important is we are both enjoying each other everyday, it's all the matters!


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Thanks @3ymum - I really did just mean we should've gotten Xerxes better first. He'd come a long way, so, we thought, great - so maybe it didn't make a difference.

Agis is doing great though! I walked the boys to meet Toby at the subway, Xerxes bayed at dogs twice and Agis was just all 'hum de dum no biggie' which I was so happy about (especially since I had all three of them).


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Oops....... sorry that I misunderstood you, now I feel silly,lol

I don't know how you can manage 3 dogs at the same time 👏👏


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

3ymum said:


> Oops....... sorry that I misunderstood you, now I feel silly,lol
> 
> I don't know how you can manage 3 dogs at the same time 👏👏


Aww nothing to feel silly about. 

Yesterday managing all three of them was quite pleasant (even Xerxes was easily silenced). If I'm not careful I might end up walking them all at once more often haha sigh!


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Another update - some good, some bad. 

Yesterday we all went to meet Toby at the subway again in the afternoon. Get off the elevator - a little-er dog that we see around and which is reactive was waiting and it reacted - so, Xerxes (and then Agis) did too. Much excitement. The guy apologized and so did I. Sue, a friend in the building whose dog is friends with our dogs, was there, so we were chatting when the middle elevator opened and out comes an older bullmastiff that lives in the building - I think it was startled seeing three dogs, because it lost it, so, of course, so did Xerxes and Agis. We went outside. So - they didn't start anything, but they DID react. Sigh. I called to the bullmastiff owner outside sorry and that her dog was beautiful and she glared at me. I'm not saying Xerxes and Agis were good, but your dog was the one that reacted first! No need to give me a glare, sheesh. Having had a reactive dog makes me a lot more sympathetic to people whose dogs are reacting - so that took me aback. Maybe she was having a bad day. Dunno. 

So that's bad, but could be worse. We walk to the subway and are waiting - and this is (part of) the good! There was a dog walking on the grass where we were, Xerxes was running around baying at it and Agis just sat that and watched the dog calmly. And watched a bunch of dogs calmly. I was worried his blood would be up the rest of that outing but he calmed really well.

And (the other good) today he's met/seen a bunch of dogs, friends and strangers alike - including dogs like Maple the Berner puppy (who is now bigger than him) who he once disliked but now is excited to see. Imagine! What is this world coming to! 

Agis is now becoming calm when he sees dogs even if Xerxes reacts (we continue to work with Xerxes too, there is progress there as well, though you might not know it from this update sigh).


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Interesting moment this morning. After my run with Xerxes, I took Agis and Neb out together (letting Toby sleep in, lazy bones haha) - we saw a dog that surprised Agis who let out one sharp bark, I did a verbal correction and he immediately came and sat next to me calmly! I hadn't asked for that, so gave him lots of praise.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Agis is a very good boy!


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Oh - Agis saw his Mortal Enemy #1 (not the lab, but the female dog of a server at our local who lives in our building) yesterday morning and did not react! Toby said 'he was looking' but still! He has always hated that dog beyond all reason. It's been weeks since we saw it, I was really uncertain what first sighting would be like at this point but am so pleased. 

Now - in the evenings we often chat with some friends in the building and one of them has a dog Lily - dunno, Lily is small and white, has a bow in her hair - super sweet dog. All of the dogs get along. But there is a bulldog of some sort - like a Don Cherry dog, whatever those are called - that lives in our building we see at the same time. Because we run into each other so often I want them to all get along. However, the dog - which is VERY friendly - is almost TOO friendly, she is young and exuberant and despite Agis being young, he is not exuberant with strange dogs and does not appreciate this enthusiasm from a stranger. It's the same reason he hates that Lab.

Sigh. Oh Agis. Well, bit by bit. He made friends with Maple, a Berner puppy who is enthusiastic in a large puppy kind of way, so it can be done. Last night he barked at the Don Cherry dog, then rolled in the grass on his back, then got up and growled once at it. So the rolling on his back is progress. I am determined lol...


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

I love the 'Game of Thrones' like character detail you go into about all your neighborhood dogs.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

davewis said:


> I love the 'Game of Thrones' like character detail you go into about all your neighborhood dogs.


Toby always says I digress into minutiae lol


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