Entry 4: Wayne Gretzky and Rottweilers
I learned a lot about Scooter the first time we went to the dog park. First, Scooter could care less about labels. He also doesn’t accept it when others try to label him. So when I carried him into the small dog section of the park, he was offended. It took him less than 10 seconds to show me who the real small dog was…
Scooter loves a challenge. After I set him down, he shot to the fence that separated the small and big dog sections. Once he was close enough to see what he was working with, it took him 3 seconds to get under it and into the section he deemed worthy of his presence. Houdini has nothing on Scooter. Then my dog exploded into a full sprint. I was mortified when I realized Scooter had found his next challenge and was flying towards it with intentions of domination. It was a Rottweiler.
Paws on a Rottweiler
I didn’t know what Scooter intended to do. I’m not sure he did either, but he knew he couldn’t do anything if he wasn’t close enough to get his paws on the challenge, so he closed the distance between them as fast as he could. I was yelling, to no avail, for him to come back from the small dog section (the humor of this is not lost on me). When he reached his target, he actually jumped up and put his paws on the beast’s head. To my surprise, the Rottweiler plopped on the ground, rolled, and pointed his belly to the sky and to Scooter. It was clear to dogs and humans alike: Scooter was the alpha.
Paws on a Husky
I have seen Scooter do this hundreds, if not thousands of times. He sprints to a challenge, gets his paws on it, and let’s his actions speak for themselves. Sure, it doesn’t always work. He’s been barked at a time or two, by dogs and humans, but more often than not it works in his favor. Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss all the shots you don’t take.” Scooter has never watched hockey, but he understands this on a deep level. Everyone at the dog park loves (and respects) Scooter.
What’s the biggest challenge in your dog park this week? Scooter reminds me that Rottweilers will never see us as alphas while we’re in the small dog section. Strive to get as close as you can, as fast as you can, to your challenge and put your paws on it. It’s only when your paws are on a problem that you can actually do something about it. It’s another reason I started this website.
A belly-up Beagle
Until next time, Scooter loves you.
