30 Kilo of Golden Retriever Won't Budge

Yesterday the rain that had been falling incessantly for two days finally stopped, and I decided it was time to get out for a couple of good long walks. Eager to see the river after so much rain, I set out up our road towards the river. I had never taken Suki all the way up the road before because the last time I had tried it two strange dogs had come out and barked at us, and Suki had refused to go further.

Hoping for better results this time, we passed the four obnoxious pinchers at the corner who yapped at us as we passed. We then approached a house where there are no less than seven dogs behind a fence, and that was it. Suki did one of her dog statue things: she stood resolutely in place, and refused to go further.

"Suki, kadima." No go.

"Suki, yashar!" Still no go.

Forward leash correction and yet another command. Still no go.

I turned Suki around and tried a second approach. Suki went a bit further, realized what I was trying to do, and sat down firmly on the road.

I decided to try the tactic that my friend Carol had described that is sometimes effective with reluctant horses: I extended a dog treat in front of Suki and once again commanded her to go forward. Nope. She would go no further, and not even food would persuade her. She was evidently scared of those dogs, who were now all barking hysterically, either for her sake or mine. It seemed we had reached an impasse.

I turned Suki around and headed back down the road. Instead we went to the big green field on the other side of the moshav. Who am I to argue with 30 kilo of determined golden retriever?

I know that in principle it is not good to be in a situation where you have to give in to a dog. However, I saw no reason to fight this out with her. I do not have the physical strength to make her budge, and I would not have been able to move her forward without exerting harsh measures. I saw no point. If Suki thought those dogs would do me harm, than she was doing her job. And if she thought they will do her harm, well, she is a guide dog, but underneath that she is, after all, a dog.