i'm pretty ashamed of myself today. i got in a fight with my dog.
i took him and teagan backpacking - we weren't supposed to be back until tuesday, actually - and they did great, shared the backseat (buckled in, but still) and slept in the tent together, fine on the campsite.
i noticed last night though, once we'd stopped hiking and got into camp, luc started shivering. he wouldn't go near the fire, so i put him in the tent so he could be on the thermarest and sleeping bag.
i made him a huge warm nest, but he moved partially off it and was shaking when i woke up this morning. i can't have him freezing when we're stopped (i tried clothes, since i didn't bring his jacket - he's a GSD and it's early november!), it's not good. so i decided we would hike back out.
when i went to put on his back this morning, he started freaking out. i need him to wear his pack, so i wasn't all that patient or sympathetic, and i kept on trying. then, he bit me. which, unfortunately, made me lose my temper, and i just kept trying to get the pack on him. he bit me again and i kicked him off me, which i am roundly ashamed off as i should have just pulled away - it was more of a reaction but i should have been in better control so as to never do that. i also tried forcing him to the ground, i was so mad. eventually, i was so furious i picked him up and carried him around, hugging him hard (it helped, actually).
he's often a bit pissy about me putting on that particular pack, so i finally thought to empty it out, and then put it on him, and....that was fine. i'd also been petting him and calming us both down. the final tally - i don't have any punctures, but i have 3 cuts (scrapes that bled all over my hand) some other scrapes including 2 on my face, and a couple of bruises on my hand with red centres. but it was my fault.
my brother said 'he must have not been feeling well' and it's true, his tail is bothering him (at first i thought i did it, i cried about an hour of the drive home) but i realized he was holding it down all this morning, pre-me being a complete idiot. it's getting better, i'm wondering if he shaked so much he has sore muscles, as he can lift it and wag. but i bet that was why he was so pack-resistant. i guess it says something about me that i assumed he was doing it b/c he was being a jerk
both dogs were off their tie outs when this happened (being packed in their packs) and when luc started at me teagan went in at him. i had to take her away and tie her to a tree, and whenever he tried to bite me/bit me she would start whining and give short barks. now she likes me, and was extremely affectionate this trip, but i don't think she was trying to defend me (it's not quite two weeks yet i've had her), i'm thinking she was reinforcing pack structure? as soon as he had the pack on and we were all calm (i was also crying then, great leadership on my part....i'm so mad at myself) i let her off and she ran at him snarling. i took her away, and then again had her on leash, when i went to get luc, she went around him and nipped his back leg. we did another removal, and then for the first 5 minutes of our hike, she led, he was behind me, but then they seemed to forget it and walked and sniffed together.
luc is being affectionate with me, i'm lucky i have such a forgiving dog. i love him so much, i can't even say, and i really hate how i behaved this morning. and he and teagan seem fine together, which is relief, as not only was my behaviour bad from a luc-centric point of view, but from a luc and teagan point of view it does not seem to be ideal. anyways, i feel lucky their both being so good and am kicking myself a good deal, i don't know why i had to force the issue (though i did need him to wear the pack).
i think i know why luc was so cold (teagan was not at all). he has a couple of bald spots on his underside, i need to speak to the vet about, and also, with all the running he's doing, he appears to have a pretty low body fat, and i think the two together combined to make him chilly (it was -8C overnight). unlike me, he's not allowed junk food....
anyways, i'm not at all pleased with myself. in reviewing the incident and how my behaviour has been with luc, i've also realized - i've been really strong on groundwork w/teagan, but softer/spoiling luc ('so he won't think i don't love him')....probably a pretty dumb idea.
i took the dogs for a walk when we got home, and there was a bunch of kids with a lab (of course) barking and straining at the leash and freaking out and they were all laughing at their dog freaking out at mine. luc and teagan stayed calm, but i was a bit worried about teagan - she doesn't have the personality to be trifled with - but i thought 'give her the benefit of the doubt'. well - yeah, she never barked, but the second we got level with the lab, she turned and WENT for him. the kid with the dog stopped mid-laugh and screamed (which, immaturely, i found humorous). teagan didn't get closer than 2 feet, as i had her leash fairly tight. apparently a non-vocal GSD in 'don't mess with me' mode is fairly intimidating. the lab shut up, anyways.
Teagan!
![an image](http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a384/mitchthecat/Teagan/_MG_0559.jpg)