Just another walk.. with a surprise

A walk just like any other today - Red and I went for our usual off-leash walk on school property, down the trail and around the pond. There's a good inch or two of snow on the ground now.

We were on the trail headed to the pond and Red was walking a little ways ahead of me. I heard a voice and saw Red stop and look down the trail ahead of him. I called him back to me and he immediately came. I clipped the leash back on his collar just in case whoever it was had a dog. Around the bend came a fat yellow lab, off-leash, and a woman coming toward us. She didn't even bother putting her dog back on leash, even though she knew we had a dog - what an idiot! The lab came running toward us, but seemed more interested in me so it ran to my right side and Red was on my left side. She circled behind me and started sniffing Red's butt. Red continued to look straight ahead and sort of tucked his rear a bit. I thought it was rather rude of this owner not to try to call her dog, and just let it sniff my dog's rear. We just continued walking, and after a brief moment, the lab continue walking with its owner, heading back the way we just came from.

I unclipped Red's leash and lavishly praised him - what a good boy! He didn't seem interested in that other dog at all - didn't want to sniff, play, or anything! Just wanted to continue our walk. =) He pranced ahead and continued as if there had been no interruption.

If this would've happened a year ago - it would've been a completely different story. I owe this indifference to other dogs from all the training we do in class around other dogs and at trials. He's not allowed to play with other dogs, nor to even approach them unless I say so. Before I started not allowing playing with other dogs - if he ever saw another dog, he would pull me toward it and try to engage in play. So this is a complete turn-around from that, and I'm very happy with it =)