| What did the policeman say when your dog reacted in that way? I wouldn't contact the same police department and ask them if you can work your dog around them. I suggest checking your local events and see when the police, fire department, EMT workers, etc. are supporting local outdoor events. Maybe they are having fund raising activities, demonstrations, etc. Find local fairs and other events where you typically see uniformed people walking around. Then I suggest taking your dog out to these events and practice training while you are there. Take tons of your dog's MOST FAVORITE treats and do some obedience work. If people walk by at act interested in your dog, assuming he's behaving himself, you can let them feed him, give him treats, pet him, etc. Then when you see people in uniform walking around, do the same. If they seem friendly, give you a smile, etc., tell them that you want your dog to see that all people in uniforms are friendly. See if the person will give your dog a treat. Do this ONLY if your dog is well behaved. If your dog acts a bit nervous in crowds on a leash and not aggressive, I'd first work on just getting him used to being in the environment. Don't ask people to approaach, pet, feed him. Just walk him around, do some obedience work, and get him comfortable. Once he's very, very comfortable around a lot of different types of people, then let him get closer, let him say hello, let people approach him, etc. If you are not sure how your dog will react in such a situation, you might want to do some one-on-one sessions with a trainer who is used to dealing with such issues. You might find that your dog is perfectly fine away from home. In his own home, however, he might be a bit overly protective. If this is the case, I'd just make sure he's used to having lots of people come over... friends, family, etc. It could also be that the person was a bit scared of your dog. Dogs can TOTALLY sense that. I once had a friend come over in his police uniform, and my dog TOTALLY freaked out... barking and sounding all mean. I later found out that my friend was terrified of dogs. (Luckily, my dog was in his crate when this happend. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but something about my friend just set him off. I think it was because he sensed my friend's fear.)
__________________  Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. |