"Oh, does your dog bite?"

Anytime I take Blue out, it's training. It's always training when we are together. I don't put a leash on him and let him do what he wants. If he and I are together, we are working. There's nothing leisurely about it.

Every moment is a moment he can learn.

We went to Petco today to get some supplies for our hiking and a new collar for him. He starts more classes tomorrow and the trainer told me the best one to get. We wandered around, looking for what I needed and of course, he wanted to sniff everything, go over there, say hello to everyone and basically just have a good time.

Well, Blue doesn't get to do that. He stays by my side and anytime he wants to wander away, he gets a quick correct and made to sit. It's the repetition that teaches him.

When I stop, he sits. When I walk, he walks.

He did quite well. Several people came up to him and petted him. His ears went back, he lowered his head and let them. Fortunately, no one walked straight up to him and started petting him. He would have been fine, but it's not the proper way to greet a dog.

The proper way is to ignore them, stand tall and let them be. If they want to come up to you, they will. If they don't, then they don't. No harm, no foul.

As we were standing in line, lots of people were going by with their dogs. I had my purse over my shoulder, Blue's leash in one hand and the items I was purchasing in the other. He sat, looked around and was quite calm.

Then a woman came in with her dog. It was a little dog on a long leash that she was allowing to run up to all the other dogs. She had no clue what her dog was doing as she stood there and looked around. It was about 8 pounds of fur, bouncing all over the place.

Blue saw him and I had my eye on Blue. He got up to see the dog. I told him to sit and he did. His ears were up. He wanted to play.

Blue does not know how to play yet. He's rough and is all legs and mouth.

Blue lunges very fast when he wants to play. One moment he's sitting quietly and the next moment a 70 pound pit bull is flying through the air to pounce and smother you with kisses.

This can be quite scary to anyone. 

The little dog came running up to Blue. The owner was oblivious. I told Blue sit and he did. The little dog got closer. Blue jumped up. His tail was wagging. This was fun!

I told him to sit again and he did. The little dog ran around and wrapped his leash around the woman's legs.

She paid no attention.

Then he ran back to Blue and began barking at him. Blue shot up and I told him to sit and corrected him.

I asked the woman to reign her dog in.

She looked over at me, blankly, as her dog began barking at Blue and getting in his face.

"Reign your dog in, please," I said.

"Huh?" she said.

She had no clue.

"Get your dog under control now!" I said firmly.

She looked around, down at Blue and then at her dog.

"What?"

She was serious. She had no idea what I was talking about.

"Would you please get your dog away from my dog?"  I said.

"Oh! Does your dog bite?" she asked.

"No, but I do. Plus I have a mean drop-kick," I said and stared back.

"Humph," she said and walked away, dragging her dog who was still talking smack.

If anything had gone wrong, one guess on who would have been blamed.

You got it. The pit bull.

Humph.