We've all done it, made a faux-paw, some kind of "why didn't I think it through at the time" dog training mistake. Or maybe not, maybe it's just me.

I goofed big time with the youngest of the pack, a male standard poodle. I try not to kick myself too hard over it and just learn from it, but sheesh I should've KNOWN better. At the time we got Mulligan we had 2 dogs: one 4 and one 5 years old, both altered female std. poodle crosses, both well socialized and largely well behaved*, both and with basic obedience commands including generally excellent recall. (*Another training boo-boo I made was with the 6-year-old, having to do with hats...another story.)

In the summer of 2008, after years of regular walks (she walked, I walker-ed) with a friend on dog-busy trails, this friend suffered a very unpleasant run-in with a poorly socialized dog and an even less socialized owner. To be fair, her involved dog also had/has his moments of setting aside good doggy manners. Although the encounter didn't result in vet bills for anyone, my friend chose to take her daily walks to an area where one almost never encounters another human or dog. For several months I often joined her on those empty trails; we met only 2 people in that time. My husband and I got Mulligan older than is ideal--he was 4.5 months so the window for the very easiest socialization was closed but he was still young enough that it could be done well enough if I had only paid appropriate attention.

So, what was I thinking? Apparently not very much. I continued mostly to go on these remote walks until early in 2010 when, in a period of 3 weeks, Mulligan changed from being our adorable, obedient young dog to being a crazed and unruly terror. The first week I was startled. The second week I couldn't believe my eyes. The third week I knew I needed help. Off leash he chased and circled some strangers. He barked at everything except cars when we were driving. On leash he barked and lunged at joggers, bicycles and skateboards. Cujo, move over. A quick behavioural consult told the tale: Too much freedom, not enough effective socialization. Gee, really? Duh.

Following the advice received largely returned the Mullster to being the lovely dog we knew. He still needed specific desensititization to the things he was never socialized with--kids, bikes, skateboards. To this day I measure his freedom--he gets a certain amount of leash time and off leash limitation-reminders (sometimes with a long line, depending how rowdy he's feeling that day) at the start of every woodland walk to remind him about impulse control. I expect that for the rest of his life, each spring when life comes out of winter hiding I'll have to remind him that every child, bicycle and skateboard belongs to me and that he can't have them until I say so, which of course I never do.

Your turn!