Nervous about Sheepiepalooza
I watch them at daycare, put her out with the other dogs, and she's fine. But if we have her near us on a leash, depending on the other dogs body language she gets snarky. Lisa Frankie and Mattie |
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| Mattie will be just fine. Once she see all the sheepies (and honorary sheepies), she'll be all comfortable with her people. And if she gets snarky, she can go hang out in the motorhome and relax. |
| Lisa, don't worry so much. Think about how wonderful she was at the Sheep-In... She was great and seemed to have fun. Sure there will be more Sheepies, but also there will be many many understanding folks to help if things do go wonky. Go have fun! Vance |
I would say... don't worry about it! Actually, last year a lot of dogs, at times, acted a bit out of character. A few were a bit snappy or grumpy. Mady was even a bit shy at the dog park. Depending on your dog's personality and experience, it can mean a new experience out of their normal routine, and they may act up a bit by it, whether acting out by being grumpy or withdrawing and being shy, or just lousy poops!  But Sheepiepalooza offered a lot of different venues and activities and you can tone down or change what you do based on your dogs' moods. Mady was actually most comfortable and played the most in the big field adjacent to the Hotel. p.s. I wont be surprised if Harry gets snapped at by a few sheepies, but I think he's pretty accustomed to it!  |
We were worried about our rescue Charlie last year before our first sheepiepalooza. He can be grumpy at the dog park and prefers people to other dogs. But he was great! It is like he knew he was with other sheepies and sheepie people. He ran and played and the only time he got grumpy was when there was clapping during the live auction... we don't know if he came from abuse or just what but we can't even high five without hearing from him. Judi graciously suggested we celebrate by clapping fingers instead of hands and Charlie relaxed. That's the great thing about this weekend... it's all about the doggies  Mattie will be fine... and even if she gets worked up, sheepie people are a very tolerant group! Can't wait to meet you. |
| Don't be nervous--we all understand. Baxter was naughty at Sheepiepalooza last year--he jumped and snapped at the other sheepies, even Baley several times and was generally a pain. Everyone was very understanding. I was very surprised as the previous year he was an angel and really enjoyed every minute. I came home and had him tested for everything I could think of that would cause him to behave that way. All came back normal--so go figure. Hopefully Mattie will enjoy herself and if she doesn't you have a really good plan with the RV. |
| I think, like any social gathering, it is normal to feel overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed myself! But there are so many ways to take the pressure off if Mattie is feeling it and people really do understand and they don't hold it against you or your dog. We find ways to accommodate dogs/folks that are feeling a bit stressed. So if we are sitting at a restaurant and Mattie needs to sit on the outside for some breathing space, we can all help to make that happen. If you want to hang out at the edge of the dog park and leave Mattie on leash for a bit, that is ok! It really was a wonderfully non-judgmental group of people. Sometimes David, Mady and I spent time with just one or two other sheepie people for a bit, going for a walk. It was a very mellow time. It must have been enjoyable to make me want to drive 18 hours each way again this year! |
| I was really worried about Tonks and Luna the first time we went, and they did REALLY well. But I also invested in a soft-sided camping crate; one that I could put up at the picnic and send the dogs to if it all became "too much". I think I used it, but never because the girls needed a time out. More because it was shady and a nice napping spot! |
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