This week I decided to take Katie to a place she’s never been before with smells she’s never smelled before and sights she’s never seen before.  She was all happy to be GOING SOMEWHERE!  She loves to travel and we had her car back from the shop so she got to travel in her very own comfortable and safe crate.  Happy happy dog.

But as soon as I arrived at my surprise destination and opened up the back she started to shake.  Typical Katie; new smells, new sounds, new everything is just so scary!  So.  Do you want to know where we went?  Is this a clue?

We visited a local dairy farm where they sell the most wonderful ice cream.  People buy the ice cream and then wander among the dairy cows.  It’s a pretty unique experience – to be eating the sweet ice cream while smelling the sweet …well…  smells of cows.  Up close and personal.

From the start Katie wasn’t too keen on the whole thing.  There’s a covered picnic area quite a ways from the cows, and we walked around there for awhile till she stopped shaking.  Then I started doing obedience patterns with her and since I had cheese, well cheese trumped fear, which was a good sign that she was adjusting.  When she’s really scared she refuses cheese, and we were never in that place on this adventure.

Eventually I heeled her over nearer the cows, and then we just walked in the middle of the walkway, not too close, all the way to the back of the barns.  She was interested in all the animals but not pulling on the leash to get any closer to them.  Till she saw the baby pigs.  THOSE she wanted to meet, and they wanted to meet her too!

Then it was back through all the big cows, and she tried to sit where I told her to, but it was just too close and she decided she’d rather not.  LOL  I didn’t push the issue, my whole goal was for her to get comfortable quickly in a totally foreign environment and I think she did that.

On our way back to the car we stopped to let a family with three young children pet Katie.  Another thing we need to work on.  She allowed all three to pet her gently on the side, but only after I asked her to sit, and got down there with her.  Otherwise she continues to shy away from people that want to meet her.

All in all it was a successful trip.  And mama didn’t even eat any ice cream!