0 Pooches: The One Where we Realize How Important it is To Keep Learning about Your Dog

When I first adopted Miss M, she was young and energetic, and I always expected a level of craziness.

But we would prepare.
We would go everywhere early so she could have time to sniff around and check things out.
I would only bring the good treats like salami and cheese everywhere we went.
And before training class we would walk the 2 1/2 miles to class just so she would be calm when she got there.

Though as we have been consistent and  continued our training we have taken for granted that they will be ok anywhere we bring them.
Sure they can navigate drunken crowds and groping with ease and walk under the El tracks without flinching. And the fact that we have gone on this cruise several times before where Miss M was all smiles and loved hanging her head out the window.

After 7 years with Miss M, I thought I knew everything about her when just last year she developed a phobia of....bridges. We don't go over bridges often, but when I tried she become a spider-dog refusing to cross--you can kind of see it in this video here.
And little did we realize how her fear would ruin our family trip.

That morning, we decided to head to the cruise on a whim; we were running a bit on the late side. As we dashed down to the dock she walked dangerously close to the big bridge and she had to go down stairs with big gaps.
I think this was enough to unnerve her, because as the boat started moving, the vibrations reminded her of...a bridge! And the same pup that has been on this boat before and has no problems walking under the thundering El started making crazy Scooby-Doo spinning legs.
Which resulted in her nearly pulling the top of my dress down as I tried to grab her and prevent Mr. B from rolling off the bench like a log.
I couldn't save Mr. B.

And as Miss M agonized over every rumble, it made me think how comfortable we had gotten and how I really did need to continue anticipating situations that could be uncomfortable for our pups.
Are other people still finding unexpected triggers for their pups? (Tell us some good stories!)

Also:

What we never realized about Mr. B.

How we've worked to prepare for parades and farmer's markets and even wearing costumes.

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