The Story of
Sioux Falls Pack Walk
My husband,
Kyle, and I adopted Maverick on July 12, 2014 from Rescues Unlimited in
Gregory, SD. He was our wedding gift to each other as we both wanted a dog, and
he was (almost) perfect.
We quickly found out that we couldn’t
take Maverick anywhere with us. He did not know how to walk on a leash, and he
was incredibly reactive to dogs and strangers. Desperate to get advice on how
to socialize him without any dogs getting hurt, I turned to a trusted Facebook
group I had been following.
I had never
heard of a pack walk before, but Stacie Hanselman and Michelle Kats kept
telling me to trust them and go! Since I had worked on the “heel” command for a
few weeks, I thought I could maybe give it a shot – confident I had it under
control. I had never been so nervous before in my life! Did they really understand how aggressive my dog was?
I showed up to
the dog park, butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to turn back, but I had
already given my word that I’d be there. As soon as I got out of the car,
Maverick growled and lunged…just as I had suspected. I tried to calm him down
with treats, but he wouldn’t pay attention to me – his focus was on Stacie’s
two little lovely (well-behaved) ladies and Michelle’s two laid back foster dogs.
The walk didn’t
go much better. Maverick pulled hard the entire way, stressed beyond belief
(yes, my biceps looked amazing after the walk!). Stacie and Michelle chatted on
the walk about something called a Gentle Leader – I had never heard of this
before, but after I saw what it did to other dogs, thought it might be worth a
try.
The next pack
walk we went on, Maverick wore his Gentle Leader (no more massive biceps for
me!) but was still stressed. Every pack walk we went on after that, he steadily
got better at socializing with dogs. Even though we never had any direct
contact with dogs, he seemed more confident. Maverick would purposely try to
walk close to Stacie’s dogs to smell them, and eventually tried to play! Yes,
PLAY! I couldn’t believe my eyes! It took several weeks’ worth of walks, but he
was finally comfortable around dogs, even to the point of playing with them at
the dog park!
Maverick is
still working on his manners with other dogs while he is on leash and off, but
he is much more confident now, thanks to these pack walks!
Maverick’s
story is the reason why we started our Pack Walk group. A pack walk is a controlled, organized 3 mile
dog walk. This aids in socialization for the dog, whether it is a well behaved
dog, or a dog with social issues. There is no direct contact between dogs, so
it helps the dogs learn to be around each other without reacting in a safe
environment. The rules we have established ensures that everyone is respectful
of everyone’s dogs and their different needs. We also lend a helping hand when
needed, offer advice, and work towards you and your dog’s success.
These walks are
more than social events. We are a support system for each other…a team. We do
not judge or give rude glares as everyone is working for the same goal: we want
you and your dog to be able to enjoy a walk together.
For more
information and success stories, please join our Facebook group, Sioux Falls Pack Walk.
Questions are always welcomed on our page!
Submitted by: Jessica Henricks
