Reward Calmness

I was at the park today with Elka on the long line, when I saw a person approaching with her dog.  It was a yellow lab puppy, I'm not sure how old, but twenty to thirty ish pounds. They were all over the path as they approached, so I put Elka on her regular short leash to wait them out. The puppy was on a retractable leash, and I heard the mechanism squeal as he pulled out more length, even though it was "locked". Elka put herself in a down, and I stood on the long leash (still attached to her harness). She seemed less than happy with the puppy antics, and since the woman didn't seem to have full control, either due to puppy exuberance or lack of interest in doing so, I didn't think they ought to "say hello".

Elka got partway up at one point, making a growly "awawawa" noise as she sometimes does, but she didn't piloerect, and mostly seemed interested and perhaps a little affronted at the bouncy little guy. I said "Excuse me" and she laid down again.

I motioned her by when she paused, the straining bouncing little guy making adorable Wookie noises in his joy to see me and Elka. Elka "awawawa'd" again, which sped her up. The puppy appeared also to be on a choke chain, and when they were on their way behind me the woman said something that I didn't quite catch over the two dogs, but sounded like she thought I was being unfriendly, or Elka was dangerous, or something. So I turned, and said "Well, the bouncy puppy thing isn't always welcome with strange dogs, so it's best to play it safe." Elka stood up, and stood at heel next to me, leash slack.

(re-enactment. I was not taking pictures as we dealt with this situation)

"He's just a puppy," the woman said, stopping as well. The little guy was still dancing, but winding down already, especially because Elka was neither moving nor "talking" anymore either.

"Oh, I know that. But she doesn't, necessarily," I said, touching Elka's back.

"We're still in training mode, but it can be hard. How do you get them to do that?" I looked at Elka, who had sat again. "Treats?"  She'd seen the fanny pack, of course. She didn't appear to have anything with her but the puppy and a stick he'd picked up.

"It's a process. Essentially, you reward calmness. You start with them far apart from whatever gets them nuts, so they're still calm, and reward them for looking. Then you gradually get closer."  (I don't know why I didn't tell her about Look at That! but I didn't.) While we were talking, the puppy sighed and laid down. "See? That's very good!" She looked down at her puppy boy and smiled.

"We'll get there!" she said. And we both went on our ways.