Otterpop used to like flying pretty good. She could be crabby at the end of a long airplane flight, but generally thought the whole exciting trip through security, airport tours, and a nap under the seat in a tote bag was all a-ok.

Then she got old and her new view on this is, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO WAY.

She made that perfectly clear from the moment of being shoved under the seat, loudly and frantically, much to the horror of many of my neighboring airplane passengers. I threw in cookies, which maybe helped a tiny bit, but mostly just kept my hands in there petting here until she zonked herself out and fell asleep.

Luckily we weren’t going far, just up to Portland to teach at a seminar.

The Oregon School for Clever Dogs Clever Confidence Camp was this weekend! A long weekend of talking and helping agility people with nervous or fearful or worried or unmotivated or sensitive or whatever kinds of dogs figure out how to help their dogs feel a little better and less nervous or worried or scared or emotional or even just not wanting to come back over to their people after a run. A lot of start line routines, end line routines, practice patterns of new ways of reinforcing, and playing with toys. And hunks of string cheese.

Everyone had some fun, I hope, except Otterpop. Everyone learned some things, I learned new things too, and had to head scratch on some ideas to help out some of the dogs. Tricky! And then had to pack up Otterpop back into her tote bag and fly her one last time in full meltdown mode back home.

Sorry Otterpop! No more airplane trips for you, I promise.