Poor Sadie had to pay a visit to the vet again this weekend. I had noticed that for the past week she's been doing some scooting and paying quite a bit of attention to her rear end. At first I was trying to wait it out to see if the problem resolved itself since she had just seen the vet to have her a/g expressed about a month ago (she usually gets this done about every three months). Something was bothering me though, about the way that the area looked. It looked quite red and raw. After much consideration, my gut (and DH) told me to just take her in and have it looked at before things got any worse. I'd hate for her to have to deal with another abscess like she did a few years ago.
Sunday morning I made the call and got her an appointment for 3pm. We arrived about 15minutes early. It happened to be a "bully party" in the lobby because there were two other pretty Pit Bulls waiting for their turn to be seen as well. Of course all three behaved very nicely, it was the Jack Russel mix who caused a ruckus with the barking.
Anyway, we were finally called back for our turn. After a quick weigh in (60.5lbs) we were ushered into a waiting room. It wasn't long before the vet came in; not our usual vet but I'd seen this lady once before and she was very nice. I gave her a brief history on Sadie's reoccurring problems with this same issue. She suggested that I give the plain canned pumpkin a try to add some fiber to her diet. (I know this has been suggested before but I don't think I'd ever gotten around to trying it, I definitely will this time.) She decided to take Sadie the back for a closer look. It turns out that I was right, my girl was well on her way to an abscess, it was a good thing that I listened to my gut (and DH) and took her in. Fortunately they were able to get the area cleaned up and flushed the infection out. $120 later we were sent home with some pain/anti inflammatory meds and antibiotics.
Sadie seems like she feels better already. I'm sure the cleaning was painful at the time but it probably relieved some pressure and irritation. She smiled the whole way home.
I will try the canned pumpkin and also I may try an herbal supplement to help her digestion. I also think that I may start taking her to this vet for her regular a/g expressing even though they are a bit more expensive; I don't think the one I've been using has done a very good job the past few times.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Citizen Sadie
On Saturday June 18, 2011, Sadie officially earned her AKC Canine Good Citizen title!
She performed just about every exercise perfectly. Her walking on a loose leash may have passed even in an actual obedience ring. She was not phased by any of the distractions: neutral dog, walking through a crowd and passing by an elderly gentleman with a walker. She graciously accepted her petting, brushing, ear and feet check by the evaluator. She stayed put when asked, performed her sit and down on command (though we were politely and gently asked to repeat the down when I got nervous and started to grab for the leash to guide her down, on the retry though I kept my hands to myself and she did just fine on her own).
When we got to the recall I got a bit nervous because in previous days practicing at the park she tended to veer off instead of coming to me. During the actual the test she just started to move off to the right but at the last second she swung around and sat in heel position. Whew!!!
Before I knew it we were down to our last test, the supervised separation. Initially the evaluator moved us out of the ring to the shade of the easy-up where the sign in table was. I handed over my leash and left to go stand behind a near by RV. I swear that was the longest 3 minutes of my life! I was just waiting for them to call me back early but they didn't. I returned to the evaluator to see what the verdict was. My heart skipped a beat when he began by saying that for a brief instant she tried to follow after me (cause for a "no pass") but he felt the test was un-fair because they had moved her so near to a big group of other people and dogs (to be in the shade), and that when the moved her back into the ring away from them she settled right down. And then he said the words that I had been hoping and waiting to hear "she passed".
A great victory for both of us! We were both so excited we nearly ran back to our table, jumping up and down the entire way!
Today I sent off the $8 and test results to AKC so they can send her actual certificate. My very first AKC Title/Certificate! And now at next weeks club meeting I am excited to finally have a "brag" to share with everyone! And even better - at next years awards banquet I will get a nifty little award!
I am very proud of my old girl, she can be a pain in the butt sometimes but then she always seems to come through for me when it matters the most!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
With Honors!
And here I was expecting to get a lecture for not doing enough homework on Sadie's training, instead we got an extra award at "graduation" for her heeling! An award was given to the top two dogs for heeling, Sadie took 2nd place. She was only beaten out by a beautiful Irish Setter who is on his second consecutive beginners class. Apparently it was a close race for second though, between Sadie and the other Bella. Trainer guy (who is an actual AKC certified judge) had to call his wife to come help him decide, but in the end Sadie was the one who got the award! I'm so proud of her!
I was also nervous about her stand for examination but she actually did very well. She stood on command with only a little prompting and though she slightly ducked when Trainer Guy approached to touch her she did stand still and let him touch her head, shoulders and butt, however she took one step forward as he walked away. He said if we were in competition that would have been a score of about 25/30. Not too bad as far as I'm concerned!
Once again she did a beautiful recall, she only sat slightly off to the right probably worth a point or two off but nothing major. She finished nicely around behind me with a small amount of guidance from the leash and she came to a perfect sit in heel position.
During the group exercises right at the end of the sit/stay she started to lie down, which in competition would be an NQ but I'm happy that she at least didn't try to get up and move! Her down/stay was perfect!
Overall it was an awesome night! Sadie did me proud and proved that you can indeed "teach an old dog new tricks"!
I was also nervous about her stand for examination but she actually did very well. She stood on command with only a little prompting and though she slightly ducked when Trainer Guy approached to touch her she did stand still and let him touch her head, shoulders and butt, however she took one step forward as he walked away. He said if we were in competition that would have been a score of about 25/30. Not too bad as far as I'm concerned!
Once again she did a beautiful recall, she only sat slightly off to the right probably worth a point or two off but nothing major. She finished nicely around behind me with a small amount of guidance from the leash and she came to a perfect sit in heel position.
During the group exercises right at the end of the sit/stay she started to lie down, which in competition would be an NQ but I'm happy that she at least didn't try to get up and move! Her down/stay was perfect!
Overall it was an awesome night! Sadie did me proud and proved that you can indeed "teach an old dog new tricks"!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A little bit of progress
Yesterday my neighbor lady and I took the girls to the park for a walk and afterward I was able to work on Sadie's training a bit. I figured out that her issues with the "stay" arise mainly when someone is walking behind her.
To work on this I had neighbor lady take Bella and just walk around us in circles while Sadie practiced her "stay". The first sit and down were terrible, every time they got around behind her she moved to spin around and watch them. By the second "stay" we made some progress, she would turn her head to watch them but at least her butt and feet stayed in place.
Actually this was a great exercise for both of the girls. It helped reinforce the "stay" for Sadie and it was good for Bella to be walking with someone else other than me - actually I'm quite proud at how beautifully she walked for neighbor lady.
I also worked on the "recall" Sadie did three beautiful recalls. She has no problem with this exercise!
Anyway Sadie still has a long way to go with learning the "stand" and the "stand for examination", I have a feeling that, unless I get really lucky, these exercises will not go over too well during tomorrow nights "final exam" in class. LOL and I'm sure I'll get harped on by trainer guy about working with her on these more. Oh well. At least I'll have a few months to get her ready for that intermediate class.
To work on this I had neighbor lady take Bella and just walk around us in circles while Sadie practiced her "stay". The first sit and down were terrible, every time they got around behind her she moved to spin around and watch them. By the second "stay" we made some progress, she would turn her head to watch them but at least her butt and feet stayed in place.
Actually this was a great exercise for both of the girls. It helped reinforce the "stay" for Sadie and it was good for Bella to be walking with someone else other than me - actually I'm quite proud at how beautifully she walked for neighbor lady.
I also worked on the "recall" Sadie did three beautiful recalls. She has no problem with this exercise!
Anyway Sadie still has a long way to go with learning the "stand" and the "stand for examination", I have a feeling that, unless I get really lucky, these exercises will not go over too well during tomorrow nights "final exam" in class. LOL and I'm sure I'll get harped on by trainer guy about working with her on these more. Oh well. At least I'll have a few months to get her ready for that intermediate class.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Suddenly Shy?
I'm not quite sure what was up last night but it was definately not our best night. For some reason Sadie was very tense and was acting more like Bella, being all shy and afraid. The only thing I can think was that it has been windy, maybe the weather had her on edge?
Since next week is our last class, kind of a "graduation", this week we spent most of class reviewing everything. She did the heeling exercises OK, though she was a bit distracted and I caught her lagging on our turns a few times. But she broke every single stay last night, like really broke, not just moved a few inches but totally got up and tried to walk away the other direction - its a good thing we were all onleash! She moved out of one sit stay, two down stays and a stand stay! Mostly she broke when Trainer Guy approached to walk by and once when he was trying to call her to him (he does this on purpose to see if they are going to listen to the handler or just anyone - they should only listen to their handler).
On a more positive note she did two beautiful recalls and this time I didn't get accused of baiting her with treats. She also did fairly well with the new exercise which was the "finish", I think this is one of my favorite exercises because it looks awesome when the dog is siting in front of you until you give the command to "finish" or "heel" (I use the latter) and the get up, walk to the right around behind you and come to a sit in heel position. I remember teaching this to Bella, thinking that she'd never get it but then being so proud when she began to do it on her own beautifully. No doubt Sadie will pick up on it and be doing it on her own soon as well. Even though we as a class never learned the "Swing" command I've been working her on it and she already almost does this on her own. "Swing" is the exact opposite of the "finish" or "heel", it's where they swing their butts around to the left and sit in heel position, instead of walking around to the right and behind you. Both exercises look pretty cool when they are done by and experienced dog/handler.
Anyway we do have our work cut out for us this week if we want to be ready for "graduation" next week. Somehow I have to find people to approach, walk around her while I practice her sits. Unfortunately I don't have anyone that Sadie is unfamiliar with to help me on this. I may try her at the park or Petco or something like that this weekend...
Since next week is our last class, kind of a "graduation", this week we spent most of class reviewing everything. She did the heeling exercises OK, though she was a bit distracted and I caught her lagging on our turns a few times. But she broke every single stay last night, like really broke, not just moved a few inches but totally got up and tried to walk away the other direction - its a good thing we were all onleash! She moved out of one sit stay, two down stays and a stand stay! Mostly she broke when Trainer Guy approached to walk by and once when he was trying to call her to him (he does this on purpose to see if they are going to listen to the handler or just anyone - they should only listen to their handler).
On a more positive note she did two beautiful recalls and this time I didn't get accused of baiting her with treats. She also did fairly well with the new exercise which was the "finish", I think this is one of my favorite exercises because it looks awesome when the dog is siting in front of you until you give the command to "finish" or "heel" (I use the latter) and the get up, walk to the right around behind you and come to a sit in heel position. I remember teaching this to Bella, thinking that she'd never get it but then being so proud when she began to do it on her own beautifully. No doubt Sadie will pick up on it and be doing it on her own soon as well. Even though we as a class never learned the "Swing" command I've been working her on it and she already almost does this on her own. "Swing" is the exact opposite of the "finish" or "heel", it's where they swing their butts around to the left and sit in heel position, instead of walking around to the right and behind you. Both exercises look pretty cool when they are done by and experienced dog/handler.
Anyway we do have our work cut out for us this week if we want to be ready for "graduation" next week. Somehow I have to find people to approach, walk around her while I practice her sits. Unfortunately I don't have anyone that Sadie is unfamiliar with to help me on this. I may try her at the park or Petco or something like that this weekend...
Friday, January 28, 2011
What are the odds?
Even though it was week 4 of our obedience class, last night there was yet another new face, a little dark chocolate pit bull puppy - a real cutie; coincidentally enough her name is also Sadie. Yes, we now have a Bella and two Sadie’s in class. But it gets even better than that, I finally said something to them about my Bella that I have at home and the other Bella’s mom said “that’s funny because I also have a Sadie at home” and the other Sadie’s mom said “Oh my god I also have a Bella”! What are the odds!? All three of us have our own pair of Sadie and Bella’s!
Anyway after we all had a good laugh, Trainer Guy started the class. As usual we began with some heeling patterns and then moved into reviewing the “loose your dog” game for the few people who missed the first night of class. After “loose your dog” we practiced our “sit stay” and “down stay”. This past week during practice I’ve been taking Sadie’s squeaky toy and tossing it around her while making her “stay” to help reinforce the fact that she is to stay no matter what, she’s been doing a really good job with this. When I did this in class Trainer Guy was also obviously pleased and said “wow look at you go!”. Sadie still needs some work on staying while people are walking around her though, because she did break position when Trainer guy tried to walk around behind her. Her “down stay” went very well however, and she stayed in place even when he waked by. Actually the whole class did really well on the “stay” exercises overall, Trainer Guy doesn’t usually give out too many compliments, especially to the whole class but last night he did, he said that we were all performing this exercise better than his intermediate students!
We also reviewed the “stand for examination” command. Honestly I really didn’t put too much work into it last week, but this week I have kind of a “monkey see, monkey do” idea where if I ask Sadie and Bella to “stand” if Bella does and she gets the treat I’m hoping Sadie will get the idea and pick it up herself.
The new exercise we worked on last night is the “recall”. Sadie is actually really good at this, but it’s nothing new to her. Ever since I started having races with her and Bella (whichever gets to me first get’s the treat), they both usually come running pretty quickly when I call them. Actually Sadie did this so well in class last night, that Trainer Guy even accused me of baiting her with a treat, even though I didn’t even have any treats with me!
Somehow last night either before we left for class or sometime during class – maybe while we were playing tug? – Sadie got a cut on her nose. Even though it was no bigger than a grain of rice, unfortunately she got blood all over my sleeve and pant leg! I didn’t even realize it until I got home, and of course I was wearing light colored jeans and a light grey sweater. Hopefully it will wash out! Other than that though, I’d say we had a pretty good night.
Anyway we have two weeks of class left and I admit that I’ll be sad to see it end. She’s done very well and we’ve had a lot of fun! The next intermediate class begins sometime in February but I also start school again on the 14th, so we may have to wait until after I finish that in April before we can pick back up with her classes. Either way, we will continue our adventures in training sooner or later (I’m hoping for sooner).
Anyway after we all had a good laugh, Trainer Guy started the class. As usual we began with some heeling patterns and then moved into reviewing the “loose your dog” game for the few people who missed the first night of class. After “loose your dog” we practiced our “sit stay” and “down stay”. This past week during practice I’ve been taking Sadie’s squeaky toy and tossing it around her while making her “stay” to help reinforce the fact that she is to stay no matter what, she’s been doing a really good job with this. When I did this in class Trainer Guy was also obviously pleased and said “wow look at you go!”. Sadie still needs some work on staying while people are walking around her though, because she did break position when Trainer guy tried to walk around behind her. Her “down stay” went very well however, and she stayed in place even when he waked by. Actually the whole class did really well on the “stay” exercises overall, Trainer Guy doesn’t usually give out too many compliments, especially to the whole class but last night he did, he said that we were all performing this exercise better than his intermediate students!
We also reviewed the “stand for examination” command. Honestly I really didn’t put too much work into it last week, but this week I have kind of a “monkey see, monkey do” idea where if I ask Sadie and Bella to “stand” if Bella does and she gets the treat I’m hoping Sadie will get the idea and pick it up herself.
The new exercise we worked on last night is the “recall”. Sadie is actually really good at this, but it’s nothing new to her. Ever since I started having races with her and Bella (whichever gets to me first get’s the treat), they both usually come running pretty quickly when I call them. Actually Sadie did this so well in class last night, that Trainer Guy even accused me of baiting her with a treat, even though I didn’t even have any treats with me!
Somehow last night either before we left for class or sometime during class – maybe while we were playing tug? – Sadie got a cut on her nose. Even though it was no bigger than a grain of rice, unfortunately she got blood all over my sleeve and pant leg! I didn’t even realize it until I got home, and of course I was wearing light colored jeans and a light grey sweater. Hopefully it will wash out! Other than that though, I’d say we had a pretty good night.
Anyway we have two weeks of class left and I admit that I’ll be sad to see it end. She’s done very well and we’ve had a lot of fun! The next intermediate class begins sometime in February but I also start school again on the 14th, so we may have to wait until after I finish that in April before we can pick back up with her classes. Either way, we will continue our adventures in training sooner or later (I’m hoping for sooner).
Friday, January 21, 2011
Another Bella!
Well we are three weeks into beginning obedience and Sadie is still doing very well. Earlier this week she had some issues with her front leg so I was unsure if we were going to make last nights class. My back up plan was to ask Trainer Guy if I could substitute Bella for one class. She is past the beginners level but the socialization would be good for her.
Fortunately though, yesterday Sadie showed no signs of lameness. It's a good thing otherwise class would have been awful confusing with my Bella there. Coincidentally another lady showed up with a little Pit Bull also named Bella. She's a little smaller and her coloring is more of a red/brown and white but still we had another "bully" named Bella! As it was every time Trainer Guy would say "get Bella" or "watch Bella" I caught myself looking down at the end of my leash but then I remembered I was there with Sadie not Bella!
As usual we began class with some heeling exercises. Forward, fast, slow, left, right, about turn and halt. Sadie's sits are really showing signs of improvement. Only about 50-60% of the time she kicks out to the side but the other 40-50% of the time she is sitting in perfect position. Her response time has also improved greatly.
The stay went well until some kids decided to walk in the gate behind her on the sit stay which caused her to break position. But she's only been at this for a week so that is to be expected. She also broke her down stay when Trainer Guy walked up right behind her. Clearly we need to work on this, I need to start working her "stay" in busier locations to teach her to stay put no matter what or who is around.
The new exercise for the week is the dreaded "stand". This took me weeks of work to teach Bella! But when she did finally get it was like a light bulb moment and she has done it perfectly ever since. I'm hoping to use this to my advantage, I have a few ideas on ways to have Bella help me teach this one to Sadie.
Fortunately though, yesterday Sadie showed no signs of lameness. It's a good thing otherwise class would have been awful confusing with my Bella there. Coincidentally another lady showed up with a little Pit Bull also named Bella. She's a little smaller and her coloring is more of a red/brown and white but still we had another "bully" named Bella! As it was every time Trainer Guy would say "get Bella" or "watch Bella" I caught myself looking down at the end of my leash but then I remembered I was there with Sadie not Bella!
As usual we began class with some heeling exercises. Forward, fast, slow, left, right, about turn and halt. Sadie's sits are really showing signs of improvement. Only about 50-60% of the time she kicks out to the side but the other 40-50% of the time she is sitting in perfect position. Her response time has also improved greatly.
The stay went well until some kids decided to walk in the gate behind her on the sit stay which caused her to break position. But she's only been at this for a week so that is to be expected. She also broke her down stay when Trainer Guy walked up right behind her. Clearly we need to work on this, I need to start working her "stay" in busier locations to teach her to stay put no matter what or who is around.
The new exercise for the week is the dreaded "stand". This took me weeks of work to teach Bella! But when she did finally get it was like a light bulb moment and she has done it perfectly ever since. I'm hoping to use this to my advantage, I have a few ideas on ways to have Bella help me teach this one to Sadie.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
So far so good
This week's obedience class was another success. The class has grown since Trainer Guy decided that instead of doing two small classes per week, he combined the Monday night beginners obedience with our Thursday night class. We have added a St. Bernard pup (I say pup but she's easily 120lbs +!), a GSD and and Irish Setter. Unfortunately, Princess the Pit Bull was a no show, though Trainer Guy sounded like he had been in contact with the owner and they were planning on coming - hopefully she will be back next week!
We began the class by warming up with "loose your dog", an exercise that teaches the dog to watch and follow with you wherever you go. Basically you just move around in any direction and as long as your dog stays within your reach you are doing great, if they loose focus and start to wander off you give them a quick pop on the leash to get them back. Occasionally Sadie looses focus to see what other dogs are doing but for only having done this twice she does very well.
After "loose your dog" we began to work our heeling patterns. It appears that our practice last week has paid off as her "sits" are getting better. This week she was much quicker and though she sometimes still kicks out to the side, most of her sits are pretty close to the correct position. I have been working her along a wall or fence but I think this week I'll see if we can wean ourselves away and get straight sits consistently without it. Other than that though she seems very attentive and moves very well throughout the pattern.
Our new exercise for the week is the "sit stay" and "down stay". Trainer guy likes to teach this in baby steps, beginning with the handler giving the command and stepping directly in front of the dog. Over time you are to gradually increase the distance between dog and handler as well as the length of time in the position. Sadie already knows "sit" "down" and for the most part "stay" so I hope she will progress through the steps pretty quickly. The only issue she had with this was with the finish, once we complete our time we are to return to heel position by walking around behind the dog, on the first attempt at this she tried to get up and walk with me, but I just put her back in position and told her to stay and after that she seemed to get the idea.
Between each exercise we are told to "release your dogs and praise 'em up" at which point we are to play with them like crazy and make the training a very fun and positive thing. Sadie is very driven and LOVES her squeaky toy so this part of class is great for her and I. Bella did play with me but I still haven't found a toy that she is interested in so I had to work her with treats alone. Of course Sadie will work for food but she is also more than happy to work for her squeaky!
She also seems to be benefiting from the one on one time she and I are spending together as I am noticing that she is becoming more affectionate with me. Not that I ever neglected her, and not that she never wanted/showed affection before but I would have never described her as a "cuddler". But lately she has been more willing to crawl up on the couch or bed with me and curl up right beside me, the way that Bella does. It kinda makes me feel bad, like we were missing something before.
We began the class by warming up with "loose your dog", an exercise that teaches the dog to watch and follow with you wherever you go. Basically you just move around in any direction and as long as your dog stays within your reach you are doing great, if they loose focus and start to wander off you give them a quick pop on the leash to get them back. Occasionally Sadie looses focus to see what other dogs are doing but for only having done this twice she does very well.
After "loose your dog" we began to work our heeling patterns. It appears that our practice last week has paid off as her "sits" are getting better. This week she was much quicker and though she sometimes still kicks out to the side, most of her sits are pretty close to the correct position. I have been working her along a wall or fence but I think this week I'll see if we can wean ourselves away and get straight sits consistently without it. Other than that though she seems very attentive and moves very well throughout the pattern.
Our new exercise for the week is the "sit stay" and "down stay". Trainer guy likes to teach this in baby steps, beginning with the handler giving the command and stepping directly in front of the dog. Over time you are to gradually increase the distance between dog and handler as well as the length of time in the position. Sadie already knows "sit" "down" and for the most part "stay" so I hope she will progress through the steps pretty quickly. The only issue she had with this was with the finish, once we complete our time we are to return to heel position by walking around behind the dog, on the first attempt at this she tried to get up and walk with me, but I just put her back in position and told her to stay and after that she seemed to get the idea.
Between each exercise we are told to "release your dogs and praise 'em up" at which point we are to play with them like crazy and make the training a very fun and positive thing. Sadie is very driven and LOVES her squeaky toy so this part of class is great for her and I. Bella did play with me but I still haven't found a toy that she is interested in so I had to work her with treats alone. Of course Sadie will work for food but she is also more than happy to work for her squeaky!
She also seems to be benefiting from the one on one time she and I are spending together as I am noticing that she is becoming more affectionate with me. Not that I ever neglected her, and not that she never wanted/showed affection before but I would have never described her as a "cuddler". But lately she has been more willing to crawl up on the couch or bed with me and curl up right beside me, the way that Bella does. It kinda makes me feel bad, like we were missing something before.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks?
Last night Sadie attended her first obedience class with Dog Trainer Guy. Initially she had a case of the "first day of school" jitters, and she seemed a bit intimidated by Trainer Guy (I don't blame her I was too until I got to know him better) but after we got all registered and checked in I took her to walk around the yard a bit to let her get used to it and she settled down pretty quickly.
There were a total of four dogs in class which doesn't bother me any, I prefer smaller classes.There was a beautiful husky pup who looked to be about 6 months old. His owners have done a fantastic job training him thus far and he seems like a very smart little guy! There is also a younger looking Australian Shepherd, maybe a little less than a year old. Very quiet but overall appears to be a very well behaved little dog. And then there is the naughty kid in class. Her name is Princess and she is a very muscular, very solid looking little Pit Bull, either black and white or dark blue and white (wast night time so it was hard to tell). She's really not naughty, just a handful of a dog who seemingly has clueless owners. I am very happy at lest that they made the effort to bring her to class and are trying to teach her some manners. If they stick to it, Trainer guy will whip them all into shape in no time!
We got a bit of a late start because when Princess came charging into the yard Trainer guy had to make them go out and adjust her collar a bit better and give them a few pointers on how to introduce her into the class. She definitely doesn't seem aggressive, she just has a very intense high energy that could get her into big trouble with another dog. I had to laugh a bit when the lady owner said that she wanted her daughter to be the one to work the dog in class. Trainer guy told her 'no way' and instead told the lady that she and/or one of the men she came with had to work with Princess for now until she's more under control.
At one point Trainer guy even had to take Princesses leash to get her to calm down and gain some control. Within 5 minutes though he had her under control to show the owner that it is possible, they just need to be firm and consistent with such a strong and intense dog. Princess did continue to give her owners some trouble throughout the class, but Trainer Guy stuck with them and kept on them about how to correct her and get her to focus to do what she was being asked. I really hope they stick with it and don't give up on her. She seemed very smart and caught on quickly when she was given clear direction on what she was being asked to do.
Anyway the focus of last nights class (other than Princess) was mainly working on the basics of heeling patterns. Forward, halt, sit, fast, slow, left, right, about turn, etc...Honestly I was really expecting Sadie to pull on me and act like an excited nut at first, especially with Princesses high energy in the yard. But to my surprise she stayed with me in an almost perfect heel position through every exercise! Actually it's a perfect class for Princess because none of the dogs seemed to even react to her at all. Anyway I had previously worked with Sadie on this stuff a little bit, but it has been more than a year since I really drilled her on any of it. Really the only thing we found that she needs work on is the sit when we come to a halt. She has a tendency to be very slow to sit and also to kick her butt out to the left and sit very crookedly, or to sit and then stand up when I'm not watching. I did get um... reprimanded twice because I moved forward without her being in a seated position. I have to be a bit more careful about watching her. I think a small part of her problem is also the fact that since it has been very cold weather, her knee has been giving her a bit of trouble. I will keep an eye on this and keep it in mind as we progress through the class.
Overall for her first class I am extremely pleased and proud of how well she did! I have high hopes for my old girl! I want to start by getting her CGC certified and then from there who knows? Maybe she will eventually even make it into some rally or obedience trials!
There were a total of four dogs in class which doesn't bother me any, I prefer smaller classes.There was a beautiful husky pup who looked to be about 6 months old. His owners have done a fantastic job training him thus far and he seems like a very smart little guy! There is also a younger looking Australian Shepherd, maybe a little less than a year old. Very quiet but overall appears to be a very well behaved little dog. And then there is the naughty kid in class. Her name is Princess and she is a very muscular, very solid looking little Pit Bull, either black and white or dark blue and white (wast night time so it was hard to tell). She's really not naughty, just a handful of a dog who seemingly has clueless owners. I am very happy at lest that they made the effort to bring her to class and are trying to teach her some manners. If they stick to it, Trainer guy will whip them all into shape in no time!
We got a bit of a late start because when Princess came charging into the yard Trainer guy had to make them go out and adjust her collar a bit better and give them a few pointers on how to introduce her into the class. She definitely doesn't seem aggressive, she just has a very intense high energy that could get her into big trouble with another dog. I had to laugh a bit when the lady owner said that she wanted her daughter to be the one to work the dog in class. Trainer guy told her 'no way' and instead told the lady that she and/or one of the men she came with had to work with Princess for now until she's more under control.
At one point Trainer guy even had to take Princesses leash to get her to calm down and gain some control. Within 5 minutes though he had her under control to show the owner that it is possible, they just need to be firm and consistent with such a strong and intense dog. Princess did continue to give her owners some trouble throughout the class, but Trainer Guy stuck with them and kept on them about how to correct her and get her to focus to do what she was being asked. I really hope they stick with it and don't give up on her. She seemed very smart and caught on quickly when she was given clear direction on what she was being asked to do.
Anyway the focus of last nights class (other than Princess) was mainly working on the basics of heeling patterns. Forward, halt, sit, fast, slow, left, right, about turn, etc...Honestly I was really expecting Sadie to pull on me and act like an excited nut at first, especially with Princesses high energy in the yard. But to my surprise she stayed with me in an almost perfect heel position through every exercise! Actually it's a perfect class for Princess because none of the dogs seemed to even react to her at all. Anyway I had previously worked with Sadie on this stuff a little bit, but it has been more than a year since I really drilled her on any of it. Really the only thing we found that she needs work on is the sit when we come to a halt. She has a tendency to be very slow to sit and also to kick her butt out to the left and sit very crookedly, or to sit and then stand up when I'm not watching. I did get um... reprimanded twice because I moved forward without her being in a seated position. I have to be a bit more careful about watching her. I think a small part of her problem is also the fact that since it has been very cold weather, her knee has been giving her a bit of trouble. I will keep an eye on this and keep it in mind as we progress through the class.
Overall for her first class I am extremely pleased and proud of how well she did! I have high hopes for my old girl! I want to start by getting her CGC certified and then from there who knows? Maybe she will eventually even make it into some rally or obedience trials!
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