Gigi Day 20

Early Morning:
1. Lesson Length 2 hours.
2. Objective of lesson to work Gigi in very crowded public place while dogs are out and walking towards or by her (or staring and barking at her).
3. Methods used sit on the dog, longe line, and heeling exercises (with auto sit).
4. Tools used e-collar, metal training collar, 6' leather lead, 15' longe line, and bench.
5. No homework given as owners not involved yet.
6. Sit on the dog had about a 4 minute lag until she went down and we waited the half hour. She got up twice but then went right back into her down. A few of times during the long line she attempted to stay put and stare at the dog, I used either running forward with the leash when she wasn't watching me OR stimming with the e-collar. She did always follow me although she tried to lag when staring at another dog. Heeling past other dogs, she did well although her full attention is still obviously on the dog and not on me. She will heel, but you can tell she is holding herself back from either looking or charging in their direction. I want a lot more calmness in her demeanor.

Mid afternoon in Portland:
1. Length of lesson 2 and a half hours.
2. Objective, getting owner used to handling Gigi in her most stressful of situations (the city streets where she lives).
3. Methods used were basically heeling and a demonstration of sit on the dog.
4. Tools used 6' leather lead, chain collar, and electronic collar.
5. No homework as yet as Gigi won't be picked up until Tuesday.
6. Gigi was reactive with owner, deflecting on his twice (once around lab that stood up and barked at her, and once when passing two springers and she got an e-collar correction). She also deflected on me when passing the same yellow lab when I used the metal collar correction. It's the being made to that Gigi does not like, and she seems more likely to totally act out when she is in a group of people. This was helpful in that this should be Gigi at her worst. Showed the owner how to use the leash properly to give the illusion of freedom, yet not give in to her wants (hold the leash the wrong way and giving her too much control). Also the use of moving forward and remaining calm in the situation. Male owner did alright. I think the main thing is for him to have confidence that he's going to keep Gigi away, so that he can do the leadership exercises correctly and calmly. Then Gigi can pick up on that. I think a few more training walks around her normal paths will help instill in Gigi the changed rules for walking where she lives. She tried to get out of heeling with me when we left her house. This is a big distraction, but it's important not to let her get away with this being as stubborn and as prone to aggression as she is now.

Gigi Day 19

Early Morning:
1. Lesson length 20 minutes.
2. Objective of lesson is to get Gigi familiar with sinking into a down on her own.
3. Method or technique used is influenced by Koehler method of down (not down stay or sit on the dog and not training program due to condensed time).
4. Tools used are 6' leather lead and metal training collar.
5. No homework for owner as yet.
6. Gigi is still figuring out her options. She stiffened right leg today to make it more difficult. We have started on the correction phase of the training, however.

Afternoon:
1. Lesson length 1 and a half hours.
2. Objective of the lesson is to get Gigi both heeling and lying quietly while quite close to dogs walking towards her. Or closer than we have been, and without the muzzle.
3. Method or techniques used are both Bedrock's sit on the dog (about 37 minutes, seven of those being before Gigi went into position of down) and Koehler influenced heeling (but not training program due to condensed time).
4. Tools are 6' leather lead, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. No homework for client's as yet, as they are not involved.
6. Gigi became very excited over one Corgi coming towards us, and bit her leash hard when corrected with the e-collar (normally working level, was a protest bite). Did passes of about 10 feet away from a terrier and the owner who cooperated. Saw a pretty reactionary Newfoundland and was interested but didn't get too worried. She is still shaking in the sit on the dog, but it gets less and less each time, as the time for her to go down gets less and less. She has the most problem on Short Sands than Long Sands or Portsmouth, so I am going to spend the rest of her training time here working that.

Late Evening (7PM):
1. Training time one hour.
2. Objective of training, see how Gigi does in comparison with Short Sands on Long Sands beach with many on leash dogs (actually ended up being many off leash dogs).
3. Techniques used were Koehler influenced heeling and sit stay became very important (but not training program due to condensed time).
4. Tools used 6' leather leash, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. No homework for client as yet.
6. Big red Golden Retriever rushed us (from behind) right as we went into Long Sands. Gigi did not do a straight sit, but she sat and waited for me to run the dog off and glare menacingly at his owner. Nice dog, but it's my job to make Gigi feel safe with me. That is our deal. We also had a friendly pug run up. I put Gigi in the command sit right away. There was one other "bully breed" making eye contact at Gigi, so I practiced my about turns with him and the owner's permission. She did try to overshoot on the first one, but then was doing it consistently thereafter.

Gigi in Portsmouth July 21st

Gigi Playing July 22nd and July 23rd

And other Gigi observations

Gigi has learned the play bow, and how it is used with other dogs as an invitation for fun. That is good. This is the universal signal for it's okay, we are going to play now.

She is very respectful of dogs on beds and couches. She never encroaches (or hasn't) and even if you specifically invite her up, she is reluctant to disturb whoever is up there already. I don't know that this will last forever, but it is another example of how she doesn't seem to want to guard resources. And she doesn't seem to want to bully others off, she just dislikes being stepped on if she's on a small space herself. On the large dog beds here, it's seems like she is very happy to share even when she is on first.

She's a bit stubborn when training, but when you are persistant, and especially when you dole out the good girls for good performance, she does eat that up. That does not mean she is just going to follow on day two though LOL. She needs a lot of repetition before she is willing to follow. This is not because she is dumb in any way. Au contraire, she thinks of ways to get out of it. Like on our down reps today, she figured out to brace her right front leg (my hand wraps around her left one) to try to get out of being shaped into the down. The day before, at the end of the reps she was doing a lot of the work herself. She's like that. Then she thinks for a day on it, and other solutions that she has thought of come out . It actually makes her sort of fun to work with for me.

More Observations on Gigi

Gigi remains patient with the soft dogs here. She may growl on occasion if one tries to sit on her in her chair, but she has not snapped or gone forward at all. That might change later, but is remaining the same now. She also seeks out the other dogs first thing in the morning to play. I don't think she much likes being stepped on or squished, but she doesn't mind sharing a space as long as there is room for her not to be squished. Plus this is all so new, that I am sure she is figuring out these social norms for sharing space with others of her kind.

If dogs are not in the mood to play, or are all played out, she will sometimes bully them to play by slapping them with her paw or poinking them. Yesterday, Pluto got sick of that and told her off, and she backed off with a booboo face. I felt bad for her, but it was an excellent response to dog communication and appropriate.

It's funny, the one non-soft dog here, my own Jackie, she will hump when she gets playing. I stop this immediately, but this is one of two dogs I have seen her try this with. The other one was short lived and she doesn't try anymore. Jackie, who is also socially challenged, would normally over react to the softer dogs regarding this. With Gigi he seeks to run away or bark at her when he gets loose. I think he's afraid of her. That will probably insure that Jackie always gets along with Gigi, because he's a terrible bully with dogs that he does not have a healthy respect for. Gigi is a bully in a different way than Jack, in that she is insistent, where Jack is over the top in his reaction when pissed off. Gigi seems only to go that way in situations where she is fearful, and this has been getting better piece by piece.

She likes to catch a ball, but not over and over again. She does not like to chase the ball or chase the dog that has the ball yet. I think her observations of the other dogs playing have led to an interest if not an understanding of dog toys. This could be a good development for her future, as she is a dog who is easily bored but with a good amount of energy. It would be a good thing for her to learn to entertain herself when her owners are working. Some dogs use this as a stress relief in uncertain situations too. I don't think Gigi resource guards anything, but she would have to have a serious interest in it for her to try.

We have been off muzzle now since Tuesday with no big incident. On the beach she heeled well next to two Great Danes as we walked back, and nipped a bit at my knees when they started to rough house right next to her. So now it has become strange dogs doing things that Gigi finds unpredictable, and I am wearing my jeans for that reason when I walk her. However, the redirecting did not actually connect with my skin, so I was very pleased about that and was pretty light and not in full panic mode, which is an improvement.

Day 17 Gigi

Thundering all day today, so activities were indoors.

Early Morning:
1. Lesson length 40 minutes.
2. Objective, to have Gigi learn down first command, and how to sink or drop into it.
3. Methods used are Koehler influenced steps for down (but not training program, due to condensed time), we are still at the shaping or molding stage.
4. Tools used 6' leather lead and metal training collar.
5. No homework for client as yet.
6. Gigi tried out moving her right paw up to evade my sweep under (you are holding the left paw as you do this). Once I started moving her into position quicker, she stop attempting this, and started doing 3/4ths of the sinking down on her own.

Afternoon:
1. Length of lesson 1 hour (two segments of two half hours).
2. Objective, Gigi on collar but off leash heeling through house. The point is to have her ignoring her friends, the thunder, and other things she wants to do and follow me in a heel (doing all of her auto sits) thru the house.
3. Methods used Koehler influenced method of heeling (but not training program due to condensed time).
4. Tools used electronic collar and metal training collar (if positioning was needed).
5. No homework for client as yet.
6. A couple of tries were made to get out of the heel command. Auto sits were consistently performed, some were crooked as she was interested in other stuff. When Gigi started doing that, I used the metal training collar to put her back into position, or guide her into position that was straight, so she would know that was what I am looking for.

Evening:
1. Length of lesson 31 minutes (1 minute until she acheived a down).
2. Objective, to have Gigi relax next to her handler while eating dinner and other dogs are around.
3. Method used was Bedrock's sit on the dog (but not training program due to condensed time).
4. Tools used 6' leather lead and metal collar.
5. No homework yet.
6. No problem. Took her less than a minute (maybe thirty seconds) to go into her down and stay there the entire time. Course this is around dogs and people that she knows.

Observations on Gigi and Playing

Logan is a Rottie of 2 plus years old, male, and very very good natured. He was just introduced to Gigi this last Thursday. However, she had seen him from her crate on and off since the first day that she has been here.

I had noticed that Gigi had quieted down about playing. I assumed she may just have 1) had her fill for awhile 2) observing and figuring it out with some newcomers and 3) may just have not been in the mood.

Watching her today with Logan, I realized she had been worrying about him and trying to figure him out. He is big, and he plays by rushing and tackling. Something I figured all along Gigi was not going to like. I had kept Logan from doing that to Gigi.

So today and yesterday (but not as much), she has been absolutely pestering Logan in specific to play with her. First she does the nose bump. Another dog, Gus, who is also dog aggressive due to fear, would do this before playing with one.

A quick bump, then a play bow to go get her, then a little run away because she isn't sure she is ready. Couple of times she gave Logan a back off bark or show of teeth, but then was fine when Logan did just that. All the dogs here today, except perhaps my own Jack, have excellent socialization skills (well and Gigi to of course).

Gigi looks like she sort of wants to play rough and tumble, and because of her "socially challenged" behavior with the wrong dog this could be the wrong play. As all the dogs know that they are safe here, they tend to look at other dogs play more open minded, and they have had lots of exposure to different kinds of play and differently tempermented dogs.

Leon, for instance, wants to heel on the other side of Gigi when we go to the beach to comfort her. I have to make him go away from me so she can stand a bit on her own. On the other hand, I want her to get some comfort from Leon, AND observe him playing with the other dogs. She is still not sure what all that is. I doubt she has EVER, not only with her owners, had much contact at all with other dogs or that contact was mostly traumatic. It almost seems to be a surprise to her that she can enjoy other dogs.

Another thing she seems to want to do to Logan in particular, and not anyone else is hump him. I always stop this immediately no matter who is doing the humping. I don't know whether it's dominance on Gigi's part or an inappropriate play style (she has witnessed the dogs doing it to each other on occasion before I stop them). Either way, it will really piss some other dog off some day who is not familiar with her. So I never encourage it, even if a dog means it playfully for whatever reason. Zeek was kind of like this. Sometimes they just get so excited that they are playing.

Gigi starts her play by going over to a dog very forwardly. She has stamping feet though, and she kicks out her back feet. Then she poinks them with her nose on the neck. In poor snoozing Loggie's case today, she paws him relentlessly until he gets up to play with her AGAIN. Her and Loggie have also been exchanging kisses during the day. Interestingly enough, Logan adopted his playstyle to be less threatening to Gigi. In specific, she doesn't like the jump up on top of her. When she gets anxious, I call her back to me, and then she may eithe resume playing or take her place behind me at the computer and take a nap. It's all these little nuiances that Gigi is figuring out in dog socialization, and there are probably a million more that just more experience and exposure are going to show her.

I have figured out the problem I have had with filming her, is every time my attention goes in her direction, she thinks I am going to call her to me. So she comes, and the play stops. So tomorrow, I will set up my camera at the ready so I can do it a bit more subtely.

Gigi Day 13-Lesson 31-32

Early Morning:
1. Lesson was for one half hour.
2. Objective, get Gigi walking up close to dogs AND with them walking towards us close up. Also, using the people I know who will sit their dog help me train Gigi to be close up to another dog without reacting.
3. Techniques used are Koehler influenced heeling and auto sit (but not training program).
4. Equipment used muzzle, leather 6' leash, and electronic collar.
5. Owners not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi was watchful, but following the commands well. A couple of times she tried to turn her head to watch behind her so much that she almost went out of a heel, but was quickly corrected back. After that, she walked forward without wanting to look back more comfortably. A friend of mine knew I wanted to work with her and her dog Daisy, and when she called her dog to her.... Her dog went to HER, but every other dog on the beach came running full tilt to me and Gigi LOL. So I did a quick about turn, and got Gigi into a sit. The huge German Shepherd puppy put his nose right against her nose, and Gigi seemed relaxed enough about it. The lab went to the back, which she didn't mind and then came hesitantly to the front. After a couple of those, Gigi did try to lunge once, and gave herself a pretty good collar correction. Then my friend and I did our conversation with our dogs across from each other. I thought this interaction went extremely well for Gigi 1) it was only one attempt and not a tantrum and 2) Gigi's attitude really seemed to change once she realized these dogs were not going to hurt her.

***Will be doing a lot more of this tomorrow.

Mid afternoon around 2 pm in Porsmouth:
1. Length of lesson 1 and a half hours.
2. Objective, to start passing close by dogs who are on the street, and also barking dogs on flexis, so that Gigi becomes more familiar with being in control in these situations.
3. Techniques used Bedrock's sit on the dog (but not training program) and Koehler influenced heeling (but not training program).
4. Tools used metal chairs or benches, muzzle, 6' leather lead, metal training collar, electronic collar, one trained dog (Leon) and husband with camera.
5. Owners not involved yet, no homework given.
6. Walked past a Springer on the street. I did not hold the leash entirely loose, but there was slack. Gigi was interested, but didn't try anything. We did sit on the dog where there were four other dogs around with Leon at a place where everyone was sitting and drinking coffee. She stayed down most of the time, and was much much calmer than she had been before. Made some passes by a Bernese Mountain dog that was left outside the coffee shop tethered to a tree on his flexi (wicked nice dog and obviously well trained to stay off the street). Gigi tried to go for him once, got a good correction and then we made several more passes by him. Walked past a couple with two big hound type dogs on flexis, one was very reactive and pulling her toward Gigi. I have to watch the tape, I think Gigi may have tried to reacte once, and then we walked by a few times with out incident (on Gigi's part anyway).

Gigi Pictures

Some Gigi pictures:

Gigi Day 12 Lesson 31

Looonnnng Portsmouth day:
1. Lesson two hours.
2. Objective, to have Gigi walking very closely with city dogs from behind (dog's behind to Gigi) and be able to pass without incident with a lane in between when dog coming from front. Also to have Gigi be still and realize no dog is out to harm her, in fact they are all pretty much ignoring her.
3. Techniques used sit on the dog and Koehler influenced heeling exercise (not training program due to condensed time).
4. Equipment is muzzle, metal training collar, e-collar and bench (for sit on the dog).
5. Owner not involved so no homework given as yet.
6. It was a grueling day for Gigi. I did get us water through out the day. We spent a good hour heeling around the square and backroads of Portsmouth. Many many dogs out on Saturday. Many very untrained ones, with owners who want to walk up to every other dog. Gigi only lunged once at an Irish Setter while we were doing sit on the dog. This makes her correct herself by the collar pressure when she leaps, and all was calm after. This was the first dog that tried to approach her during the day. I also had several up close conversations with other owners and dogs, who allowed me to just have Gigi sit there as we conversed about dog training. It took her three minutes to go into a down on sit on the dog today. One owner helped me do reps of about turns toward her dog and away with Gigi. Gigi was interested in the dog, and probably would have tried something if I had the owner come closer, but instead did quite a few about turns without looking back.

Gigi Day 11-Lessons 29-30

Morning:
1. Length of lesson was one hour plus.
2. Objective, to get Gigi used to working in crowded city like areas, where it's very possible that a dog could travel closely by and be well socialized but not trained.
3. Techniques used were heeling with auto sit and sit on the dog.
4. Tools used were leather 6' lead, muzzle, e-collar, metal training collar, and bench (for sit on the dog).
5. Owner not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi was less inclined to look around corners or behind her, and followed me nicely. There were some dogs around, but all owners clearly had destinations that they were going to, so no one was just letting their dog walk aimlessly, which helped Gigi feel more at ease. No attempts to bite or balk at the commands given. When doing sit on the dog, it took seven minutes for Gigi to down, and then she downed in the open pretty comfortably (as opposed to before when she tried hiding under the bench).

Evening (Owner Visit)
1. Length of the lesson was one hour plus.
2. Objective, to get owner more comfortable and ready to work with Gigi, and other dogs.
3. Techniques used were socialization protocol that I use with dogs like this (crate to sit on the dog to working around, but usually not done in a few hours and normally done in days). Heeling with auto sit around dog and owner's friend by owner.
4. Equipment used was 6' leather lead, muzzle at end, chain collar, and electronic collar.
5. No homework for owner as Gigi is continuing on with us here.
6. Few things didn't go so well. Collar started to loose power at the end. I must have forgotten to charge it. In general though, owner didn't seem very excited to work with Gigi. Took many repeats to get the owner to let go of the leash with his left hand and keep fully in the right. Not sure that I am getting across the need for Gigi to follow him, and that he will need to be the leader. Or whether this just hasn't been heard at this point. Did not bring home the point was the lesson should not have been about ordering Gigi to be Baxter's friend on demand, but that instead the owner should be able to read and control Gigi. The two lunges forward on Gigi's part were excellent lessons for her, that she is to remain in control and not go after an object. She is given the freedom (well sort of she is on equipment) to do so, but she is learning that there are consequences for these actions. She is also learning that there is no reason to do these actions in the first place.

Gigi Day 10-Lessons 27-28

Strange man still here doing work, so first part of the day, we took advantage of Matt:)

Early morning:
1. Lesson one hour.
2. Objective, to get Gigi working commands even as she feels uncomfortable in her situation. Worked outside and inside as worker went about his business.
3. Techniques used Koehler heeling w/ auto sit, and sit on the dog (leash under handler with dog required to lie quietly by their side).
4. Tools used muzzle, 15'-20' long line, e-collar, and metal training collar.
5. Owners not involved yet, so no homework.
6. Much better than yesterday. Gigi still did not like the "strange man" but was resigned to being obedient, and more trusting that I knew where the "strange man" was and she did not need to keep a constant eye on him. NO attempts to deflect on me, and did not try to get out of the command by other tricks like pulling on the leash or lying down. Not perfect but much much better.

Early Evening in Portsmouth NH:
1. Lesson one hour plus.
2. Objective, to get Gigi working comfortable in city streets where there are likely to be many dogs around and walking towards Gigi.
3. Techniques Koehler influenced (but not training method) heeling w/ auto sit and Bedrock's sit on the dog exercises (but not training method).
4. Tools used muzzle, leather lead 6', metal training collar and electronic collar.
5. Owners not involved yet, so no homework.
6. Started out heeling around the crowded square area where many pick up their coffee at what used to be the Brioche pastry cafe, but alas is now just basically a coffee house. Lots of people bring their dogs to the outside places to hang out. While dogs are normally very well socialized here, these tend to be the fexi lead people that hang out, so it's very common to get a dog in your face or lap all of a sudden. Heeling, she was quite disturbed with what might be behind her, but on the whole very few corrections for trying to stray far and non for lunging. The second half of the lesson we did sit on the dog, where it took Gigi about fifteen minutes to down (worriedly), and then she tried to avoid by moving under the bench. A man was sitting right next to me, and this did not seem to bother her as we chatted. A very large and lovely Rotti pulled his owner over to us, while I expressed that the dog should not approach. Gigi tried to pull forward, but that was about it.

Gigi Day 9-Lessons 25-26

BIG change for Gigi today, strange man in house putting in built in air conditioner. His name is Matt, he has no dogs, and is single for any girls out there. Gigi no likey.

Early morning:
1. Lesson was an hour.
2. Objective to work Gigi around things that tend to make her panic (which comes out in aggression) and very uncomfortable. Right now that is 1) strange dogs in general 2) strange dogs making eye contact and barking (no problems that I have seen with dogs known to her) 3) strange people outside, and 4) strange people inside (and this includes children but not so much female adults).
3. Techniques used are "let's go" or Koehler long line influenced, and dragging the leash with some freedom for the first time in this situation.
4. Tools used muzzle (more so my legs don't get another set of bruises and also so Gigi learns that this technique gets her nowhere and is fruitless, and finally to get her to feel what it's like once she calms down when being pushed in situations that she is totally uncomfortable in), Dogtra e-collar (does not seem to be making her neck breakout), chain training collar, and long line to drag on the ground.
5. No homework for client as they are not involved yet.
6. Gigi had several tantrums when being told what to do with the strange man at a far distance both inside and outside. She was so panicked that she made the motions of going for my legs several times whether corrected on chain or e-collar. AT one point, she tried to not listen and go inside the house, but did come back although quite pissy. In the end though, the main thing was she did not get her way, and was required to perform the tasks given to basically walk with me. She did not mind the sit stay so much in this situation, as being required to heel and pay attention to me rather than looking out for "the strange man".

That lesson way wore Gigi out. She was not so sure that she liked me anymore LOL, but we were best buds after a nice long nap for her.

Mid afternoon about 1-2 pm:
1. Lesson length one hour.
2. Objective, to work Gigi around strange man in house (in family room now), and have her get used to following commands even when she feels entirely uncomfortable.
3. Techniques used heel with auto sit (no where near enough room to do longe line). Not doing down in these situations, as it puts the handler's face very close to the dog in a situation where they are completely stressed. Once she knows the command, and I don't need to shape her into it, we will do it.
4. Equipment used muzzle, 6' leather leash, e-collar, and metal training collar.
5. No homework for client as they are not involved yet.
6. Not as strong tantrums, and Gigi managed to paw the muzzle and break it off at one point. The clips on the muzzle upon examination are extremely cheap and it appears the male clip is two pieces glued together (not good). Have another kind of muzzle, a soft padded and mesh muzzle. A few times balking at walking past the "strange man" much like the first day walking past the dogs in the living room. Less tantrums but still extreme reluctance to follow commands when uncomfortable.

***Was going to go out to Portsmouth tonight, but Gigi worked very hard today. Going to leave it off until tomorrow, and for today's lesson to kind of settle in for her.

Gigi Day 8-Lessons 23-24

Early and unbelievably hot morning:
1. Lesson an hour.
2. Objective is to get Gigi used to walking down a busy and crowded street.
3. Techniques used are heeling and auto sit ala Koehler influenced (but not training plan, due to condensed training time).
4. Tools used were muzzle, metal training collar, and 6' leather lead.
5. Owners not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Today almost perfect heeling through most of the walk. Did have to correct some times for the auto sit. In town she was less worried than yesterday. Thru the whole hour long walk we saw not one dog. None were out today anywhere. Not in their yards, not in the park, and not on the street. She did seem more comfortable with the people, and we were not on the sidewalk but off to the side yesterday. Today since she had the muzzle on, I did bring her right into the thick of it. A very sweet boy petted Gigi, and said everyone should let dogs with muzzles on know that they are liked by petting them . I did make sure he knew to ask first, but what a sweety. Gigi did enjoy that. A grown man admired Gigi and wanted to see if she would accept a pat. She looked okay at first, but ended up barking at the man thru the muzzle. All in all, pretty happy with the walk. I am going to have to go to Portsmouth tomorrow though so I can guarantee dogs while we are walking!!

Evening Beach Walk:
1. Lesson an hour.
2. Objective, to get Gigi used to walking on crowded beach around dogs.
3. Techniques, heeling ala Koehler influenced with auto sit, AND down reps on the beach (not Koehler training plan, due to condensed training time).
4. Tools used were metal training collar and 6' leather lead. No muzzle as Gigi is better in the beach situation, and is becoming better used to that than crowded city streets. Course, I still think a barking eye contact dog may cause her to redirect, so jeans worn:)
5. Owners not involved yet,s o no homework given.
6. Gigi is still watchful, but seems far more accepting that there are strangers around. To this point and probably not for awhile, I won't let strangers approach other than to walk past or talk to me. That kind of approaching I allow with Gigi, but no attempts to pet unless muzzle is on OR she is much calmer than she is. However, she is getting better with this.

Video-Couple More Examples of Gigi Play

In the first part, it's pretty close to almost the very first time Gigi played EVER. Well, as far as the new owners are concerned, and it does look like she is pretty new to it and figuring it out for the first time.

In the second part, Gigi has a muzzle on only because she is being conditioned to one before our walk through town. Up close to dogs causes her to deflect a bit, and this way I can work her without getting black and blue thighs should a close up dog bark at her:)

Gigi got to play with the dog gang muzzle free for about 45 minutes today.

Gigi Day 7-Lessons 19-22

Early morning (very foggy):
1. Length of lesson 45 minutes.
2. Objective of lesson is to get Gigi more confident working closer and closer to dogs.
3. Techniques used were the start of the down shaping ala Koehler influenced with heeling and many turns. Also auto sits used.
4. Equipment used was metal training collar (electronic collar has rubbed at some of Gigi's fine skin) and leather 6' leash.
5. Owners not involved yet, though coming to do a bit of training tonight. No homework yet.
6. The fog seemed to actually work in our favor. She did see my other client Cynthia and her two Great Danes (Roxie and Harley) on the beach. She seemed a little nervous, but more interested. This did distract her quite a bit, though she did sit as me and Cynthia talked. Gigi was accomodating during the shaping of the downs. She didn't try to fight back, but she was a bit stiff.

Mid Afternoon (unbearably hot):
1. Lesson length started with 1 hour.
2. Objective is to get Gigi to self relax while in very crowded and busy places.
3. Technique used was to sit back under a shelter about three benches back. This was so as not to alarm the passbyers, especially ones with dogs. Gigi is not quite ready for really close encounters, especially where eye contact with dogs will be involved. Used Bedrock's sit on the dog.
4. Equipment used metal bench, 6' leather lead, and metal chain collar.
5. Owners not involved yet so no homework as yet.
6. Couple of small dogs came by, and Gigi actually jumped up on the bench trying to get to them. This is an instance where I do knock her back down, before continuing to ignore her. It took her 1/2 to go down, and I broke the rules this one time (as I had dogs to let out later at home) and finally put her in a down. She stayed down for periods of time but got up when people or children moved through. Clearly still gets very amped up being in a public place.

Right after sit on the dog:
1. Lesson time was 1 and a half hours.
2. Objective of lesson to have Gigi walking through crowds et without reacting negatively.
3. Technique used is Koehler heel and auto sit.
4. Equipment used is 6' leather lead and metal training collar.
5. Owners not involved yet, so no homework yet.
6. So we walked back and forth. Realitively uneventful walk on the way to sit on the dog. One dog did dart out at us from store, but it was behind us and Gigi did not see it. Way back, Gigi was amped up from seeing the dogs during sit on the dog to begin with. I stupidly did not have my jeans on. I was not requiring Gigi to wear an e-collar because the metal was making her neck break into a rash. (switching to Dogtra immediately) Golden Retriever was hanging out in store door with owner. I had known this was too soon for Gigi, but wanted to have an opinion why when owners came to meet. Golden locked eyes with Gigi and started barking. Gigi went to try to pass in front of me to get the dog, and I gave a correction, as did Gigi. She deflected right on the top of my thigh, and broke skin in two places. So that question was answered, and we will bring Gigi through next time with a muzzle on:)

Late Evening:
1. Lesson length approximately an hour.
2. Objective of lesson is to have owners start to become familiar with ways in which they will need to handle Miss Gigi.
3. Techniques used were heeling and auto sit in the less distracting areas for the owners to become familiar with what she will do.
4. Equipment used was 6' leather lead and metal training collar.
5. Owners not taking Gigi home today, so no homework given per say.
6. Gigi forged ahead a lot with her owners and me. She was very excited they were there, and clearly testing her limits. The beach was extra packed with dogs and kids running all over the place. The dogs were leashed. Gigi did jump up as if to hump at one point when a boy with his dog and bike made a beeline right for me. Otherwise, she didn't try anything except the pulling. Owners starting to use the leash corrections to solve it, and the about turns when Gigi really forges.

Day 5 Gigi-Lessons 13-15

Early Morning:
1. Lesson length is 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective of lesson is to give Gigi more experience, confidence, and a feeling of safety when in public. Also to teach her how to calm herself down and relax.
3. Method used is Bedrock's sit on the dog in a public setting (not Bedrock training plan, where this would be the only exercise done on week one).
4. Equipment used 6' leash, metal training collar, and park bench.
5. Client not involved yet, no homework given.
6. Got up several times in worry, and a few low growls. Gigi needs more exposure to this. By the time we got up she was a bit more relaxed and focused.

Right after:
1. Lesson length is 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective of lesson is to give Gigi more experience, confidence and a feeling of safety when heeling with her owner/handler/trainer.
3. Method used is Koehler influenced and Bedrock influenced method of teaching heel and auto sit (but not training plan as mentioned previously).
4. Equipment used 6' leather leash, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. Client not involved yet, no homework given.
6. Did better than first time in Ellis Park. Only using park part to do this right now, and not right in the middle of the board walk part.

6PM evening when dogs are allowed on the beach, leashed:
1. Lesson length is 1 hour.
2. Goal and objective of lesson is to give Gigi more experience, confidence and a feeling of safety when heeling with her owner/handler/trainer.
3. Method used is Koehler influenced and Bedrock' influenced method of teaching heel and auto sit.
4. Equipment used 6' leather leash, metal training collar and electronic collar.
5. Client not involved yet, no homework given.
6. Though the flexi people make me more tense, which I pretend not to be for Gigi, Gigi seems more comfortable with the on leash in public dogs than the off leash, even though the flexi dogs seem to come closer and are in less control.

Day 4 Gigi-Lessons 11-12

Early Morning:
1. Lesson time 1 hour.
2. Goal and objective of the lesson is to one teach Gigi the meaning of heel and sit. Also to have her feel comfortable on a walk with her owner/handler/trainer.
3. Teaching heel with auto sit is used. Method Koehler influenced and Bedrock influenced training methods (but not training plan, as this would be far later, but due to condenced period of time.....).
4. Equipment used 6' leather leash, metal training collar, electronic collar, and one trained dog, Leon. This is also to get her used to a dog being close and playing even as she needs to stay focused. Leon will also help Gigi feel safe, as they have developed a relationship and Gigi is picking up the mannerisms of my dogs as we do different things.
5. Client not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi is getting quite used to the dirt backroad walks. Autosits could be better, she still gets a bit distracted. Heeling becomes forging when Leon is running ahead or with a stick, as she wants to be with him. However, it's necessary for her to pay as much attention to me as possible, and as little to distractions.

6PM Afternoon when public is allowed on the beach:
1. Lesson is one hour.
2. Goal of the lesson is to get Gigi less worried about working/walking in public settings.
3. Method used is heel with autosit, Bedrock and Koehler method of training is used.
4. Equipment is 6' leather leash, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. Client not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi was a bit anxious closer up to dogs, and especially when dogs were far away and then coming closer to us. I kept us fairly far away from the dogs so she could get used to seeing them all over the place. Plus the people with the flexi leashed dogs make me more nervous than the unleashed dogs in the morning, as owners seem to have more control.

Notes: I have noticed that dogs seem to reacte to Gigi's nervous energy, and that's just another good reason to get her comfortable with this. She tends to get a bit picked on, and that causes her to get defensive, but it's a communication thing on her part. It's not her fault, but she gives out both a nervous and defensive vibe due to her experiences, where as far as I can tell when she knows a dog, she wants to play. AT first she can be very forward and poinking them in their neck, which is a threat or promise to fight with some dogs. This causes the dogs that she may want to meet to get defensive in return. So the point is, we want her energy more calm and confident when out on close, crowded walking conditions.

Day 1 Training Video-Beginning the Foundation

Some longe line and heel work begins.

Day 3-Gigi Breaks Out in Play Mode

We have toe tapping Gigi playing with Brujo too. I will download that tonight or tomorrow morning!

Gigi Day 3-Lessons 9-10

Early Morning:
1. Lesson time 1 hour.
2. Goal and objective of the lesson is to one teach Gigi the meaning of heel and sit. Also to have her feel comfortable on a walk with her owner/handler/trainer thru dogs not so familiar with (daycare group of Pluto, Logan, and Gunner---but not Preston puppy).
3. Teaching heel with auto sit is used. Method Koehler and Bedrock training methods.
4. Equipment used 6' leather leash, metal training collar, electronic collar, and daycare group of three dogs plus my two trained dogs.
5. Client not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi was very calm. She did look back every now and again if she heard Gunner (old dog with not as much training as Gunner, Pluto and my dogs) prancing up behind her, as he likes the girls. No growling, just looked a bit worried now and again. No shivering at all, or tense excitedness.

Mid Afternoon:
1. Lesson 2 one hour.
2. Objective and goal is to get Gigi used to heeling and attention on owner in distracting (but not too distracting) settings.
3. Methods used are Bedrock and Koehler "influenced" for heeling. Also in park setting, away from crowd but where there are running and yelling kids all around, and dogs being walked quietly and on leash.
4. Equipment used 6' leather leash, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. Client not involved yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi was very distracted. She went through the motions of heeling, but her real attention was almost always elsewhere. Frequently needed to be shaped into an auto sit. There was a bit of shaking, shivering and tense excitedness. I really want her to feel more comfortable than that before attempting a "city like" walk.

****This is the day that video three happened, however. Gigi decided to break out into play with one of our guest dogs, Brujo. Good sign, although the goal of the training is to simply get Gigi to walk in a city type setting with her owners past strange dogs:) That is going to require more trust and training for Gigi.

Day 1 Video-Training Begins as Gigi and Jack Meet

This is Gigi's very first morning after her owners left us. I set it up so Gigi and Jack had never met. Jack, my dog, was not expecting to meet an unfriendly crated dog in the sunroom, but I wanted Gigi to see (not Leon as she had met him) but one of my dogs for the very first time.

You will see that Jack is surprised at the greeting he gets, and talks back to her a bit before sitting and helping me. Jack hasn't started many aggressive dogs with me, so this was a first for him being involved from day one. Leon is the calmer of the two, and Jack is the one that usually will get even the nicest dogs to reacte.



Gigi did, and then we commenced training her on crate behavior while here. It's important to get Gigi used to all the rules of the house. The first rule being that you don't aggress in the crate. We are introducing the quiet command here while using the e-collar on very low levels for a correction when she does not quiet.

You can see her twitching her neck as if she thinks there is a mosquito on there. She's very ramped up at that point, and whether it was the metal training collar or the e-collar or a flat collar, she wouldn't be very happy that she's being told what to do, when what she really wants is to go after the other dog. We have another video where she is calming herself down and realizing she is not getting away with it today.



The thing is Gigi has gotten herself in a circular cycle because of her fear. She hasn't given the other dogs a chance to show that it really is possible to be with other dogs, and NOT be attacked assuming you aren't attacking them first. This is a gradual step by step progression that starts in the crate, and ends (depending on time) with the dog being able to be off leash around other dogs and distractions.

The e-collar is a great tool for starting off leash training quickly. Off leash is a reward first of all that a dog recognizes. It is a reward for listening when told to do something. Or not do something as the case might be. This also allows the dog to take on responsibility for themselves, while also able to transfer the responsibility for protection to their owner/handler/trainer. Then the dog isn't worrying all the time and on the look out.

Gigi Day 2-Lessons 6-8

Early morning:

1. Lesson was 1/2 hour.
2. Goals and objectives were to teach Gigi how to calm herself around other dogs and distractions AND that dogs are not out to get her.
3. Technique used was Bedrock Method of sit on the dog (not Bedrock training plan as this is a condenced period of time to work on this dog).
4. Equipment used 6' leather lead, metal training collar, chair, and three trained dogs.
5. Client not involved as yet, so no homework given.
6. Gigi not lied down, but allowed the dogs to lie close all around her. My Dobermans alerted to some wild life, and this did not seem to overly upset Gigi as they raced around barking. She stayed in that position for 30 minutes and was pretty relaxed when we got up. It was a beautiful morning and the humming birds were out.

Right after early morning lesson and some breakfast:

1. Lesson was an hour and a half.
2. Goal and objective lesson was to introduce Gigi to her first walk around the neighborhood, and heeling amongst the distractions that we encountered. These are all dirt roads so this is generally very low key distractions to get a reactive dog used to them.
3. Heeling and a lot of auto sit practice as well as turns were used to get Gigi used to keeping position, and her interest and attention on me.
4. Equipment used was 6' leather lead, metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. Client is not involved yet, so no homework was assigned.
6. Gigi needed to be shaped into the sit a few times. When we passed one dog, you could tell she wanted to rush out of the heel, but she did hold herself back into it. I had a bad moment where I thought the dog was actually off leash, and I would need to block from Gigi and save the pug. Luckily he was on a tie out in the yard. Gigi isn't quite ready to have a dog run up to her yet. She just got used to walking past dogs that won't approach her, and lying near dogs. Not quite ready for that kind of jump yet, but Gigi again did very well. This is the kind of progress that I am looking for in her. She barely and maybe not at all grabbed the leash or made any kind of air snapping movements.

Later on Afternoon-Evening:

Very informal, I had Gigi out with us as much as possible the rest of the afternoon and evening. She was sometimes not in a command at all, and she would choose to lie by me (the leash and collars were on). She allowed Jackie to lie toe to toe with her during the thunderstorm. They did both want to sniff each other, but I didn't allow it yet. I think that's when Gigi feels cornered and I didn't want her to snap when she was doing so well, and just getting used to this.

Probably about a good three hours of this on and off during the day. Allowed Gigi to feel what it was like to not be in a command but be able to control herself. The dogs all seem to want to invite Gigi to their group with their looks and presence. That is a good sign, because if a dog is sending off the wrong vibes, generally my dogs will not want to go near them.

Guest dogs have no idea that a dog on property might not be friendly, so I usually need to put them in a command or they would just walk right up to her. My dogs are, thankfully, used to working with situations like this. I sometimes need to tell them to back off, but more importantly I can tell from them when it's time to move forward a bit.

Personal Observations on The Case of Gigi

Gigi is a very sweet and loving dog. Her aggression is a sign of extreme fear. She is 4-5 years old (estimated) and came from a rescue approximately 8 months ago in Washington DC. So there is no history on her.

I have volunteered in the shelter system for several years, a little less than one being in a training situation. One very important thing that I learned, is not the why. Why Gigi has ended up this way has nothing to do with the solution. Would it be helpful if we knew, maybe a bit, but in the end we aren't going to. So, we need to move the dog on from there, instead of trapping them in their fearful state forever. Some people live like this, and I don't know how they do it. It's far easier to get the dog beyond their fear, and able to be out in public having fun with the owner.

We do know this 1) she is aggressing towards dogs 2) her owners have found her also to be snarky around strange men, and 3) they don't trust her around children. So the goal now, is what is the best way to get Gigi from point A to point Z. Gigi may never be "Lassie" or she may. One thing in working with Gigi that I have become fairly certain of is that she will improve. She is lying next to me as I type this with my other three dogs around. Not spinning on the leash, or trying to bite anything near her, but in a fairly calm if somewhat interested state. I actually like the interest today, as yesterday she was in complete avoidance of what she feared, and it's important to move the dog beyond avoidance. So now what she is understanding is that looking is not going to bring on an attack.

This may sound odd for a dog that has initiated attacks before coming here. In Gigi's mind, it's been her job to defend herself, which she sees as being the first to strike. I used this strategy myself after Junior High with a bully I saw in High School. They needed to drag me off her, and that's how I met my music conductor LOL. I don't think I got in trouble for it, now that I think back. I made my point though. That's what Gigi is trying to do, but she is assuming the dog is out to get her.

It's a matter of building a relationship that is a partnership in trust and respect. I have certain duties to Gigi while she is in my company, and she is being taught her duties to me. We both have roles that we need to fulfill. My most important role to Gigi is to let her know that she is safe in whatever circumstance I put her in. I have done this by having her 1) in contact with strange dogs, 2) scoping out the situation in public whether dogs are loose or leashed, and 3) being prepared and ready to step in if a situation that Gigi isn't ready for presents itself.

Gigi needs to 1) pay attention whether a door slams or a car passes or a dog is present 2) heel and beware of where I am and where I am going all the time and 3) maintain position and not veer. Obeying commands means that Gigi is not aggressing by definition of the commands.

She is not the most aggressive dog to come through here, although I have worn my jeans for two days out of the hottest of the year. The reason for that? Her want to bite the leash tells me that she could redirect, although she will probably very much inhibit her bite. I bruise easily as it is. The closest that she has come is to press her muzzle against my leg, but she has not gone beyond that point. This is very good news, Gigi is showing restraint and trust, but also that she is an independent girl not prone to follow just anyone . I am used to that in the girls.

The key to having that not ramp up into something else is to appear unimpressed even as you consider which body part you would rather she bite. Although, in Gigi's case, I am pretty sure that "bite" isn't the right word as she is just not going to use all the force she can. Since I am a stranger to her, this is very good news to her owners. A deflection did happen to her male owner on the morning of her arrival. It was the first time for her. He was pulling her down into a down while she was in the middle of a tantrum for seeing another dog.

The great thing about proper equipment and reading the dog, is that it can keep you safe 98% of the time, assuming you don't take on a dog that's too much for you. However, that's part of reading the dog. Any bite or deflection is usually the fault of the handler. It could be because attention wandered, correction too hard, correction to soft, no correction, reward timed badly, and on and on.

That being said, Gigi is doing very very well on day two. She is a very fun and sweet dog, who just needs to be convinced that the dog population is not out to get her. As simple as that sounds, there are steps and much work to be done to get there.

She is seeming to really enjoy the training walks, and the fun and freedom it does provide. It's a little limited right now as she needs to remain in control to learn the rules. It appears she is enjoying the companionship and partnership being developed. That she is safest near me and following my directions does appear to be sinking in.

Gigi is a bit of a "love bug" LOL. She has designs on my husband.

What is really cool is the boy dogs have been such a help, beyond listening to the commands of their training. I had them released in the yard this morning as we worked on "sit on the dog". I specifically wanted Gigi to see them in motion. They walked around a bit, and then all three sit around us in a circle. Clearly, it was pack communication. "See Gigi, just be like this, all will be well." At the end, Leon was making googly eyes at her as he laid on his side pawing the grass. She was very relaxed with front paws crossed. I will write later on about todays lessons, but clearly today she has been much less worried about the dogs that live and visit here.

Gigi Day 1-Lessons 1-5

First thing in the morning, right after Gigi was dropped off and allowed a bathroom break:

1. Lesson length was about 15 minutes or so.
2. The goal and objective of this lesson was to learn to calm down as dogs approach her crate and are around her. Also to introduce her to the concept of the "rules" in our household.
3. Technique that were used were the introduction of the quiet command to decrease the aggressive behavior inside the crate. Also, made sure the crate was wide open on two sides, to allow for "safe space" but also make avoidance almost impossible.
4. Equipment used for this was the e-collar and the crate. The e-collar was used at the very lowest level as a distraction from the aggressive behavior, and to correct if after "quiet" or "easy" was given any aggressive response. Three trained dogs and additional daycare boarders who listen were used as well.
5. As the client's aren't involved yet, there is no homework for them as yet.
6. Gigi did very well after initially trying to make her presence known. She figured out how to calm herself down, and listen to the directives. She also learned that the dogs were not free to poke their noses into the crate, and were under my direction and so she was safe. We have video of the first greeting which wasn't pretty, but she got the message and point very quickly after that.

Later on in the morning:
1. Lesson length was 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective of the lesson was to have Gigi understand that she was to follow ME and pay attention to where I was going.
3. Method is "Koehler Influenced" longe line work and the last 15 minutes used heeling as the techniques to do this, (not Koehler or Bedrock training plan, as we have condenced period of time to work on these) quicker than one would in obedience training due to the time constraints on this case.
4. Equipment used was metal training collar, electronic collar, leather leash 6', and long line of 20 feet.
5. Client's aren't involved yet, so no homework was assigned.
6. Gigi has a not bad non distraction heel. For the "let's go" or loose leash portion, she would try to not follow. She grabs the leash when she does not want to do this. Sometimes she lies down. She does want to fight the correction, but as long as you are firm and consistent with her, and remain unimpressed with her "biting and snapping" show, she learns and comes right along with you. When we got to the heel portion, she was able to sit in the proper position with command, and follow you with her shoulder to your thigh and turn when you told her to heel so she knew it was coming. The loose leash (longe line) work was probably the most difficult with her in the beginning, but at the end she caught on very quickly.

Early in the afternoon:
1. Lesson length was 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective was to have Gigi in an open space with other dogs and not aggressive.
3. Bedrock Method training technique of "sit on the dog" was used (not Bedrock training plan, as this is all happening in a three week condensed period of time).
4. Equipment used was metal training collar, leather leash 6', chair, and three trained dogs.
5. As the client's aren't involved yet, there is no homework for them as yet.
6. Gigi within minutes went into her down, where she remained for 28 minutes. She got up once when Leon got up, but then settled down once I told Leon to go back into a down. She did try to face with her back towards the dogs and avoid looking at them at all costs. However, no aggressive behavior other than the fact that she was clearly uncomfortable being in a room with so many dogs around her.

Late in the afternoon:
1. Lesson length was 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective was to start Gigi heeling around her biggest distraction "other dogs", but these dogs would be stationary while she was in the room heeling.
3. Method used were the corrections on either the e-collar or metal training collar when failing to heel, and reward and praise when in position and not trying to avoid heeling around stationary dogs.
4. Equipment used was leather leash 6', metal training collar, electronic collar, and three trained dogs.
5. As clients are not involved in training sessions yet, there is no homework for them.
6. Gigi tried to either 1) fall into a down rather than heel past dogs or 2) forge ahead or 3) pull the other way on the leash. All of this is avoidance and fearful behavior. We were in very close proximity and she did not try to attack or aggress at the dogs. She was just pretty sure something would happen to her if we walked through them. After about more than six tries where she tried to refuse, and I kept walking her through it, Gigi became more comfortable heeling past the dogs.

Early evening:
1. Lesson length 1/2 hour.
2. Goal and objective of lesson is to have a nice crisp heel, and more of an understanding of the auto sit and attention from Gigi. To have her focus on me for preparation into very low key public walking past dogs tomorrow.
3. Technique and method used were Koehler influenced long line (or longe line---Koehler Training Plan would only be doing this at this point, but the condenced period of time makes other exercises mandatory) for loose leash walking and the heel command introduced this soon due to time constraints in the training plan.
4. Equipment used was long line of 20 feet, leather leash of 6', metal training collar, and electronic collar.
5. As client's aren't involved yet, there is no homework assigned.
6. Almost no resistance from Gigi, just mainly attention and focus. She eats up the "good girls" and so the auto sit is starting to form as a result. Better positioning in the heel both from the side and front, but slight forging. No attempting to down or sit and pull. She is becoming more comfortable with the e-collar now that she is beginning to see that she controls it, and what the rules are for walking.


***Note, Gigi has heeling already. We are doing longe line after sit on the dog. In the meantime, we need to move Gigi from one place to another, so heeling is used although this would not normally be the lesson plan for "Koehler" or "Bedrock" training program. That is why the exercises are called "Koehler" or "Bedrock" influenced.

Introducing Gigi, Case 1 History

A little something different for at least the next week, I am going to blog on an in-house case.

History:
1. General Information:

• Dog's name is Gigi.
• Her breed is mixed, owner thinks Lab/Doberman. It's hard to tell, sometimes her profile almost looks Great Dane to me, but from the front their are similar characteristics to a Doberman face, and the squareness of the jaw line could come from lab origins.
• Thought to be about 4-5 years of age.
• Gigi is spayed.
• Socialization with other dogs and men has not been going so well. Also children are thought to perhaps be a problem for Gigi.

2. Health problems: None known of.

3. Problem behaviors: 1) Aggression to other dogs. 2) Wary of men. 3) Not trusted around children.

4. Goals and objectives of training program: Gigi is staying for one week, and a minimum of three weeks was suggested. Owners' would have a problem paying for the three weeks. Therefore are goals during one week are 1) to show improvement in handling and obedience around other dogs (and other general distractions, but a focus around other dogs) and 2) to concentrate on the let's go command and heel with auto sit during this week. Anything else that can be fit into the program, will also be fit in, but these are ambitious goals.

5. Length is one week board and train, and then coaching the owners on a go forward basis from there for three follow up lessons that are included in the board and train, and then hopefully a weekly obedience coaching program at a minimum of six weeks. It's really important to be able to show the owners what can be done in the one week time period in order to gain their confidence in their dog.

Board and Train has been suggested as owners have been battling with this for the last 8 months. We want a nice start to Gigi's training in the most effective and efficient way possible. It will be hard for the client's to get to the learning curve needed quickly, and meanwhile Gigi's behavior has been on a downward slide. So once we have a foundation instilled, it will be time to bring the owners into the training program.

6. Both written evaluation form, and in person consultation to view the behavior and client's interactions with Gigi.

Dobermans are the...

Fartiest (is that a world) in the world. Seriously, I have woken up from a sound sleep.......with eyes watering.

Our Oldest Girl

Jazz has been my very first dog. She came to us in 1997 or so at 3 years old. She will be 16 next January. Wow!! A Doberman's average life span is 11.

We have our days where we wonder how comfortable she really is. If only these guys could talk!! Then we have the last two days. Yesterday, Jazz woke up quite sprightly. She tormented 4 year old red Doberman male, Jackie. First, he realized she was in her "hunt him down" mood, and he flattened himself on the floor. He was hoping for the power of invisibility no doubt. Actually, Jazz can't really see or hear any more, not much at all. She can smell and feel however, much to Jack's chagrin. He was discovered flattened on the floor, and his ears were licked.

At some point, he realized she wasn't leaving in any big hurry, and he flew out from under her. In the young days, Jazz would have flown after him, but old Jazz toddled with Frankenstein determination to find her quarry and parry with him. I was glued to each moment. There was my girl having a great time.

This morning, the simple flipping of a bony toy that she found on the ground, brought a smile to my face, and now we spend the day watching a bit of Wimbledon in bed. I wish it could last forever.

Need your dog trained? Visit the http://www.mannerlymutts.com services page. Or contact me at 207-361-4395 in York Maine. Ask for Robin Rubin, Dog Trainer.

Say no to HSUS, PETA, No Shock Collar Coalition (NSCC) or Truly Dog Friendly Organization (TDF). Articles and information on why I do not support these organizations is on here and here.

Dog Events Around York Maine

July 29th York Days Piscataqua Dog Obedience Show 6:00 –8:00 pm, Ellis Parks, York Beach Maine (Short Sands Beach Park)

August 3rd Bark in The Park in Hadlock Field in South Portland Maine (also check the Planet Dog site when it's back up)

August 10th Boatyard Dog Trials Rockland Maine

September 13th Woofminster Scarborough Maine

***Sorry but the sites listing these are very much influenced by the Purely Positive Political Dog Training Organizations. It's a sad but mostly unavoidable fact in this area.

Still, be seen with your well behaved dog. Let everyone know that your dog was trained positively, and also with the appropriate equipment and corrections.

Need your dog trained? Visit the http://www.mannerlymutts.com services page. Or contact me at 207-361-4395 in York Maine. Ask for Robin Rubin, Dog Trainer.

Say no to HSUS, PETA, No Shock Collar Coalition (NSCC) or Truly Dog Friendly Organization (TDF). Articles and information on why I do not support these organizations is on here and here.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Need your dog trained? Visit the http://www.mannerlymutts.com services page. Or contact me at 207-361-4395 in York Maine. Ask for Robin Rubin, Dog Trainer.

Say no to HSUS, PETA, No Shock Collar Coalition (NSCC) or Truly Dog Friendly Organization (TDF). Articles and information on why I do not support these organizations is on here and here.

Why My Job Sucks (NOT!!!!)

Preston is becoming acquainted with the daycare situation in these pictures. He is a young cocker spaniel puppy, and now he plays with the big Dawgs, like Logan (Rottie) and Leon (Red Doberman) and his housemate, Pluto (Black Lab).

Need your dog trained? Visit the http://www.mannerlymutts.com services page. Or contact me at 207-361-4395 in York Maine. Ask for Robin Rubin, Dog Trainer.

Say no to HSUS, PETA, No Shock Collar Coalition (NSCC) or Truly Dog Friendly Organization (TDF). Articles and information on why I do not support these organizations is on here and here.

The Hoods-Success Stories of the Behaviorally Challenged

We are taking on another Naughty Nellie soon. That's not her real name, but we will introduce her shortly. She has a bit of dog aggression. In fact, when I was evaluating her case, Leon was lying quietly beside me. The smallest movement of his paw brought about tantrums from this normally sweet girl. In talking to him, and amongst ourselves afterwords, we tried to remember the dogs who had come in and gone out a bit differently:

1) Devon-Re homed and working out in new home. Devon started with us in July of 2007. He came here for aggression towards humans (men generally) and aggression towards other dogs. His owner later decided another breed would work better. Thai Ridgeback's are a huge responsibility and are a bit more primitive than other breeds of dog. While his original owner thought he wanted something exotic and the responsibilities that go along with it, in the end this was not the appropriate dog.

Devon was trained but would always need that bit extra supervision that made life uncomfortable for his owner. They now own a much more typical dog.

Devon now lives with new owners, and a new sister named Bri!! He will compete in obedience at the end of this year or the beginning of the next year.

2) Hannah-Owners were considering euthanizing at one point, but couldn't bring themselves to do it. Hannah is the cute Springer girl in this picture with my Jack. She lived with her litter mate, Katie, for eight years when things started to change. Hannah's owners were at their wits end one day, when Katie was badly injured around the neck after a confrontation while the pet sitter was there. Hence, Hannah came in for training on October of 2006.


Their veterinarian diagnosed Hannah with "Rage Syndrome". Rage syndrome is an actual seizure like epilepsy and does not come at predictable moments. This same vet also refused to do blood work for Hannah that would show thyroid problems or look for additional health problems. He said "those don't cause bad behavior". That is true, but it can certainly bring down a dog's "patience threshold", and as you will read this "vet" was wrong on all counts.

During her stay and training, Hannah looked very flat. A new vet was found, and she suffered from an ear infection, several teeth that were infected and needed to be removed AND a bladder infection. While this didn't solve the training issues, a much chipper Hannah was ready to do some work.

Katie was here for the training, although not the problem. However, it was discovered that Katie had recently developed painful hips, as could be witnessed by her inability to jump on furniture anymore. Hannah used to play by jumping on her. Then Katie, thought to be the more submissive, would tell Hannah to back off, and chaos thereafter with Hannah "winning" the fight.

Therefore, obedience training program was followed so Hannah could be directed to come, go, sit, and stay when it looked like she was going to do this. Also, a "let's go" command was used to keep Hannah supervised people did not want to sit still in the house, and if it was preferred that she not be in her crate.

Hannah is now the class clown when she comes over for boarding. A dog that started out needing to be watched around any other dog (owners let her tell other dogs off because she was "dominant"), now is the regular entertainment around here. In fact she goes from dog to dog until they are all too pooped to play!!

Meanwhile, this little smart girl had me exhausted at the end of training. It is so hard to believe now what a hard time she put me through. Everything was an opportunity to challenge to her. She is probably one of the best and most liked dogs that come here now!!!

3) Ursa-Owners were considering euthanizing also. In April of 2005, Ursa was the first dog to make my hairs stand up on end! No amount of cookies was going to make her your friend.

However, a well devised obedience plan set into motion made this bad girl, good company for visiting children and family. Not that you would leave her alone unsupervised around those that she is not familiar with.

Ursa is a Great Pyrenees whose job it was to guard the chickens and her JRT friend, Wild Willie. Sometimes her guarding duties had gone a bit too far in the past, and anyway, it was more a protection of herself. (Ursa is really afraid of her own bark, you see).

A brief stay with the boys also brought her play drive out, and the realization that strange dogs are not always out to get her. Of course, this also relies on the owner/handler not putting their dogs in those situations for which they haven't been equipped to handle (or without guidance).

4) Zeek-Owners were considering re homing. In July of 2006, I met big old Zeek. Upon meeting him, I assumed that Zeek was going to be a pretty hard dog to train.


I had to laugh at that later. What a sweety, and when you meet him, he knows you and you have a friend for life. However, that isn't very comforting as a stranger, and having this big red Rhodesian Ridgeback charge at you when you come to the front door.

There was also dog fights over food in this three dog home. Zeek's enthusiasm to get into Gus's (see below) bowl sparked fights. It was thought by the owners that Zeek was initiating this. Although Gus would come in for training, he wasn't there when Zeek initially came.

After teaching Zeek that other dog's food was off limits, and feeding him along with my own crew, I did not see any open hostility or even guarding coming from Zeek. He just wanted to get into other's food bowls, and when told this was a "no no" he was fine with it. He did tend to eat in a hurry, as if worried another would take his food.

Gus received private obedience lessons at home, to station him before and after feedings. Zeek was no longer allowed to just plow into any dog's bowl. He had also learned how to sit politely or go to place as his owners greeted their guests at the door. Zeek was about the easiest dog with "aggression issues" that I have ever had the pleasure of training.


5) Gus-Always thought of as "the puppy" probably forever LOL. Gus came for boarding in the summer of 2007, with the mandate that he receive training to be manageable while here. Why?


Gus has a slight problem with other dogs. As he has been coddled as "the puppy" his whole life, combined with a lack of training, came the lack of socialization. This is a nasty circle to get in, especially for such a fun loving dog.

When Gus came, (on leash of course) he attempted to try and go after any dog he saw. Luckily my crew is trained and easily stationed as we got the little trouble maker inside.

This was only a week that Gus was staying with us. Within days, he was on the beach with us and playing not only with my dogs, but with other strange dogs and having a grand old time. AT home, Gus's life remains lovely with his three friends, but they still don't take him out enough for him to enjoy the company of strange dogs (under guidance and supervision, of course).

The main success is that Gus and Zeek still remain at home, and now get along harmoniously with or without food and toys around.

6) Moose-Owners still considering re homing, but he's still there. In the frigid month of January 2007, I met Moose who was a lot worse than Ursa.


This was just a seven month old pup, displaying really serious territorial aggression. He would have this fixed owl eyes before he went for you. He was also not such a fan of the traditional training collars. It wasn't just that he did not want to work on them, he actually hated them, or that is how it seemed.

Hence it was one of those times that rather than fight against this hatred of a metal training collar, we switched to the e-collar. You always wonder how the dog is going to react to any training equipment, and most times they are accepting. Luckily, Moose was accepting of the electronic collar, and quickly started learning his obedience lessons.

However, his family comes from the military, and has small toddlers about. Small toddlers that he is especially protective of. This makes Moose not the best dog for this family. I think he is still looking for, but may have found, a new home.

There he is lying pleasantly on our porch during a boarding visit. He is a very nice dog, for someone who will work with him. Incredibly athletic and loving to his "people".

And yes, I follow up about once a month with his owners to see the situation. Last I heard they were being stationed in Ohio, and may have had someone interested in Moose.

7) Willie came to us in September of 2007 for private lessons with his owner.


Willie did not like for his owners to have company, whether they were known family, friends or strangers!! He had a bit of a bite history.

However, the thing that made his owners sit up and take notice was when the brother in law refused to come over because of Willie. Best guess at Willie's breed is a Portuguese Water Dog/Airedale mix.

Willie's female owner had an injury to her brain awhile back, and so the hardest part was getting the directions and commands so that they were more natural to her.

Willie has hosted a couple of holiday parties since then, and has been a great hit and gotten many compliments on his mannerliness.

8) Cerber was mostly a walking client. I started looking after him in September of 2006.


He was a bit too much for the dog walkers in the area. At six months old, Cerber had been in recovery for surgeries most of the time. In fact, in the very beginning, we didn't do all that much of a walk. It was more of a popping in and out for bathroom, and then back in his pen.

Cerber had been purchased due to the owners' desire to do Schutzhund. They therefore searched for a SchIII lines dog. Since they had never done the sport for anything other than socializing, they had no idea the training requirements of a dog with a confident attitude.

Now you combine that with being in pain for a good amount of your beginning life AND not being socialized, it just spells trouble. I have consulted with them for free, and they paid for a couple of lessons too. We became friends, and I totally love Cerber so it was about more than business.

Unfortunately my friends have moved away from me, and I am not accessible to them for one on one training anymore. It was with them in mind that I posted my list of qualities that one should look for in a dog trainer.

9) Fergus (no picture) He is a Cairn Terrier of a black peppered color, and the only one in the bunch that has the distinction of having bit me. His owner had lessons with me not because he was aggressive, but just regular old obedience lessons in March 2005. However, the one time Fergus would make a stink is if he was asked to do anything. You know like "come so you don't get hit by the car coming down the road". They had a great place to walk him in the morning, but no commands. He was tough, but we got him there.

He was actually found as a stray in New York City. When his new owners picked him up, they were told he was three, but it became very apparent that he was much older and just a bit set in his ways. I bet someone in NY City was and is missing him:( He has a great new home now, and a friend.....

I actually bumped into him at my old vet's office awhile back. Everyone looked a little disheveled. Come to find out, he has a bit of a reputation there!! I should have told them about the penlight. That may have distracted him during the taking of blood and shots.

10) Bridget (no picture) Bridget (aka Marylin Monroe) was a blond Cairn Terrier who was purchased by the same owners as Fergus later on in 2005. She tried to bully the human owners. Interestingly enough, just given some guidance and commands, she was by far the least aggressive of the two. However, she did need the guidance that obedience training can be.

11) Hershey (no picture) Very cute Daschund client in 2004. He was long haired with big brown eyes. I think he may have been my very first training client on my own, but I am not absolutely sure. The male owner in the house used to reward Hershey for going after a certain other apartment tenant that he did not like. This combined with the fact that Hershey almost never left the apartment not even to go to the bathroom did not create very socialized dogs. They had two other Yorkies as well. Very sweet dogs, but not very socialized.

We taught Hershey to sit and wait at the door. I also brought in my "friendly stranger" aka the husband to help him get used to strangers coming in the door. I did wish Hershey could have a better life with more opportunities for outside play when I left:( It's sometimes hard leaving the dog there, even though their owners do truly love them. They just may have certain problems of their own to deal with.

12) Izzy (no picture) First more than once a week dog client that was trained by me, and not by her owner. Izzy was actually a great girl, and a King Charles Spaniel. She weighed all of eight pounds when she grew up. However, she was a bit spirited, and she terrified her owners when she decided something was hers. As a result, everything did become hers LOL.

Her owners were able to use the commands, but still shrunk from her when she would have a tantrum. The best that I could get them to do, was put a pillow in between them when she would get like this. Izzy never got like this with me, because she knew the rules. Also, because I would just pick her up in the air in front of me if she tried it. Luckily there is not much damage little Izzy can do, or wants to do quite frankly.

Her owners love and adore her, and continue to let her get away with murder. I have advised them on against ever getting anything bigger, and they understand!!

13) Our Own, Jackie-Happily remaining in his home as our demo dog and competition obedience dog. I did post his story earlier.














14) Our Own Neptune-Lived with us for seven years before a reaction to a drug for his heart condition caused his death. The good news is, due to the early diagnosis of his condition, he lived for two years with us additionally, that we probably would not have enjoyed without the treatment.

Neptune's story has been posted as well.

Need your dog trained? Visit the http://www.mannerlymutts.com services page. Or contact me at 207-361-4395 in York Maine. Ask for Robin Rubin, Dog Trainer.

Say no to HSUS, PETA, No Shock Collar Coalition (NSCC) or Truly Dog Friendly Organization (TDF). Articles and information on why I do not support these organizations is on here and here.