Hoobie and Our Other Clients

Akuma, 8 month old Siberian Husky male: Sadly no picture this week. He is on week 1 of basic obedience which is the longe line progression and sit on the dog. He is a puppy so training is a great thing. However, in particular his love of other dogs and people causes him to pull on the leash, which his owner always has a tight grasp of (conditioning the opposite response). So before the owner's wrist surgery, they are being training on the basics of loose leash control. The puppy is super smart and friendly just isn't strong enough word for him. This is a great "problem" for owners to have:)

Piper, Cavachon (Cavalier/Bichon) 3 plus month puppy: OMG this puppy is so cute. She is owned by a couple of women in the area. Just basic puppy manners and obedience being taught. While wicked cute and friendly, she has already learned how to start controlling her owners every waking moments LOL. Training the humans more here than the puppy, who is not only super cut but very very smart.

Here piper is table training into a down, and we are commenting on how tired she is after a long lesson. However, in a few short minutes she livens right up again LOL.

Puppy zoomies, you have to love them and a sign of a nice healthy normal puppy.

Piper is on lesson three here:)

Magoo, 7 month Old Great Male Dane Puppy (In Daycare and Train):

Magoo (Great Dane with taped ears in picture) is going into the conformation and obedience ring. These owners have had two other dogs trained with me, and now we are going for four (Lucey is his sister).

Magoo and I should be going into the obedience ring this year, and he is doing very well. He's a solid stable confident but soft young Great Dane puppy. He loves the dogs and people he lives with, and he loves the dogs and people he does not live with LOL.

His favorite activity is fun of any sort especially in the woods. He is getting the obedience that he has been taught so far very well, even under distracting circumstances (IE field trips to the beach and various fields OR at daycare where other dogs are walking around). He just finished up week one of basic training, and now we will be onto week two this week:) He is going to do very very well in obedience OR at least as well as his handler does LOL.

Lucey, 7 year old Westie Lady (In Daycare and Train):

Lucey and I have been friends for a long time. I adore all of my customers dogs, but I have always wanted a Westie and this little girl is terribly cute and patient of her large brothers (Great Dane and Giant Schnauzer), who groom her and sit on her constantly.

Lucey thinks the stuff in the tv is actually there, and that it's her duty to chase or catch it off the tv. So that's her main training. The most challenging part has been getting to not only that but the other instances that she barks so we can have a complete training package at the end that is simple for her owners.

I just love her. Look at those eyes, they could melt steel .

Bella, 7 Month Old Mastiff Girl Puppy (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Very, very nice mellow puppy. It is surprising to note that very friendly mellow puppies are the hardest for owners to train. I think it's because the training is not as exciting or seem as important when your dog is not trying to nail you nor run into the street LOL.

Bella is on lesson six, and is very friendly and mellow. However, a friendly run into an elderly person or small child could send them for a loop.

She is about in the high 70 pound mark now of cuddly cute fun. She enjoys kisses and just about whatever attention you would like to give her. She prefers naps to training and sometimes walks. She is so easy, the owner's older parents are able to take care of her. Sigh, I would love to have Bella over for a long visit, but I guess her family is going to get to enjoy her:)

Willie, 5 plus year old Male Portuguese/Airedale Mix (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Willie was here last year to be taught not to eat the guests at his owners house. Since then, he has hosted parties attended by their family and by children.

Willie's owner suffered a horrible accident that caused an injury to her brain. So time is needed to teach other skills. Now it's time to train Willie's owner how to walk in public places with him, and remin calm and confident so Willie doesn't feel her angst.

I don't think anyone will see them in any dog parks anytime soon, but his owner has had practice now with Willie on the beach and in our property around other dogs and people.

Willie should not be left alone to his own devices in his territory, but with a calm confident leader, he knows that she will not let anyone in who is a danger to the home front, and can now relax from enforcing that duty.

Jillian, 5 plus year old Lady English Springer (In Private Lessons with Owner):

Jillian came here for extreme separation anxiety. She was breeding stock in her younger years and either relegated to an infrequently visited crate or chained to a tree. The adoption contract for her stated that she could never be returned. You can imagine that she did not come from a particularly loving home after doing her duty of providing them with a sellable product.

However, Jillian landed into a home that loves her. They just needed to be able to put her into a crate (as she was pretty adept at opening the LOCKS and chewing through those pesky walls). Pretty funny story posted about her disappearance early on, where the police had to point out that those were bite marks around the lock, and that no one broke in to steal Jillian!!

Jillian is a total love bug, while still exhibiting the typical Springer stubbornness cheerfully. Her owner is now interested in doing obedience trials with her. I am in the process of teaching her owner how to go about that:)

Hoobie, 5 plus year old Male English Springer (in Board & Train):

Here he is the infamous Hoobinator!! Believe it or not, there is a sweet nice sociable dog in there despite his fear that causes him to do his absolute best to try and nail you. His gig is up, I have seen the sweet Hoobie and I am going to try my very best to pull him out of there.

Today we discovered that neck rubs are not unwelcome. So there is the start of a touch that we can work from, and use as a potential reward.

Yesterday he had a screaming fit over me removing an eye boogey. Today, he allowed that. Now realize at this point any outside contact comes with the muzzle on. I have used a muzzle in the training plan of three or four dogs. The thing to realize is that when the muzzle is off, the response is lessened and not extinguished yet. There is (especially with a dog like Hoobie that has extreme phobia and fear) a whole bunch of training to do with the muzzle on, until he does not react inappropriately with it on. THEN realize that most likely he is going to strike out the first few times he is out with a muzzle, and leash handling, the use of motivators and consequences will start shaping his behavior with the muzzle off.

The reason for the muzzle on this type of dog is to show him, without continual conflict, that it's just so much easier and enjoyable not to put up a huge stink. To be able to do this without correcting him every second and allow him to start calming himself down, and learning how to put the controls and decision making ability in place for himself.

In dog training, it is so important that the dog come to the correct decision themselves, and this means communication as to the benefit/reward of doing that. And with any dog and especially a dog like this times three, this is repetition of events in various places over and over again demonstrating this.

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