Updates on June the 8th

Bella the Mastiff Puppy-Her 9th lesson is today, and it will be around her home. She is a friendly sweet and way laid back dog. In fact, the hardest part of her training has been having her owner being consistent and insistent that she keep up with her in a heel. Her comes are like molasses, but as long as she is straight and focused on her target, I am not concerned. This is the type of dog that would do well in competition, but have everyone roaring with laughter at her laid back and slow ways. Her owners are hoping to prove she does in fact move when kids come home, and show me that part of her life today LOL.

Willie and Jillian-Two BFFs took a mini group class this year with their dogs Willie and Jillian. They are waiting to continue in the Fall now. Jillian has become a much more confident dog. Willie's owner has become being more confident in her abilities with Willie, and we had started walking on the beach with the other dogs that concern Willie's owner more than Willie LOL. Although, I have seen Willie's inappropriate greeting style in my yard, and with his BFF, Jillian. Saturdays are a lot less filled with laughter without these two. I look forward to the fall, though perhaps not waking up so early on a Saturday LOL.

Magoo Great Dane Puppy-Magoo is doing great. Now we are working in puiblic more, and with pace changes. Both these things bring out the puppy behaviors in this large breed dog. He must be about 90 pounds now at six months plus. His obedience is going great. Right now we are staying away from sits and auto sits, until he completes his conformation obligations:)

Lucey the Barking Westie-When her brothers aren't around, Lucey doesn't mind not barking at the tv anymore. Now it's time for her owners to come in and see how that can be accomplished at home as well.

Hoobie the Springer with Touch and Hand Issues-Hoobie is now unmuzzled on most of his time in the house and during training (within the property). He is now also being brought into the public (muzzled), and being taught about manners in the car, and that the driver of the car gets to pick where he would sit. This is the one area that I find Hoobie would be happy to bite me unmuzzled. Also when Hoobie is pushed out of his "safety zone" this is where Hoobie the Horrible can still show up later on. So now it's about exposing him to new things, where he realizes he comes out of it safely and it was fun. Sometimes dogs like this can have fun going out, and be stressed by it all at the same time. When you create an arousal level in them, they can feel vulnerable still in their downtime at home. It's not about coddling, but having consistent and enforceable rules and boundaries. This is another way to have stable predictability in a dog's life that has such extreme phobias. Because the truth is, they need to learn to deal with life, and it's not always going to be on their terms!!

Everything on the dog's terms is neither good for the dog nor the handler/owners.

Hoobie loves the training portion of the day, by the way. Even when he is trying not to do what I want, he is in a good mood about it and doesn't mind when I place him there. Who would have guessed that? It all goes to demonstrate how unique individual dogs are, and how you won't guess as to how they will reacte to something without having worked with them on it first. I would have thought this would be a complete battle ground for us, but I think it gives him something to focus on instead of worrying.