Day 176 - Sub

Today I had to substitute for the head dog trainer, and got a great compliment from one of her students in return. Of course, it's always my prerogative to rock the classes that I sub for in hopes that the clients rave about me upon the other trainer's return, and also, so they can build a report with me and come to me with questions as needed when their "favorite" trainer isn't available.

Frustrated with the Intermediate level class that was not so "Intermediate", I continued to work one on one with the students who seemed to be struggling, and offered encouragement along the way. It wasn't until after class had ended and I had said my good-byes to everyone that our manager came up to me and told me that Bentley's mom said that I was a great trainer and very helpful and basically, she adores me. Woo-who! Score one for the sub! (Of course, I'm sure she adores her regular trainer too, but - yay ME!)

Day 159 - Intermediate

I'm so excited, everyone in my puppy class graduated tonight and (if they choose to do so) are eligible for Intermediate class! Why am I bragging? Because this has seriously been one of the best classes I've had in a long time, and all the parents were diligent with their pups, training and homework.

Now...let's just hope they all sign up for my next class.

Day 148 - Energy

There are days I'm absolutely in love with my (dog training) job. Days that I love usually involve working with a pup who's parents have written it off as crazy, and untrainable, only to take the dog and have it perform miraculously with me. People tend to think it's magic, or that I have better treats then they do, but what really accounts for the drastic change in their dog's behavior? One simple word, ENERGY!

Today I got to work with a two-time returned adoption dog that was labeled as untrainable, and not adoptable. Really? Unadoptable is a pretty harsh word! The parents were nervous to bring her to class as they expected wild and crazy behavior, however all I saw was a dog eager to work and please it's parents. I saw a high energy, intelligent, but bored dog - a dog just looking for something to do, but when not given the proper outlet, of course she'll eat your house as if it were made of kibble!

I started class with a cradle and massage technique designed to calm and sooth dogs. Of course, this is pretty easy with little lap dogs, but when you're working on restraining a 65 pound, what I'm guessing to be a Lab/Greyhound mix, it's a little harder. Her over anxious parents struggled with her, but I asked if I could take her to demonstrate, and when bringing a calm energy to the pup, she laid down and smiled. Yes, smiled as only Greyhounds tend to do.

See what I mean?

Immediately her parents asked if I could go home with them to keep working with her, and then it was my turn to smile. As the massage continued to relax the mixed breed, I heard whispers of "she's like the Dog Whisperer!". Comments like those MAKE MY DAY! After the demonstration, I sent the pup back to her parents and discussed bringing a clear mind and calm energy to their training, and guess who had the most well behaved dog in class? Yep, that's right!

It amazes me to see what kind of negative and anxious energy we pass along to our pets, yet expect them to remain in a calm, well behaved state. Take a lesson from dog training and think about what it is you bring to the table. What kind of energy do you present to others in your day to day interactions with your fellow man or woman? Do you walk tall and confidently, or slump over? Are you inviting, or closed off? Think about it, and if you haven't already, change up your energy for the better!

Day 131 - Come!

As a dog trainer, I preach a lot of practical knowledge but don't always get to practice it. One such example (and free advice for you dog owners out there) is the command, "Come". While I do practice and teach the actual command to my students, I have never actually practiced the emergency advice I give.

While not advised to practice this as a rule, I advise my students that when in the training phase if your dog escapes you and does not know the command "Come", instead of chasing your dog (which turns into a great game for your dog) you should call it's name and run away from it. The expected result is that your dog will more then likely follow you. This has always been the theory, but I've never tested it. Until now.

A small Havanese-mix and I went to work on her training. Her parents insisted she was crazy and perhaps dumb, however she did everything I requested. The longer her parents talked, the more I was witness to their bad behaviors that led to a confused dog. I pointed out their behaviors that needed correction and continued to work with the pup. They were amazed at how well their dog listened to me. "Well of course", I thought to myself, "clear directions do tend to work better then garbled messages".

"She runs away ALL the time!", they insisted. And that's when I set fear aside, and put theory to test. First I chased her, to demonstrate how she would run for me as if it were a game of chase, and sure enough, she ran from me. I quickly turned the tables, called her name and gobbled like a turkey (exciting noise to catch her attention) as I ran away from her. When I reached the door of the training center, guess who was right behind me? That's right, the little "dumb" white pup! She had followed just as my theory expected her to. It was one of the coolest dog training moments for me to see theory turn into fact.

Going out on a limb today to test theory was well worth it. Not only did I grow as a trainer, but I got the parents to sign themselves up for some much needed human training, err, I mean dog training! It was a win-win situation.

Day 127 - Help

There's a new trainee at work. I was asked if she could help me teach today. I don't like help (often) as I am a control freak, and would rather see most things through on my own. And now, you want someone new to help me? Someone that is still learning and doesn't know everything I know to help me?

Ok, ok, I remember what it was like to be new, so I let the trainee help me. I'm not heartless, just a perfectionist. It was very hard to allow the newbie to help, but I set fears aside of an imperfect training session and let her teach two different dog training techniques. I chimed in as needed in what I hope was a non-overbearing manner to round out her lessons, and things ended successfully. Having Jennifer's help today was actually a nice break from having to yell over the top of a barking Bull Terrier. Hey, I could get used to this!

Day 68 - Spice II

I was excited to see Spice, the red Doberman, practicing her training tonight. If you recall my recent post about her, her owner is a bit rough with her and quite over bearing. Today I got to see my past conversation, thoughts and advice come to fruition as her owner has definitely improved some of his handling skills. While he still has a long way to go, I was happy to see that my concerns "sunk in" and made a difference!

I gave new advice tonight and demonstrated my own handling of the Dobey and know that this too will be worked into her resume of training. Let me tell you, taking her away from her owner to demonstrate "my way" was a bit intimidating! While I may never convince this pet owner that tugging and jerking on a leash is not the way to train, I will continue to mould him to what I hope is at least a softer version of himself.

Day 61 - Spice

I arrived at my part time job to find a man and his red Doberman in my classroom. I've seen him once before and didn't care for his over bearing handling skills, but chose to ignore him and let it go. Today, I didn't. Sensing he was unwelcome, he left the training center and then demonstrated his training skills in front of me as if he was going to teach me something. I am all about being educated as I realize I don't know everything, but when I clearly know there's a better and proven method in doing something, don't try to convince me that the wrong way is the right way.

He continued to yank on his dog's leash, popping the prong collar, tugging at the collar, and never releasing any of the tension on the collar. I let him continue, and didn't say anything immediately as sometimes I fear and think, "Who am I to get involved?". But the fact is, who am I not to get involved? Done with his demonstration, he walked away, but I decided to follow him and then, mustering all my nerve, asked, "Earlier, when you asked your dog to sit and stay, you continued to apply pressure on the leash and had the prong collar digging into your dog's skin - why?". His reply was, "Well, I want her to sit and stay no matter what distractions are going on.". "Okay", I replied, "but what is her reward for staying?". "I pet her when she comes", he replied. I said, "But that's a praise and reward for coming to you, what's her reward for staying? She continues to feel a painful pressure on her neck while she's staying, so what is her motivation to stay?". He stammered and didn't really have an answer. I told him there are other distractions other then pain that he could use to teach his dog a reliable stay.

As the conversation and demonstration of skills continued, the next thing I observed was him grabbing his dogs head forcefully, and forcing her to look him dead in the eye. Despite her struggling, he kept twisting and turning her head in order to make her keep eye contact. When he did manage to hold her head in place, she closed her eyes and averted her eyes as much as she could. I quickly stopped him, and asked him what he was attempting to do. He explained, "I'm just loving on her, and asking her to look at me.". While I thought "that's an odd display of affection", I saved derogatory commentary and instead said, "You're scaring her." Seeing the look of concern on his face, I explained, "Eye contact amongst dogs is a threat. She is doing her best to avoid a conflict and to avoid being seen as a threat to you. She is averting her eyes and communicating to you in her own language and you don't understand it. You're taking away her ability to communicate by forcing her head to stay still. If anything, it's a compliment that she's not looking at you as she's showing you, 'I mean you no harm, I want no conflict here, I am submitting to you!'". I quickly said her name, made a kissy noise, and she looked right at me. I immediately praised her and petted her. I showed him in about 2 seconds a better way to do and accomplish what he wanted. He tried it next and it worked perfectly. He was amazed and thanked me for sharing my knowledge.

While I found him unappealing at first, I actually hope this man will come back so I can continue to coach him and show him that not all things are accomplished by force. Putting fears aside I helped educate someone today, and hopefully prevented some painful yanks on the prong collar for his dog. I hope the lesson learned was that love and training doesn't have to be painful. There's a line in the movie "Michael" that comes to mind, and while I can't quote it perfectly, it refers to a battle between the North Wind and the Sun to see who could make a traveler take off his coat first. The North Wind blew and blew and tried as he might to blow the coat off the man, the man clung to his garment all the tighter. Defeated, the North Wind allowed the Sun to try the same challenge. The Sun came out and shone brightly and gently warmed the Earth. In no time the man, over heated by his coat, removed it. Sometimes in life, you just need to be the sun.

Day 56 - Mounted

-Trainer's Best Friend: The Clicker -

Dog training can be unpredictable, especially when the dog(s) you are working with are brand new to you. The first day of class for me is really all about reading body language, watching for signs of aggression or fear amongst the dogs, and really summing up and taking a mental picture of the work I have cut out for me over the next 5 weeks of class. Of course, my students only see a trainer droning on about the building blocks and fundamentals of positive reinforcement while internally, I am making check lists about who I will allow to interact with others and who I think would be a well behaved dog to use for my demonstrations.

Now maybe my judgement was lacking, but I decided to take on a 90+ pound Mastiff "puppy" to demonstrate to the class the "sit" behavior. Sweet natured as he was, he was not neutered which in turn led him (amongst other behavioral issues) to start mounting me in the middle of the class. Despite the fact I outweigh the dog, he definitely had more muscle mass then I do and I quickly found myself body blocking and turning away from him to no avail. While I normally would have tried to physically restrain the dog, I knew I was out powered by the beast. I panicked for a moment and thought about giving up. My fear of being completely over powered and embarrassed as a trainer made me want to trade him out for another dog. This thought process was only encouraged by his parents embarrassment as they asked for him to be returned to them.

It took a moment for me to regain my composure and I began walking my feet up his leash in efforts to keep him from jumping on me. I explained to the class my technique and as I talked, he slowly found himself out maneuvered and laid down. Once he was in the down position, I knew I had the "little" bastard. I immediately rewarded him for his good behavior, and got right back to working on "sit". Magically, he sat the first time I asked him. And the second and the third as well. His parents looked on in shock as I trained their dog.

Walking him back to his parents I calmly explained, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, "You just have to stick with it and follow through with what it is you want your dog to do". As the students looked on in what I hope was amazement, they quickly turned to their own dogs and began their practice. Phew! One more dog and fear tackled!

Day 47 - Pup Pics

- Sit, Stay! -

Today I did something I was intimidated to do, and have never done before. I took class photos! I've been training dogs for close to 3 years and have never once taken a photo of any of my students. Tonight was graduation for my all time best class and favorite students, so it was a "now or never" opportunity and I refused to let it pass me by. I pulled out the camera and started snapping away. Thanks to another fear tackled, both my students and I will have long lasting mementos of 16 weeks of learning, camaraderie and fun!

Day 36 - Parenting

I don't have kids, and currently don't even own a dog, but I feel I sure know a lot more about parenting then others seem to. It's called, common sense. My dad used to say, "Common sense isn't so common", and the older I get and the more I see, the more I believe it. Typically I don't butt into other people's dog ownership skills or parenting as, like I said above, I don't currently have either so I figure, who am I to impose? But today, I couldn't help but to let my opinion be known.

I came upon a well groomed couple with a new Pit Bull puppy that was grossly malnourished to the point of bone deformity paired with massive skin conditions and hair loss. I immediately put fears of differentiating opinions aside, and despite potentially being viewed as the "imposing busy-body know it all" type, I started to inquire about the pup. She was a recent acquisition from what sounded to be a puppy mill. Despite learning she didn't get the best start in life, I was happy to learn the new parents had her on an impeccable diet. I pressed them for details, only to learn she hadn't been to a vet, and that the new owners assumed her bone problems could be fixed by running her on a treadmill to "toughen her up".

That's when my mouth took over. "She needs to go to a vet, she's deformed! She has obvious skin issues whether it's from malnourishment, or demodex and I'm guessing with proper care these things may be reversible, but you need to get her vet-checked, now!". I didn't care how I sounded, I just wanted what was best for the pup! The owners seemed a bit surprised about the information that was spewing from my mouth, but by the end of the conversation my thoughts and opinions seemed well received. I believe with the bit of education I provided her parents, Cashmere will be seeing a vet soon. I can only hope that mom and dad will take their Pitty's health as seriously as I did. Fear conquered, and hopefully a puppy saved!

Speaking of saving a puppy, check out adoptable dogs at your local shelters and leave puppy mills and pet stores behind!

- Meet Cisco -

http://www.anticruelty.org/adopt/

Day 23 - Dog Day Afternoon

Today I conquered insecurity. This wasn't a planned fear to tackle but became one rather quickly. I was asked to help out a friend with a dog problem and after putting it off once, I had to face facts that today was the day to conquer the "Angry Basset". I've been training dogs close to 3 years, and while I have moments of greatness, sometimes it doesn't occur to me that I'm a good trainer. When friends ask for free advice where their pups are concerned, I reply that I might be able to help. Never do I seem to utter a confident response of, "Sure, I can do that!".

After an hour and a half drive, I was reacquainted with a long lost friend and his pack which included a Boxer, a Newfie and the "Angry Basset". The angry Basset was the problem child of the group, and his laundry list of bad habits was quickly divulged to me. I was immediately intimidated by the list of naughty behaviors, and quite honestly wanted to turn tail and run! I quickly regained my composure and realized I couldn't tackle everything on the list, so I focused on what the pup's parents thought were his top 2 issues and offered up some free advice. By the end of my visit, the angry Basset didn't seem so angry anymore and his parents began to see their own involvement in his bad behaviors. I advised the Basset's humans of some modifications they could do, and I think with a little consistency they'll see a new dog emerge. As I left, I was complimented on my skills, and thanked for my time. Payment was a shirt covered in drool, and a full serving of self confidence that yes, I am good at what I do!