 Each week Gracie has gotten better on her walk, and this week was no different. When a dog pulls I use 'Slow Down' to let them know they are going too far, and this week she actually reacted to that command by slowing down her gait. Best. Walk. Yet!
 Tonight we practiced Keurig's Come When Called and he did very well. I even distracted him with some vigorous play but as soon as his owner called he ran right to her. Another issue Keurig has is he doesn't like to have his nails trimmed, so we did some work to desensitize him of that.
 Another new client tonight, Baxter is a 6 month old Lab/Border Collie mix in need of basic obedience. We focused on Sit and Down, behaviors that will be the foundation for others in the weeks to come. Baxter already Sits very well and caught on to Down very quickly.
 Molly is a 9 year old Miniature Schnauzer whose pulling on the walk has gotten so bad that her owner has stopped walking her. Over the years she has been reinforced for her pulling by being allowed to get to where she wants to go. This unintentional reinforcement, as we have learned from the Amazing Dog Training Man, has perpetuated this unwanted behavior. Tonight we began the steps to remedy it.
 “I knelt down and hugged the furry monster for a while. If it was too tight, Ghost didn't seem to mind. He wagged his tail and whined a little, sensing the hurt that I felt. Dogs are truly the best of companions. You don't need to explain. They know as much as they need to know, and they are loyal no matter what sins you've committed.”
― Jonathan Maberry, The King of Plagues  Maslow, a 4 month old Toy Poodle, is non-stop energy in a 5 pound package. Very eager to learn, his owners have already taught him a solid sit, down, and even roll-over! Tonight he learned Leave It, and I showed the clients how to desensitize him to the clippers so he has a positive experience at the groomer next week.
 Once again Gracie and I practiced the Walk. Because Gracie doesn't get walked during the week the first fifteen minutes or so are a challenge. But there has been a noticeable change since the first week. By the last half of the walk she actually does pretty well. Its just going to take time.
 Keurig is a 17-month old hound mix who needs some help with his Recall, Loose Leash Walking, and Leave It. He is a typical hound in that he is laid back despite his young age. But he also has a fairly high prey drive, which makes his walking and recall a challenge. Tonight we worked on reinforcing his Leave It and also practiced some Loose Leash Walking techniques.
 "Dogs are easier to love than people; they're certainly more dependable. Once they love you, that's it. A true friend in life is a dog."
- Joan Rivers  Milo completed his basic obedience training by learning how to walk on a loose leash. He is a pure bred German Shorthair Pointer, so his prey drive is pretty high, which makes walking nicely a little more difficult. But Milo and his family did great. Until he saw the toad!
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AuthorJeff Dentler, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FFCP, CTDI Archives
June 2023
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