Meet Mocha. She's one of our newest board and train pups. She's already gone through our Basic Obedience group classes and did fantastic. So why is she back?
Well, she is an incredibly energetic puppy. She is a Husky/Rottweiler mix, and has soooo much energy and intelligence wound up like a spring in that little body.
She is here for E-collar training to layer on another method of communication to the skills she already knows. Her family also needs to know how to give her appropriate outlets for her energy, both mentally and physically.
In this video, I'm introducing her to the E-collar. I'm just teaching her that when she feels the stimulation, she should return to the handler. This is the very first step to teaching the dog that this is a fun game!
You will notice that I'm allowing her to get ahead of me, then I'm communicating with the remote before she gets to the end of the leash. If I need to add additional information, like moving backwards or maybe making a sound to get her to turn towards me, I do. If she turns and moves towards me, I praise and reward.
She is such a fun puppy, and learns so quickly. She just needs guidance. Show us what ya got, Mocha!!! ❤️❤️❤️
This is Zerah. Zerah never gets tired. This is Zerah's absolute favorite toy to give herself a good massage with. We LOVE Zerah!!! Always my comic relief. ♥️ 🤣🤣🤣
Ryman is also with us for a visit, and Beau got to meet her and play!
This video shows a lot of really nice body language from both dogs.
Beau is being very respectful in his approach. He licks her mouth to show submission and she turns her head as a calming signal. They both do the sniffing circle, which is how dogs should get to know one another. Then Beau begins to offer play bows to entice her to play.
Ryman had already had a play session with Phoenix (who was not as polite as Beau 🤦♀️), so she was pretty exhausted, but very tolerant with the puppy.
Very nice play session from both dogs! ❤️
Lettie Spaghetti is back for a visit, and she is rocking everything she learned in her board and train! This is such a fun dog to work with and play with! ❤️
Just a little background so you will all understand how incredible this video is. At least to me and everyone who knows this dog.
When I met Gracie (the Great Dane) about 6 years ago, I was asked to help with reactivity towards her older Great Dane housemate. She is a rescue.
When I went to the house, she exhibited what looked like extreme aggression towards the older dog, even from a far distance. We had to help her with her emotions.
We eventually resolved that behavior, and the dogs were able to get to a point where they got along and played together.
Eventually, we were able to get both dogs into a playcare situation with other dogs, which was huge!!!
When the older dog passed, the family rescued another GD. This time a male - Odin. There is such a long backstory here. I'll try to make it as concise as possible.
Odin has been through our group classes, both Basic Obedience and Intermediate. Gracie tried our group Basic Obedience class, but could not be around other dogs, even from across a 2 acre field. However, she has been through our Basic Obedience board and train, and then our E-collar b/t.
This was our walk tonight with Phoenix, who she has never met before. We walked together with no issues. No barking, lunging, pulling. We walked the dogs together. This has been a long process, but I am so proud of this girl.
When I say that every dog is unique, this is what I mean. It has taken years, and changing techniques to what works for Gracie to get her to this point. And I 💯 commend her family for not giving up. She is a special girl. Loving, smart, and deserving of support and guidance.
Just remember that training is not a quick fix. It takes time and dedication. This never would have happened without her family's constant dedication. Keep working. ❤️
So, a little bit of back story...
This is Snickers. I bred her, so she's been with me from day 1. She stole my soul and chose me as her human. I couldn't be more thankful for that.
I am a trainer of about 15 years. She is almost 9 years old. We have trained since she was a puppy. My family calls her "Speed Bump" because she lives on my left side. She moves with me, sits when I stop, and will not cross a threshold unless I give her permission (even if I forget).
This dog LOVES to work and train because it's fun. She lives to please because we have such a strong connection and have built so much trust with each other. Trust and mutual respect is key to having a beautiful relationship with these dogs.
A few months ago, her personality started to change. Her eyes dulled, her energy tanked, she wasn't eating...she was off.
I know my dogs. Something was wrong. After a vet visit, we found that her urine was extremely diluted and her thyroid levels were low. She had lost about 20 lbs in a few months.
We now have her thyroid regulated, and she is eating and gaining weight, but we are still working on her kidney issues.
In this video (which was taken tonight), you see an engaged, happy dog, even though she is not at her prime. Why? Because this little bit of training is what she lives for. THIS MAKES HER HAPPY. I'm not forcing it. If she makes a mistake, we laugh it off and have fun together. It's all about the engagement, my friends. Foster a healthy happy relationship through lifelong training, and have fun doing it! There is nothing more rewarding than that.❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for reading,
Snickers and Heather
Phoenix and Rebel were meant to be BFFs!!! Oh. My. Goodness!!! These two played so well together and had so much fun! ❤️
Having some fun playing musical beds with our basic obedience class tonight. This is such a fun group of people and dogs!!!
If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right! 😉
If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!! 😉
Phoenix is a work in progress, but we are having a blast! That's what's important. She's a hot mess, and we are sloppy right now, but we all start somewhere. We've gotten more in sync from where we started about a month ago. This is working her for about 5-6 minutes before each meal. It doesn't take much, but consistency pays off.
You don't need to stress yourself out about training. Keep it short and sweet, and fit it in when you can. ❤️
We had such a fun play group today!
Ryman, the big white floof, is the mama dog in this group. She regulates play, and keeps all of the other pups in check and well behaved.
Then there's my hooligan, Phoenix. 🤦♀️🤣🤣🤣
The little floof is Butter - still a baby, but she's learning to be brave and make friends. ❤️
And then Zerah, the Vizsla, who has a ton of energy. She had a training session, structured play session, and a long walk before the group play session. She is literally the Energizer Bunny!!! 🤪
All of these dogs have done board and train stays with us, and all are amazing dogs. All of them have families who are dedicated to working towards the best relationship they can have with their dog and helping their dog live their best life through training.
I'm so proud of all of these families for putting in the time and effort to get these pups where they are today.
Kudos to all of you!!! ❤️❤️❤️
