Here’s a great capture of Marsh & Penny playing together not long after Marsh healed enough to have his special collar taken off, briefly.
Looking after Marshal (black lab mix) & Penny (copper shepherd mix). Marsh had recently been through surgery @ Fisher Animal Hospital & was recovering, but still needed a little occasional activity to help burn off some of his anxious energy. Despite being an oldboi, he was still very energetic and excitable.
Poor Marshall was looking for his owner the first couple days after they left. Meanwhile, Penny had no problem letting me know I needed to pay her extra attention.
Considering it took several visits over the course of about a month to finally get her to trust me coming to the house, I’m incredibly surprised by how quickly Dixie was able to adjust to her neighbor coming over to visit for the first time. Minimal barking, and already taking treats from her hand!
Snoop is still absolutely ecstatic to see his buddy every week. Hard to image he wanted to chew my toes off when we first met! What a sweet boy!!!
Lately Dixie’s parents and I have been focusing on counter-conditioning and helping reduce her reactions toward strangers and unexpected events, particularly within their vehicle where they often bring her along. This was mom’s first time directly training Dixie as we observed random strangers in the parking lot of Tractor Supply in Muscle Shoals. I was in the front seat coaching, and Dixie kept expecting me to give the treats, haha.
Maple is a rescue from neglectful owners who let her go at the drop of a hat … unthinkable, considering what a wonderful companion she’s become to her new caretakers and how loving and intelligent she is. She does struggle with some possessive behavior around her new handlers toward the other dog, but that’s extremely common in situations like this, and the parents’ consistency with training and preventative measures has allowed her to make a smooth transition into her new household. This girl absolutely melts my heart!
Penelope enjoying some poolside playtime with her favorite toy.
Daphne’s First Session
This is a video from an early session with Daphne back when we first met. We’ve been on a couple hiatuses, unfortunately, due to her having a VERY bad habit of stealing & eating socks and other random clothing items which has resulted in surgery & recovery periods. She’s clever and has made great progress with her overall training, but she has to be monitored closely since she likes to be so sneaky and get into things. Hopefully this will diminish with age, consistent boundaries, and further training.
Some of you may remember when I first posted about Snoopy a few years ago and how badly he wanted to chew my toes off, along with everyone else he met. Well, he may still struggle with strangers here n there (esp his new doggie neighbors) but this guy absolutely loves it when I drop by to walk him week to week. It’s a great testament to what can happen when you’re patient, consistent, loving, and have some damn good treats to share! Lol.
Introducing Daphne!!! Isn’t she a gorgeous Dane??? I love that one of her arms is almost completely black, while the rest of her is speckled. We’ve had two sessions so far, just working on the fundamentals at the moment, but she shows great promise. She’s a clever girl, and her mom catches on quick as well! Lol. Maybe some day I’ll remember to actually record mid-training, rather that chill time afterward! 🙄
Bernie the Berniedoodle from The Renaissance of Florence is slowly working toward his exam to qualify for the Canine Good Citizen certification. We were lucky to run into a couple ladies at the park who were training with their puppies to behave around new people/pets just like we were. After some initial excitement, we were able to get all three dogs to relax and follow commands while we stood to chat. Fantastic practice opportunity!
Willow is one of my newest clients. She’s a rescue, and still healing (physically & psychologically) from abuse prior to finding her forever home. I’ll be assisting her owners with developing strategies to help her adjust to her new home & hopefully learn to trust other humans again. She’s slowly learning to relax when I’m present & play with her mom, and has started taking treats from my hand. Baby steps, but still a good sign.
One of the funniest parts of playing fetch with Remi…
Hard to believe when I first met Snoopy a few years ago that he absolutely wanted to chew my face off, lol. Amazing what time, patience, and consistent training can do for some dogs. Very proud of he & his mom for working so hard.
Annie would play tug/fetch all day long if she could. She’s got so much energy. Toys & play time are going to be great training tools for her in the future.
Don’t let her precious little face fool you, Annie here is as wild as they come, lol. She’s still a little young atm so we’re primarily focusing on potty training and not pulling/eating her leash on walks.
I recently got the amazing opportunity to start training Bernie (the berniedoodle, lol). This sweet guy is the official mascot of a local assisted living residence, and has a long, exciting journey ahead of him learning how to help others. I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity & so far Bernie has proven to be an excellent choice for the position! Can’t wait to share more of his progress!
Rusty would take belly rubs over treats just about any day, haha.
Dottie shows me her favorite spot of grass she goes to when she first gets let out. Meanwhile, Ollie does his best Houdini impression, lol.
