One of my dogs began as a 5-year-old reactive dog and became a registered therapy dog with Pet Partners and earned 11 AKC titles in Obedience, Rally Obedience, Trick Dog and CGC My name is Hollie and I spent over 10 years working with my dogs and competing in AKC Obedience and Rally Obedience Trials. I also spent much of that time volunteering as an instructor for group obedience classes at a loca
l obedience club and visiting nursing homes as a registered therapy dog team with 2 of my dogs. I also coordinated "dog demos" at area assisted living/nursing home facilities and I have been an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator since 2015. My Dogs:
CHICO (Chico RE CGCA)
The first dog I began formal training with was my AmStaff Chico. He was an easy dog to train, he enjoyed working and got along well with people and other dogs. He was a registered therapy dog with Pet Partners (Delta Society when we began as a therapy dog team). We also earned 3 AKC titles in Rally Obedience and the AKC Canine Good Citizen and advanced CGC titles. BLUE (Kenny's Baby Blue CD PCDX BN RE CGCA CGCU TKI)
Training Blue was quite a challenge and an amazing accomplishment. I started really working with him, trying to take him to classes in about 2012, when he was 5-years-old. He was reactive to other dogs, especially dogs his size or larger (and Blue wasn't exactly small, he was around 80 lbs). By 2019, Blue had earned 6 AKC titles in Obedience and Rally Trials (and received 7 out of 10 qualifying scores needed for a Rally Master title), 2 AKC Trick Dog titles and the AKC Canine Good Citizen title, as well as the advanced CGC and Urban Canine titles (2 higher levels of the AKC's Canine Good Citizen program). Blue was also a registered Therapy Dog with Pet Partners. I don't remember how long he was registered, but he re-tested at least twice (testing every 2 years). He tested at the higher of 2 levels, which meant we could visit places like hospitals. Upon a request, we visited a patient in the cardiac unit at Essentia Hospital. So that's 11 - pretty close to 12 - AKC titles and a registered therapy dog for at least 4 years. Not too bad for the crazy, vocal, reactive (to some scary) 5-year-old I began training with to have accomplished by 12-years-old. ZEUS (Chico's Thunder And Lightning TKN)
The last dog I was working with was Zeus. Zeus was reactive to both people and dogs, so he was quite the handful to work with and, like Blue, caused many people to be afraid of him. Unfortunately, Lymphoma took Zeus when he was 4-years-old, before we were able to reach his full potential. While he became quite reactive as he reached adulthood, he did earn his Novice Trick Dog title from the AKC. He was a smart boy and in our short time together he had learned some advanced obedience level exercises. I wish I could have seen the dog he could have become. DRACO (no registered name)
Draco is almost 3-years-old and really smart. But I have had some struggles in my personal life, which caused me to step away from dog training for awhile. When it comes to training, I have failed MISERABLY to this point with my current dog Draco. Don't get me wrong, he is a GREAT dog...at home, with people he knows. And I fully admit that I should have done a lot more with him - from socializing him with people and other dogs to training him even basic commands - all things I KNEW I should be doing with him, but just could not get myself to get up and do. With Draco I am not focusing on formal obedience. Our focus is on communication and him being a great family dog. No titles needed. I know its not always fun or easy for us to help our dogs be the dog we want them to. I know it can be A LOT of hard work and frustration. Its not always "Nice Job!" or "Good Boy!", sometimes its corrections and "Let's try again". But I also know even if you don't get the result you want as quickly or easily as you would like, the work trying to get there gives you something else...YOUR dog! It gives you time with your dog, connecting with your dog, bonding with your dog....and it gives your dog something he cares about so much more than himself......it gives him you.
