Wagging Willow

Sophie has learned that if she pulls on her leash while on a walk, Christy will stop and wait for her to loosen the tension on the leash before they continue with their walk.

Sophie loves playing in the front yard, so it was important that she learned boundaries. I stood across the street and called out to Christy to come over and say hello. Christy asked Sophie to stay and crossed the street to chat with me. Sophie quietly kept her down/stay while Christy and I chatted. Good girl Sophie!

Sophie learns to go to her "spot" in the crate and stay until Christy gives her the "free cue." This is very useful in keeping Sophie from door dashing and getting over aroused when someone knocks on the front door.

In the past Sophie had learned that barking resulted in getting what she wanted, in this case for Christy to throw her beloved ball. This type of barking is called demand barking.

Now that Sophie knows what to do, Christy just waits until Sophie stops barking on her own and lies down. This does require patience and practice to be successful. Great job Christy!

Sophie has now learned that in order for Christy to throw the ball, she has to lie down and quietly "wait."

At the site of his ball, Cheddar would bark and jump up demanding that Luke throw the ball. The game of "fetch" would result in overarousal. Now Cheddar has learned to quietly "wait" until Luke gives the "fetch" cue. This took a tremendous amount of impulse control!

At home, Cheddar practices to "stay" until Kaitlyn asks him to "come."

Cheddar shows that he knows how to quietly "stay" while both his parents walk to the fountain and back!

For our last session we went to New Broad St. in Baldwin Park to practice our good manners in Public. We crossed the street....

Shadow used to impulsively run to the front door and bark loudly each time the doorbell rang. Now he is learning to go to his "spot" and "stay" because it's much more rewarding and safe than running to the door. You are such a smart boy Shadow!

What does your dog do when someone knocks on the door or rings your doorbell? Say hello to Skyler and Snickers, two adorable but mischievous Yorkie puppies who have learned that when someone knocks or rings the doorbell, they go to their "spot" and "stay" in their pen until released. For now, mom will close the pen door for extra security. However, in this video they are learning to "stay" with the pen door open until mom says "free."

Say hello to Rocky, mom Tammi, and dad Alex. Using a 33 ft lead for safety, we practiced an extremely important skill: boundaries. We started with Tammi playing games with Rocky on the front lawn. I played the role as a neighbor across the street and called out to Tammi to say hello. Tammi asked Rocky to stay then crossed the street to greet me. Alex kept a watchful eye on the long leash in case Rocky decided to follow Tammi across the street. I cannot stress enough how important this skill is. It is lifesaving! Please watch! Kudos to Rocky, Tammi, and Alex!

Last week our AKC Urban group visited the Rollins College campus to practice some of their leash walking skills. What a great place to take your dogs for enrichment! Please congratulate these moms and dogs and show your appreciation for the hard work, time, patience, and love they have taken in developing their pups into well-mannered dogs!

An all-too-common excuse for surrendering a dog to a shelter is "we're having a baby." Another option is to prepare your canine family member(s) for the addition of the new human sibling. This is the choice that Tori and Troy made for their THREE pups. I was honored to help them through this journey that started in November and still continues with the birth of their daughter this February.

This morning our AKC Urban CGC class went to Park Ave in Winter Park to practice some of the skills needed to pass the test for certification. They included crossing the street, walking through a crowd on a busy urban sidewalk, appropriate reaction to city distractions, and ignoring food on the sidewalk. The pups and their parents were able to experience all this as they successfully walked through a crowd of people waiting online and/or sitting at tables while being served brunch. Prior to walking through the crowd, we practiced the basic skills we would need to successfully accomplish our goal. So proud of my urban ready students!

Say hello to Kirby, a six-month-old yellow lab and his 9-year-old boy Vincent. They are enrolled in our private puppy class and practiced loose leash walking for the first time! They nailed it! The love and bond between them are undeniable! I couldn't be prouder!

Last week our AKC Community Canine session brought us to a Walmart Neighborhood Market, providing us new scents and a higher level of distractions. As you can imagine, the meat aisle, bakery, and dog food aisle were at first a challenge for Poppy, who is extremely food motivated. After a few trips up and down those aisles, Poppy was able to control her impulse to sniff everything and focus on following her mom while avoiding carts, people, and boxes. This adventure was even more challenging since we weaned her off treats and was rewarded instead with mom's love and affection. Another successful session! Great job Poppy and Sindy! Sindy Brown Levine

Those of you following Poppy's journey, for one of our sessions Poppy visited Home Depot for the first time. We went on a Monday morning at 9;30am. It's important not to overwhelm your puppy and always make it a positive experience. You'll see that Poppy received lots of positive reinforcement throughout the session, especially towards the end when she encountered a mechanical Santa! Enjoy! Sindy Brown Levine

AKC Community Canine Week 2 Featuring Poppy

Poppy continued her second week of AKC Community Canine training on New Broad Street downtown Baldwin Park. She practiced following cues with distance and duration, politely meeting strangers on leash, and heeling while crossing the street, and walking up and down stairs. Great job Poppy and mom Sindy! Sindy Brown Levine