Hangin' Out in the House

Simon is learning a "place" command in the house. This teaches him an acceptable place to be. He is doing very well with this command, even when that cat pokes his head around. Simon definitely gets a little excited around the cat, but he is quickly learning to ignore the him.

Simon Starts His Training

Simon has been doing well with his training. He is learning to heel, sit, down, stay, an automatic sit from the heel and sit and wait at doors. He is a very smart little dog. I think he is going to do very well with this training. He is slightly sensitive to the collar. He never yips but he can feel the stimulation at probably one of the lowest levels I have ever had a dog on. Nevertheless, he is performing fine on this level. I think you would be amazed that he can even feel it; I personally cannot feel this level on my hand. Here are a few pictures of some of our training sessions.

Mocha and Raz Go Downtown

We took Mocha and Raz dowtown for a training session. They both did great heeling along the sidewalk and the Rail Trail. Occasionally, if distracted, they were quickly brought back to attention with a slight tap with the collar. They are doing well in their obedience and both are joys to walk now. I hope you will be able to continue their social pack walks when they come home. This will reinforce your leadership. This will also excercise their mind when you keep them under your calm, assertive leadership.

Mocha and Raz Practice Down-Stay

Mocha and Raz are practicing their long "down-stay". Here they must stay in a down until released by us, however long that is. This command, along with the "place" command helps to establish control and leadership in your home, as well as keep the dog's energy calm and not hyperactive.

Mocha and Raz work on Heeling

Mocha and Raz are working on "heeling". Both dogs now walk politely on a loose leash and are gettin very good at walking off-leash too. They are very responsive to the collar. Each time they are let outside to play and use the bathroom, they are now let out completely off-leash. Each dog will come when called reliably. Everyday, they understand more of their role and are learning the proper behaviors.

Hangin' Out in the House

The dogs all get their time out in the house. They learn house manners such as not jumping on the furniture or counter surfing. One of the best commands to help with any bad behavior in the house is the "place" command. Here we all hang out and watch TV and we can have a relaxing time without dogs running and jumping all over the place. Here are some pics of Raz and Mocha on their beds along with our German Shepherd, Mara.

Learning to Sit at the door

Here is a picture of Raz, Snow, and Mocha learning to sit at the door and wait to come inside. Teaching the dogs to sit before coming in or going out helps to prevent "bolting" out doors.

Learning Place and Stay

I trained with Raz, Snow, and Mocha together. Each dog would have their turn doing the obedience commands while the others would stay on their place and watch. Teaching each dog to stay on their place even when the other dog is working can sometimes be difficult. It is a big distraction for the dogs when the other one is heeling around them. They must learn that no matter what is going on around them, they must perform the commands given. They must also realize when the commands are being given to another dog and NOT to them. All of the dogs did fantastic! Each one is learning their role in the pack and learning how to manage their behavior. Here are some pictures of the dogs on their places.

Mocha and Raz in Training

Mocha and Raz are doing great in their training. Both are learning how to respond to the collar and are learning the commands well. They are working on Heel, sit, down, stay and place. I feel like they are progressing nicely in their training.

Bottom's Last Blog

Bottom and I took a field trip to Lowe's. He did great in the store and was VERY well behaved. He heeled down each aisle and would sit and wait at my side when I was looking for my items. The folks in Lowe's just loved him. We even ran into an old friend from church, Mark Beach, and he wanted to have his picture taken with Bottom.

Bottom, Snow, and New Trainee, Mocha

Bottom and Snow looked on while Mocha, the newest trainee, began her training. They stayed in a "sit-stay" while Mark worked with Mocha on "heel" and "sit" and "stay". All of the dogs did great with each other.

The last picture is of Bottom and Snow sitting at the door waiting to come in the house.

Bottom and Snow

Just some cute pictures of the two of them together.

Snow Training

Here are several pictures of Snow. He can heel off-leash, sit, down, come, and stay. We have also been working on touching him around his neck and rear. He has been very sensitive in these areas and touching him here has caused him to react aggressively. He is doing much better with that now, although this will need to be reinforced when he returns home. The last picture is of him learning to allow me to put him in a grooming position and touch his head and rear.

Bottom Training

Here are several pictures of Bottom during his training session. He walks on and off-leash, will sit, down, stay and come. He is doing well with most of his commands. Consistency will

be the most important thing when he comes home to you.