Precious (above left) is our 1 year Border-Collie/Husky Rescue Dog we took into our home this spring. Her new friend, Stella (above right) is a full-blooded Rottweiler. Stella’s owner brought her to me for advanced training so she could pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. After just two training sessions, she passed with flying colors! Even better, my pup got to play with someone her own size for a change!
The advantages of being a dog trainer is that I get to work with a variety of great people and dogs, so my dogs are constantly being trained and socialized as I bring them into the training program. After our interactive training sessions, we allow the pups to play chase and romp or play a game of fetch with them.
Play is so important when training. If all you do is work on training your dog and don’t allow them the play time they need, they can become bored, stubborn, or even aggressive.Training is a delicate matter.
So, I do commend Stella’s owner for all the hard work and training he put into her. She was very aggressive when he bought her, so he got a good deal on her. His friends at the police K-9 unit wanted to buy her, said she was perfect for their team. But he knew Stella was meant for him, so he worked very hard on her aggression and retrained her to be the loving, obedient wonderful pup she is today.
When she came to her first training here, she had a few quirks that needed to be worked out, such as “leaving it” (food on the ground), and staying with a safe stranger for the required three minute supervised separation, and wanting to play when I held her front paws. By the very next day, she did everything perfect and passed her test! Smart dog. And an excellent owner who understands a little training, mixed with a lot of play time, goes a long way.
Just like dogs, we enjoy our play time and might need aggression training too if someone took the fun out of our life. A dog and owner who plays together stays together. Have a great night and enjoy your canine friend!
-Lisa Freeman is an AKC Evaluator, Dog Trainer, and Certified Pet Therapist for more information on training tips, classes, and freebies log onto http://www.DogsPawsForHealing.com
SHOOTING 101 