This is the first of what I hope are many (and I also hope at least weekly!) thoughts, ideas and training tips related to the world of Dog Training (and Instructing) and Dog Walking, both as a professional and as an avid dog lover.
I have 4 dogs at home at the moment. Fezzik, who is the oldest of the bunch and started my wife, Laura, and I on the path to Positive Scientific based training. He is now roughly 13 years old, and a curmudgeon at heart. He's an American Eskimo x Corgi (best guess) and we got him when he was about 2 years old.
Sóley is our little "lady". She, along with the other 3, are Icelandic Sheepdogs (and no, "they must [not] be huge!" At 26ish pounds, Sóley is a little bundle of love and affection, unless one of the other 2 get in her hair the wrong way, then she'll the queen of the house and isn't afraid to back it up. Sóley is a CKC Champion and has trained in a lot of sports like Agility, Frisbee and loves doing tricks... when she isn't asking for tummy rubs.
Tindra, also a CKC Champion in Conformation, is Sóley's first daughter. She is a bundle of energy herself, around 23 pounds. She practices agility, Rally-O and enjoys a good game of fetch (or chase her friends as they run after the ball too).
Tinni is a good boy, with lots of potential and came to us when he could not longer stay at his home in Iceland. He is a work in progress and continues to work on his focus and excitability.
I've been a Dog walker since 2004, in the fall (if you remember that Fall) and I currently run Sundog Pet Services. Since that time I've helped people raise their puppies from 8 weeks all the way to now. I've taken on dogs as walking clients that had issues with noise and vehicles and using positive reinforcement turned them into dogs that didn't care if a big scary bus or dog-eating-garbage truck passed by.
In the Spring of 2006, I started working at Puppy People as an assistant training [instructor]. In 2008, I started instructing classes. In my time as an instructor, I have had taught everything from Puppy socialization classes, to Advanced obedience classes and Tricks classes. I currently instruct at both Puppy People, and All About Dogs, as well as doing my own private training with Puppies and Adult dogs (really though, to be honest, it's more about teaching people!).
I'm a strong advocate of Positive based training for two reasons: 1) It works, faster, and quicker and the dogs understand better in the long run and are more willing to work; 2) It's scientifically based. I have a B.Sc in Biology, and although at the time I didn't take many animal behaviour courses, I understand the usefulness of the Scientific Method. The current fade (on TV) is for Dominance - Bullying - and use of force on dogs. This has been proven time and again to be at best a way to get a dog or animal to do something for you, but more often than not, to either shut down, or even turn an animal against you!. Muzzle hits, check (choke) chains, prong collars and hanging dogs until they nearly loose consciousness is not a way to build a trusting relationship and it is not way to teach a dog to learn. Don't believe me, try it on your significant other [person]...
My goal with this blog, is to inform, educate where I can, and to try to bring a little levity into the dog obedience world along with a strong foundation of Positive based training. Feel free to comment and share.
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