A little more regarding the dogs.....

I was suppose to be done blogging today but it seems I can't get enough of it right now! I decided to get started on writing some info on the kids but checked the blog and noticed I had some comments and thought it would be good time to address them.

Thank you Aunt Karen for the compliment on being attentive to dog's behavior but not being anthropomorphic. Fact is....dogs are dogs. If you think of a dog as "human-like" and treat a dog like a human, you end up with a huge problem! For example, a lot of people get little dogs like chihuahuas, yorkies, and Pomeranians. They carry them around like babies, share the food off their plates, and share their beds with them....then wonder why their dog tries to bite anyone who comes near them. Dogs like being dogs, they like knowing their place in the family and like having a leader, someone to teach them how to behave. If they don't get direction, they feel anxious and unsure of themselves. The anxiety can cause them to act out, bite out of fear, bark, and chew things. Don't get me wrong though....dogs have feelings and, believe it or not, they can think objectively.

Now on to a question I was asked: What happens to the dogs if they have not reached their goals in training by the end?
I will put them back into the program, and if I have to, continue working with them myself. For an example Cass was used because of the way he pulls on the leash. Cass and his trainer will overcome this by the end of this month. There is no doubt in my mind. They are working very hard and if his trainer can not make it to class (she has been having some dental work & hasn't been in class a couple times) then my volunteers, other kids in the class, or even myself will work with Cass on his loose leash walking.
The dogs I'm worried about right now are Lilly and Happy. Lilly needs a lot of work on socialization. Socialization can take a long time. I'm thinking it will do her some good to come back into the class for the last six weeks and work with a different trainer for more socialization. Right now all of the volunteers are walking up to Lilly on a regular basis and giving her a treat if she behaves. If she barks or gets into a defensive posture then we ignore her and walk away. Lilly's protective behavior was being fueled by her trainer without her trainer even realizing what she was doing. Every time Lilly would bark defensively at someone, her trainer (I'll call her H), would immediately wrap her arms around Lilly and try to calm her with a soft lovable tone. Lilly took this as she was doing the right thing. Now, H doesn't say a word to her or touch her when she is acting this way. So, right now, I say Lilly may have to stay, but at the same time we never know when the dog will have a break through and suddenly "get it". Next week, when I walk up to Lilly, she could sit right down or wag her tail playfully instead of barking. So we'll play it by ear.
Happy is another dog I'm concerned with right now. He is so distracted by everything around him and is pretty scatterbrained. Same thing with Happy as Lilly, we'll play it by ear and if they need to stay they'll stay in the program!
Great question!!!

Please ask questions! Sometimes I can be very scatterbrained and bounce from one subject to the next and forget important information, so I love questions! If any other dog trainers or teachers are reading this blog and have any suggestions for me, I would love to hear those too!

I also wanted to talk a little bit about breeds. Each time I work with the kids we do one hour of training with the dogs and one hour of classroom time. In the classroom, one of the things the kids learn, is the different breeds and their characteristics. I mentioned earlier about how we always have a Beagle and a Pit Bull. People buy them thinking Beagles are so cute, cuddly, and funny, like Snoopy. Fact is, Beagles are full of energy, independent, prey driven, and difficult to train. You need a lot of patience training a Beagle, which is just one of the things
our kids working with them learn!
People buy Pit Bulls because they think, "I'll look really cool having a Pit Bull" or think they will be good watch dogs. Pit Bulls must have training and I don't mean to be a good watch dog! They are so smart, easily trainable, and very lovable. But some people buy them and train them to protect and they think it's funny when their Pit Bull growls and someone. It is already in their breed to protect. They should NEVER have any type of training to protect. If you train them to protect, someone walks in your door and gets bit, or, a kid accidentally kicks a soccer ball into your yard, comes to get it and gets bit. Pit Bulls need good owners and obedience training. If you have a Pit Bull that bites and misbehaves then you shouldn't own a Pit Bull.
Neither of these breeds are good breeds for an inexperienced dog owner.

So, what the kids learn when they learn about the different breeds is all the different characteristics and health problems that comes with each breed. It really helps them with their training and will help them when they decide to get a dog someday. At the same time they learn about how people have different characteristics and problems. It helps them not to be judgemental and want to learn more about each other and be more understanding.


Once in a while I might mention what my family and I did for the day too.....or maybe I'll start another blog for that but for now.....today Bobby, Genesis, Joey, and I went to Shadbush Nature Center to see the Civil War re-enactment. We learned about how the woman washed the clothes, make dinners, and make candles. This particular group of woman was called "The Sisters of the Union". One little kid there read their sign and said "Mom, what is The Sister's of the Onion?". It was really funny! We also learned a little about the doctors and the tools and medicines they used. Bobby was a little shocked when he asked the doctor what the saw was for (amputations)!
After that we drove out to Stoney Creek Metro Park to take a look at the Picnic area we are having our family reunion (my mother's side of the family) at this summer. I needed to know how many signs we would be needing and how much room we'll have for games and stuff.
On our way home we stopped at the Octagon House. I just love that house, it's beautiful! Unfortunately, it was closed today but they still got to see the outside of it and we talked a little about the underground railroads. We also found out they'll be doing tours tomorrow and on the 28th, and a tea party on the 18th, so we'll make one of those dates. Then we stopped for Slerpies at 7-11!
When we got home we pulled out some terra cotta pots we've been painting and finished them. We're going to put some citronella candles in them and use them outside on the deck. We used metallic paint on the inside so when you light the candle the pot has a pretty glow!

Now it's off to make dinner! Thanks for reading and keep the questions coming!!!