The process began with times when we were leaving for VERY short trips (15 minutes or less). Then we increased the lengths of time after several successful outings.  We’re now up to 6 hours of alone and free in the house time.

I can not stress enough how important it was for us and Wrigley that we set him up for success. He is always left with some fun treat. Sometimes it’s a KONG Classic Kong Dog Toy filled with peanut butter; or a nice meaty bone. We also have a puzzle toy (Food Cube Large Size) we fill with dry kibble. As he manipulates it, he is rewarded with food!  We are very pleased with the progress he is making and enjoy the fact that he does not have to spend time in his crate when we leave the house.

Gayle

The image to the left is a good representation of how Wrigley was when he came to live with us. He was a disaster! He barked at everyone, he attempted to bully everyone he met and he used his very large size (all 70lbs) to intimidate.  There is nothing quite like an 11 month old extra large bully. Don’t get me wrong, he was a pleasure in our house. Very loving and an enjoyable pup, but her wasn’t the dog that we could take anywhere. As luck would have it, he happened to be riding with us one day when we stopped to visit our friend Christy. Christy owns a salon and is the consummate dog parent. Her dog Jimmy is competitive on the show circuit. While visiting Christy at her shop, she invited us to bring Wrigley in to visit (there were no customers at that time) and we were happy to show off our ‘new pup’. Immediately, Wrigley lunged and attempted to scare Christy (I believe he would have bitten, had I not had a strong grip on his leash). We’re happy to report we took ALL the advice.

Tonight we will complete our sixth class with Wrigley. We had to force ourselves to adopt a hard line with regard to training!  It was hard! We had to decide to MAKE him do what we wanted….no more ‘look how cute he is’ excuses, which we had adopted with ALL our previous pups. A terrorist pup is not fun at 7lbs and at 70lbs, Wrigley could have been the dog we never took anywhere.

We have for a while now commented on what a pleasure Wrigley is and reminded ourselves over and over how glad we are that we took the time and put in the work to train him. Everywhere we take Wrigley now we hear comments on what a good, well-behaved boy he is. People lavish the praise on him for his temperament and calm reaction.  We smile, say thank you and think about all the hard work that went into making ‘that’ dog.

On Saturday, we attended a Holistic Health Fair. We took Wrigley to share in the occasion. He was such a pleasure t o have with us. Polite to all, from the youngest to the oldest, he was willing to be petted, hugged and in the case of one-man wallered. The best part was as were packing up to leave, we put Wrigley in the truck as we carried stuff to put in the truck. We were able to leave the door open and tell him to ‘stay’. He was perfect in his execution of the command!

When people say to us that they have heard about ‘how bad Dalmatians are’ (or any dog for that matter) I know that the dog in question just did not get the opportunity to become the dog he or she could have been. Having a good dog, like having a good child, is hard work, dedication, and commitment.

Gayle

Sitting with my doggles on my head

You see in my dog brain, I do not always make the leap from sit at the door to sit in the park (or anywhere else). My parents sometimes think this is because I have selective hearing, but the reality is I equate my action with the place. It takes a while for my dog brain to catch on that an action is just that an action and not related to a place.

This is why I get to go many different places to practice my training. The more places I go and train the more likely I will remember what I am supposed to do when the time comes. We dog are like some people, we can be easily distracted and we have short attention spans. We can be working along and then sudde….oh, look a squirrel

When you are working with your best pal, remember short training sessions and in as many places as possible….and remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave!

Wrigley
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Graduation from Dog Train

I’ll not spend time telling you about the trainers I did not enjoy working with, but rather will spend my time on the positives. My very first trainer was Diane at Dog Train, Inc. Diane is a no non-sense kinda woman. The best part about her class is there is no wasted time or energy. She knows her game plan and how you fit into it. Before the first class, we received a syllabus (just like being in College). We were required to read the materials BEFORE class and to know our plan. We really liked this! It was clear what we needed to know and have made decisions on before we were asked the questions. In the syllabus, there was a plan for what would be covered in each and every class. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the syllabus was spot on (I just like saying spot on).

 Not to turn our post into a Diane love fest, but we (I) also liked that she asked about each individual pup at the start of each class. Issues we were having, things we needed to work on, etc. Even better, she remembered! We actually worked on my trouble spots (there’s my word again – grin).

 Our biggest complaint about other classes is the lack of a game plan. There is too much time spent deciding what to do next. It’s not like they didn’t know we were coming! The best part about other classes (aside for expanding our appreciation of Diane) is that I get to experience a lot of different environments, people, and things. My training spot moves and I have to stay on my toes.

 I just want to reiterate my opening statement, the most important thing in choosing a trainer is to find a trainer that complements your style, personality, and work ethic. The right trainer for some may be the wrong trainer for others. Just with any relationship, try to find someone that challenges you to be better, work harder and be the best you can.

 Here are a couple of links with good information about choosing a trainer:

 HSUS – choosing a dog trainer

 Fosters & Smith – How to Choose a Dog Trainer

 Doglogic – Choosing a Trainer Who Trains People

Tomorrow I have plans to interview my nutritionist (AKA Aunt Kerry). Stay tuned….

And remember, there is no obstacle you can’t get around if you’re willing to run, jump, tunnel or weave.

Wrigley