summertime... dog training!!!

There's a saying that goes... "find what you love to do, make it your job and you'll never work a day in your life".... and I have been very blessed to discover... that statement is true. Being a "dog trainer" is one of the greatest joys in my life, and not a class goes by, where I don't remember that. But, this class.. has to be the icing on all the cakes. I am teaching this summer, a class called the Canine Good citizen community class.. and basically, it's designed to work (and test) the dogs on the streets, in real life situations.

I have made this a "traveling class" and so each week my students and I meet at a different place, and put our dogs threw their skills. We have five weeks of prep work, and then on the last class, another instructor, who has never met these dogs.. will pick another location and we will go and be "tested" by her. Last week, the class began, and we hit the malls... this week... it was the BEACH!!!! A perfect summer night, a great group of gals and canines.... I mean really??? this is work?????

We had to practice a number of skills... one being "walking nicely"... Kathleen is working Livy for me (since I am teaching)... and as long as I am close, Livy goes well... but I would say by her backwards walking (in this photo) Livy isn't too impressed that her Mama has fallen behind the group....

Mary, and shepherd Stormy... can you tell he's having a great time in class too.... goes to show.. dog training does not (and should never be) "mean, abusive or breaking their spirit" (as some have said and thought to me)... and I go with the idea, that a well behaved dog is always welcomed.....

Here's my group........

Down stay is another skill that the dogs will need to do on their test night. We practiced on the sidewalk, as all kinds of people went by. And not just people... dogs,  bikes, baby carriages.. skate boards.... and the dogs need to just be relaxed and wait.... as pitbull, Daisy and lab, Brutus are so easily doing here.

Glory the boxer.. and Livy show their skills off too....

and so does Storm. Nice he can wear a back pack with his supplies inside... water, clean up bags, and treats... I think the rest of us have to carry our dogs supplies....

Walking along the board walk.. shows that the dogs are comfortable when going over different types of surfaces.... we might not think that walking from tar, cement, sand, dirt, would make any difference.. but to a dog these things are very different....

Waiting politely on the corner, before crossing a street......

Then, we headed into the amusement park.... now talk about "things" to manage here.... the sights, sounds, distractions... were amazing.... 

and you just have to know that a group of well behaved dogs draws everyone's attention... in fact, it was almost hard to get threw without being stopped, people wanted to know all sorts of things....

now, this isn't part of the 'testing".. but simply because it's fun and we can....







Brutus and Kathleen...

Daisy and Sonya.....

Glory and Martha...

Stormy and Mary......

Our evening ends with stopping for ice cream... just a treat??? No... it's training, because one part of the test... "to work the dogs around food and in crowded situations..."  needless to say, they did great, and people all around us were just amazed that they sat or laid quietly and never bothered... even when we were eating....

Not so sure Livy was impressed.... but I am.... 



and there is still a few more weeks to go....