Showing posts with label KCGC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KCGC. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Kennel Club Good Citizen Listed Status!
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Training thoughts
It's been a while since I updated everyone on how my little Diva is progressing. Firstly I should tell you all that she's not so little anymore - if she carries on growing at the rate she is now, she'll end up bigger than Kai :-) However what she worries me in the length of her legs (still holding a vague hope she'll remain in the Small KC category) she more than makes up in the training department. I'd like to think it's my excellent dog training skills, but I think it's more likely that I've managed to bag myself a fantastic sheltie who loves to work - every trainers dream!
Her socialisation continues and next Wednesday we'll reach the all important 16 week mark, after which puppies start to become more inhibited and less open to new sounds & experiences. The key thing is to get them accustomed to as much as possible before the socialisation window closes, so that there are fewer new things for them to learn about after that point. Of course it doesn't suddenly stop there, and it continues throughout a dog's life. We will still be doing as much as possible to ensure she's a brave and confident little lady - early signs are very good!
I've been investigating training classes in earnest, and have several possibilities to choose from. I have been very surprised at the cost though - far more than in Toby & Lucy's day, although I'm startled to realise that they're almost 10 years old so perhaps the price rises aren't that surprising after all. You may wonder why I'm bothering to take Diva to training classes - after all, I'm a professional dog trainer so initially it seems a bit odd. But what even the best trainer in the world can't accomplish is teaching a puppy to work through their repertoire of tricks with the distraction of other dogs working, without those other dogs around them! I need Diva to generalise all of the behaviours that I teach her so that she understands that 'Sit' means 'Sit', regardless of whatever else is going on and wherever we happen to be. She already has amazing focus for her work so I don't anticipate any worries, but proofing our dog's understanding is what makes us good dog handlers and builds on the relationship between us.
On the subject of relationship building, I've had a bad run of sessions with Ella - not agility, but KC Good Citizen work. After a couple of bad experiences in the training hall, she's now too worried to complete the 'Stay' exercise which is a great shame and has caused me some distress. I have some relationship re-building to do and it's an important wake-up call to me about trusting my own judgement when it comes to training for my dogs. Fortunately I don't think there's any lasting damage done and I expect we'll complete the training somewhere else. But even if we don't I must bear in mind the triviality of it - Ella's my ideal training buddy, and she doesn't need a certificate to prove it. She's done one better than that, she has the trophies to prove it :-))
Today I'm grateful to my husband for his unwavering love and support, on which I have had to lean on so heavily in the last couple of days. "Love is like the air we breathe. It may not always be seen, but it is always felt, used and needed".
Her socialisation continues and next Wednesday we'll reach the all important 16 week mark, after which puppies start to become more inhibited and less open to new sounds & experiences. The key thing is to get them accustomed to as much as possible before the socialisation window closes, so that there are fewer new things for them to learn about after that point. Of course it doesn't suddenly stop there, and it continues throughout a dog's life. We will still be doing as much as possible to ensure she's a brave and confident little lady - early signs are very good!
I've been investigating training classes in earnest, and have several possibilities to choose from. I have been very surprised at the cost though - far more than in Toby & Lucy's day, although I'm startled to realise that they're almost 10 years old so perhaps the price rises aren't that surprising after all. You may wonder why I'm bothering to take Diva to training classes - after all, I'm a professional dog trainer so initially it seems a bit odd. But what even the best trainer in the world can't accomplish is teaching a puppy to work through their repertoire of tricks with the distraction of other dogs working, without those other dogs around them! I need Diva to generalise all of the behaviours that I teach her so that she understands that 'Sit' means 'Sit', regardless of whatever else is going on and wherever we happen to be. She already has amazing focus for her work so I don't anticipate any worries, but proofing our dog's understanding is what makes us good dog handlers and builds on the relationship between us.
On the subject of relationship building, I've had a bad run of sessions with Ella - not agility, but KC Good Citizen work. After a couple of bad experiences in the training hall, she's now too worried to complete the 'Stay' exercise which is a great shame and has caused me some distress. I have some relationship re-building to do and it's an important wake-up call to me about trusting my own judgement when it comes to training for my dogs. Fortunately I don't think there's any lasting damage done and I expect we'll complete the training somewhere else. But even if we don't I must bear in mind the triviality of it - Ella's my ideal training buddy, and she doesn't need a certificate to prove it. She's done one better than that, she has the trophies to prove it :-))
Today I'm grateful to my husband for his unwavering love and support, on which I have had to lean on so heavily in the last couple of days. "Love is like the air we breathe. It may not always be seen, but it is always felt, used and needed".
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Another week to go..
We went up to the SMART clinic again on Monday, and whilst Kai is dramatically better, Ella could really do with another week off. I have no desperate problem with that, only that I love training my special girl and I miss it! Made up for it a bit tonight by joining a KC Good Citizen class along with Lel & Hattie. I think they were both surprised when we led them into a room with no agility equipment, but more than happy to take the treats that were being freely handed out for what I'm sure they consider quite basic behaviours! I was especially pleased with Ella's loose lead walking - was starting to have a touch of the heelwork about it. I can always trust her to give her very best, and tonight was no exception.
What Lel and I found great about both girls, was their eagerness to offer behaviours in a bid to work out what was required of them. Hattie in particular has never done much in the way of obedience work, but was happy to try things out to see if it would earn her a reward. I think this is testimony to their great work ethics and a reminder of how important it is to lay a solid foundation right from the start of a relationship with a dog.
Today I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work my dog and for the aptitude she showed in every task I asked of her. I feel blessed to have owned and worked such fabulous dogs in my short time as a dog trainer.
What Lel and I found great about both girls, was their eagerness to offer behaviours in a bid to work out what was required of them. Hattie in particular has never done much in the way of obedience work, but was happy to try things out to see if it would earn her a reward. I think this is testimony to their great work ethics and a reminder of how important it is to lay a solid foundation right from the start of a relationship with a dog.
Today I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work my dog and for the aptitude she showed in every task I asked of her. I feel blessed to have owned and worked such fabulous dogs in my short time as a dog trainer.
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