Gallery 12
Harry
the Shih Tzu/Toy Poodle Mix
Harrington aka Harry, is a very young Shih Tzu/Toy Poodle Mix.
He's got drive in spades, loves working and learning, and this combination makes him such a fun dog to work with.
These dogs requires a lot of mental stimulation, obedience training is a must, and owners must be prepared to do the work and actually do the work.
If you can do that, then you'll discover how much fun these little guys are.
These are the type of dogs quite often referred to as "circus dogs". :)
Percy
Well, whaddya know, it's not that often I get to work with small dogs, but here we have two in a row. :)
Percy, the Chihuahua/Jack Russel X was pretty much running the household and being a bit of brat when I first met him.
But, the owners implemented the required lifestyle changes, including firm, but fair boundaries - and it did not take long before they saw some really nice, positive changes in his behaviour, which in turn enhanced their relationship with this little fella.
He is an absolute delight to work with, he loves working, and it shows. :)
I think the video to the left speaks for itself. :)
Still got a way to go, but they are well and truly on their way.
Oh, and who said little dogs can't walk nicely on a leash.... ;)
Cyril
Labradoodle aka Australian Cobberdog.
This young lad was in serious need of clarity in communication, calm guidance and leadership as well as understanding how to make good choices.
The owner had embarked on a training regime which just didn't suit this dog and, as a result, the dog had very little respect for the owners, who were at their wits end by the time they contacted me.
Cyril is an amazing dog, highly trainable, wants to work and responds brilliantly to a more balanced approach to training.
The below video is from our fourth session overall, and the transformation is incredible, but that could not have happened if the owner was not open to make the required changes, not only with how they train, but also how they live with the dog.
I focus a lot on leash handling, as the leash is a communication tool, knowing how to properly use this tool so the dog has clarity, is an absolute game changer.
Kylo
The young, male Rottweiler.
This is one great dog, beautiful, even temperament, seriously confident and he was oh, so pushy when I first met him.
It was obvious that he needed some guidance and to understand what's what...
Not training a dog like this, really isn't, or it should not be, optional.
But for that to really work, the owners need to have a good understanding about dogs in general, what makes them tick, how to read them, how to clearly communicate with them and to provide that calm, confident leadership they not only require, but also want.
I didn't see Kylo for a few months after the intitial assessment, he's just turned one and the training is going rather well as you can see in the video.
This is his very first visit to that particular location and his 4th session overall.
People may wonder why I have the dogs going on to differenet benches, structures etc.
It's all about testing the dog's confidence when presented with novelty - and remember, to a dog, a bench with a back looks vastly different to one without.
Some dogs will happily go on to one, but not necessarily the other, but there are ways around that - which does not involve using food nor leash pressure. đŸ˜‰
Loki & Heidi
Loki - top left, a male Neapolitan Mastiff/Boxer X has a few issues that he has, unfortunately been allowed to practice for a few years.
He was definetly not impressed with meeting me for the first time, which he showed me in no uncertain terms.
He's a big, powerful boy weighing in at +50kgs, he doesn't really want to hurt anyone, but back him into a corner and things will most probably get rather serious.
Heidi is a young, female Bull Arab X and she could not be more friendly if she tried. However, her enthusiasm can get a bit too much, she is after all a large dog so she might inadvertently hurt someone when she gets into that hightened state of arousal.
Both of these dogs lack structure and fair but firm boundaries which are consistently enforced, so the first thing to was for the owners to implement some lifestyle changes.
We've done one session in public so far, and we are already seeing some changes for the better in both dogs, but there are lots more work to be done.
April 27th 2022Due to circumstances beyound our control, including COVID-19 etc, we had to concentrate the training on the main "problem dog"; Loki.
We have now done four sessions with him, and the below video is from our second session at Riverway on June 27th 2022.
This is one solid, powerful guy, walking him was just about impossible in the past, and it all came to a halt the day he literally pulled the handler off the road and into a ditch.
Well, now look at him. :)
This is an adult dog, he's had plenty of time to practice a lot of unwanted behaviours - which is not excatly helped by his genetic disposition to be suspiscious of humans in particular.
Pictured left is from our 5th and final session.
This is the very first time this dog has been to this location where there are all kinds of distractions; people running and walking with or without dogs of all shapes and sizes, kids on e-scooters, people riding pushbikes, council employees working with all kinds of power equipment etc etc.
We even took him through a busy cafe, and he absolutely nailed it.
Loki's world just became so much bigger and his future looks so much brighter. :)