Recently in dog training Category

A new round of beginning dog obedience classes begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday (March 6) taught by retired LAUSD special ed teacher Barbara Millman. Barbara's been training dogs for many years now and raises champion Shetland sheepdogs.

Rocket, Tess & Cowboy have all gone through her class.

Barbara's excellent, she trains with a gentle touch and keeps up with the latest dog training ideas. She's also active in the Lomita Obedience Training Club which offers numerous classes.

The six-week class (7th week is graduation) is held in the parking lot outside Kritter Korral Pet Shop (in the process of being changed to "Dino's Pet Shop" under new ownership) at 1724 Palos Verdes Drive North (at Western Avenue) in Harbor City.

The first class this Saturday is an orientation for owners only, so don't bring your dogs.

Cost is $60 which allows you to bring the dog back for refreshers for free.

Call 310-514-4924.

(There will be a break in this next session as Barbara will be out of town in March for a while.)

 

After our final dog obedience class Saturday with trainer Barbara Millman, a couple of the pups in the class decided it was finally time to play:

 

 

You may remember how my dog Cowboy finished third when I took him through Barbara Millman's beginning dog obedience class a few months ago at Kritter Korral in Harbor City.

We were thrilled, of course, since Cowboy is so laid-back and never really got into the spirit of the class. Third-place (the orange ribbon at left) was really quite good, he seemed to perk up during the final exam.

Last weekend, I finished the same class with Tess who got the first-place ribbon.

Now this was largely due to her being the only grown-up dog in a class of crazy puppies. But still. We're pretty proud.

Both Cowboy & Tess did very well. Barbara takes a break over the next couple months but will start with a new beginning class on the second Saturday of January. And when you take your dog through her class once, you can return for free at any time to brush up and review. Barbara's a seasoned and very knowledgable trainer and it's well worth the time & fee (cost is around $60 for 7 weeks).

Contact:  Kritter Korral, 1724 Palos Verdes Dr North, Harbor City, CA 90710-3641

(310) 514-4924

 

 

 

Wow. Woo-hoo!

Next week is graduation. And Cowboy came in last in the game "How many commands does your dog know" in class today. We got us some work to do this week. 

So Cowboy's 2nd obedience class went a bit better than his first day of class where he froze and virtually refused to do anything.

We actually got a good 30 minutes of attention from him this past Saturday. And I must give credit to two of our readers, Pat and Josh's sister, who recommended treats to try (Wellness Wellbites and the dried liver -- though I didn't bake my own). Both held Cowboy's attention quite well, thanks for the suggestions.

(And I didn't get to try Sanpedrodogs' Pawr bars yet.)

Hardest for him is the lie down position, although he did lie down (bored) at one point. The trainer thought he did that on command and pointed him out as an outstanding class member. (I smiled, took a bow. Mum's the word.)

Treat, please? 

OK, so I've actually had Cowboy, my border collie/Australian shepherd mix for more than a year and a half now. But we've never gone through training classes.

Shortly after I'd adopted him from Border Collies in Need, my resident dog, Ellie (14 years old) was diagnosed with lymphoma. Needless to say, that became the focus for the next month or so as I tried to keep Ellie comfortable in her waning days.

After losing her, there was the usual mourning period, but I did let BC's in Need know that I'd be interested in adopting a female at some point. Little did I know they'd find almost the perfect fit just weeks later. A little sooner than I'd anticipated, but Tess did seem like such a good fit so home she came.

So then I had 2 essentially new dogs at almost the same time. They fast became inseparable. Tess immediately had a couple medical issues -- a bout of accute pancreatitis that landed her in the animal ER for a few days, followed by a broken toe that kept her in casts for the next few months, so that occupied all my attention for the first months.  

Training would just have to wait.

But they were both such good dogs, really, that there didn't seem to be an urgency for the classes. I've gone through the drill before with other dogs, so I knew enough about the basics to keep things managable.

But now, life has settled down and I decided to take them through (one at a time) Barbara Millman's dog obedience classes at Kritter Korral in Harbor City. I chose him to go first because I actually think we need more one-on-one bonding time together. Tess is so outgoing that it's hard to keep her out of the way when I'm trying to give Cowboy some attention at home or at the park.

Cowboy already sits well on command at home, he's very motivated by treats and food. But he generally lacks confidence and can be a "quietly" nervous dog. He's fearful of having his picture taken, he's fearful of lots of odd things.

So on the first day of class, he was easily outshined by Betty and Barney and all the other

dogs in class. Cowboy's response to it all: Passive resistance.

Meaning, he stood there, tail down, ears back, with a very worried look on his face. He literally stood frozen in place for most of the entire hour-long class.

"Cowboy, SIT," I said in a firm but happy voice, treat held over his nose.

Nothing.

"Cowboy, LIE DOWN."

No response. No movement. No nothing.

"He looks anxious," Barbara concluded. "Bring some 'high-end' treats next time."

So we'll go back this weekend to see if we can't get a little more enthusiasm and cooperation (or at least some movement?) going.

Any advice on the best treats to use for motivation? (We tried cheese and moist dog bits, but he really showed no interest even though he hadn't been fed yet that day).

Cowboy (or "Cowwws" as I sometimes call him) seems intent on being the class Conscientious Objector. Who knows, maybe he really is standing on principle.

Wonder if there's a class ribbon for that?  

 

The Lomita Obedience Training Club will sponsor a dog obedience and conformation match this Sunday, April 5, at Lomita Park, 24428 Eshelman Ave., Lomita.

Spectators are encouraged to come and watch. Admission is free.

The day's full schedule begins with a rally event (9 a.m.) and then moves on to obedience trials and breed conformation. Food and drinks will be available for sale and the activities are set to end at around 2:30 p.m.

These matches are definitely worth the time.

And if you realize that maybe your canine needs some work, you can sign up for one of the many obedience classes the club offers.

You can bring your dog along to watch Sunday's match, by the way, but he or she must be leashed and generally well-behaved (absolutely no aggression issues).