Recently in obedience Category

Our society is becoming increasingly dog-friendly.

That's a good thing, yes. But it also makes it even more important that your dog behaves well in public and knows his or her manners.

Palos Verdes Peninsula dog trainer Diane Bassett is offering a four-week class (9:30 a.m. Saturdays, beginning July 24) that will focus on a particular niche for taking your dog out in public: "Creating a Cafe Dog."

This is an intermediate class, meaning those who join should have completed a beginning level clicker training class or another beginning class that uses positive reinforcement.

The class will focus on practical skills that make dogs well-mannered in public, especially at outdoor cafes.

She says the class will teach dogs to ignore things like food dropped in front of them (I'll believe that when I see it), noise and other distractions so you can enjoy your 30-minute visit over latte with a friend -- or just relax and read the Daily Breeze.

This is a new class so Diane is still trying to gauge the interest out there. Registration is open (class cost is $75) and the class will meet at the Lunada Bay Plaza, 707 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates.

You can sign up online at the class name link above or call 310-896-6419.

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Diane also sponsors a free "doggie play date" service for South Bay dog owners who are looking for good play date matches for their dogs. You can join the group by clicking the play date link above or by sending an email to:

south-bay-dog-play-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

 

 

The Lomita Obedience Training Club held its obedience and conformation match on Sunday. 

See how the good dogs do it.

On Sunday April 25, stop by Lomita Park at 24428 Eshelman Ave. for the annual Obedience, Rally & Conformation Match sponsored by the nonprofit Lomita Obedience Training Club.

 

An entry table opens from 8 to 10 a.m. with the Rally course (for novices and advanced) beginning at 9 a.m. and the Obedience trials beginning at 10 a.m. with "movement and handling" at 11 a.m. and conformation at approximately noon.

Food and drinks will be available and entry forms can be downloaded: http://lomitadogtraining.org/Match.pdf.

And if you (and your dog) would like to learn more about obedience, check out the group's ongoing classes. (The club's "Top Dog 2009" team is pictured above.)

See Josh's earlier post for more information about what the match entails.

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

 

 

 

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?  

 

 Domesticated dogs: No better than wolves when reading human clues?

That's what this article from NewScientist.com says.

Dogs are no better than wolves at picking up on human cues. That's the conclusion of animal psychologists who have compared the ability of the wolves and dogs to understand human hand signals.

When tasked with choosing between two paint cans based on a trainer's hand signal, tamed wolves actually proved more adept at picking the right can.

This casts doubt on the idea that domestication some 15,000 years ago imbued dogs with a window into the human mind, says Clive Wynne, an animal psychologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

And then Wynne says this: "Any idiot can tame a dog."

Now that hurts.

 

 

I took Cowboy to my vet (Centinela Animal Hospital) yesterday, he was due for his annual check and some shots (although Dr. Palmquist does vaccine "titers," a blood test to see if the previous vaccination is still active, in order to avoid over-vaccination).

Most of my dogs have been well behaved at the vet's. But not all of them.

Pilgrim, the Australian shepherd I lost about a year ago, was always quite anxious (and he had to go to the vet's A LOT). He'd whine and fidget in the waiting room and was known to take a nip at the doctor once inside the examining room. His chart bore a bright orange sticker: "CAUTION."

The dogs I have now, Cowboy and Tess, are so good they make ME look good. But they're both just incredibly low-key, submissive, quiet, and friendly.

The vet's office, which is tiny, was crowded yesterday after a couple emergencies backed up the afternoon appointments by close to two hours. Cowboy and I wound up in the parking lot, where some extra chairs had been set out for waiting clients.

But I don't really mind waiting, it's always fun to talk with other pet owners. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time talking with Mrs. Williams who was there with her Shih Tzu who had allergy problems. I liked Mrs. Williams because she told me how much she liked reading the Daily Breeze.

There were a couple of cocker spaniels, a Bouvier Des Flandres (which you don't see every day), a poodle and several cats in their carriers. Several folks commented on Cowboy's eyes, which are a color mixture of blue & brown, marble like. (That's why his eyes look sort of spooky in the photo above.)

Cowboy, despite being as good as gold (he even reluctantly rolled over for the vet to do a tummy inspection), was glad to leave when it was all over. Dr. Palmquist sent us home with a prescription for an antihistamine. It is allergy season and Cowboy has had a hot spot and some skin discomfort.

I think the hardest part for Cowboy was leaving Tess behind at home. They've been pretty much inseparable since I adopted Tess last spring, so both dogs seemed confused when I had to tell Tess to "stay."

If your dog has behavioral issues going to the vet or groomer, here's an article on how you can help your animal prepare for the sometimes intense experience.

And do tell us: Does your dog like going to the vet? Or not? How do you help your dog or cat get through the experience?

 

 

 

 

Call it the bad dog lineup, the one time when being bad was actually good.

Check out our story  in today's Daily Breeze about what happened when producers for Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer Show came to San Pedro for an open-call audition.

Chiquita, the snarling chihuahua shown above, appeared to have Cesar potential.

So did the co-dependent, sometimes-snippy Mia, the way-too-cute shaggy dog straight out of a Disney movie shown lying down at left in the photo below. After her one-on-one interview, producers said Mia could be among those seriously considered to appear on the 5th season of the hit National Geographic show which begins this fall. Go Mia!

We'll try to update you on which dogs, if any, are selected from Thursday's open casting call in San Pedro. If you missed it and would like to apply, there are still two more opportunities:

Sept. 18 (4 to 6:30 p.m.) at the Petco Store at 1425 N. Montebello Blvd., Montebello

Sept. 25 (4 to 6:30 p.m.) at the Petco Store at 742 New Los Angeles Avenue, Suite A, Moorpark.

Owners must turn in a 5-minute video of their dog's bad behavior. You can read about that and what other materials are required at Cesar's Web site.

(And those of you who remember our earlier post this week on Theresa Sardisco's dog Willie will be happy to know that Theresa did manage to get Willie to be his bad old self for the video they turned in. Go Willie! We knew he could do it.)

Photos: Scott Varley, Daily Breeze

(An online photo gallery link is included with the Daily Breeze story)