Yucaipa's Kym Caldwell trains the "top dogs"

The difference between human and dog behavior is one of, "letting go," Caldwell said. "Dog behavior changes much quicker than human behavior, because dog's let go of their past, whereas humans don't forget, they don't let go."

In the obedience classes that Caldwell conducts, the dog behaviors she encounters come nowhere near that of the Vick dogs.

But none-the-less, they are behaviors that all dog owners must correct if they and their pet are to live harmoniously. Her job is not so much training dogs, as training the human at the other end of the leash.

"The technique to train dogs to have good manners is easy," Caldwell said. "But it takes the human's part to correct, because most (bad dog behavior) is caused by humans."

Witness Skeeter, a 1 1/2 year old Chocolate Labrador, who in Thursday night's obedience class was the social butterfly of the group. Skeeter's idea of a training session was to meet and play with the other dogs.

But his owner, Kim Bailey, had other plans. "I want to make him better on the leash and be able to take him places without having such a struggle."

The key to that is letting the dog know who is the leader of the pack, Caldwell said. "Hierarchy is important to dogs," she said. "The top dog gets fed first, hogs the toys, and is the ruler. My job is to train people to be the top dog in their family."

In a matter of an hour, the humans emerged as "top dogs." Soon, on command, Diego, a beautiful brown Boxer, was lying down from a sitting position on command. "Don't force him down," Caldwell advised Diego's owner, Michelle Jaggli, as she put a hand on Diego's back. "It should be a willing movement by the dog."

Of all the commands, "come" is the most important, Caldwell told the class. And it is the only command in which the dog's name is used. "Just say, 'sit,' and 'lie' without the name," she said. "You want the use of their name to be special, and come is the most important command. You want them coming to you the first time you call their name, not the fourteenth."

And treats? They're the secret to getting and keeping a dog's attention. But when do the treats stop, asked Rita Orton, who brought "Max" an eight-month-old German Shepard to the class.

"Dog training is the same training as at Sea World for teaching whales and dolphins," Caldwell said. "Slowly you start weaning the dog off the treats as they learn commands and their behavior improves."

But really, can all dogs - vicious, young, old, and not-to-bright - be rehabilitated or trained to obey the "top dog," (human) holding the leash?

"All breeds and ages from about 10 months can be trained," Caldwell said. "The oldest dog I've had in class was nine years old without any training, and he did great."

One gets the feeling that Caldwell would have done a great job training the Vick pit bulls.

For more information about Caldwell's dog obedience classes, call (909) 795-9292.

Bob.otto@inlandnewspapers.com.
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