I spend a lot of my time online researching dogs. I pour over websites (and real books) looking at training methods that compliment or contrast to mine. I research the dog breeds I am currently working with looking for ways to make training easier for that particular dog and owner. And lately I have been researching possibilites for my next Demo Dog for Free State K-9. It is still premature to be looking seriously but I am looking into what sort of breed I would want. My instinct is to get another Akita. It is to my Akita, Kylie, that I credit the success of my business in its infancy. I know that FSK9's survival and thriving is not only due to my skill (I am skilled but I was also inexperienced, and fresh out of school when we first started out doing training professionally).  No, I was extremely fortunate to have an exceptional demo dog. Purely by blind luck did I end up with Kylie. When I was looking for the dog to take to NK-9 with me I was looking for a German Shepherd. I thought that was what dog trainers -got- as their demo dog. I was on Craigslist.org looking for breeders or rehomes and I saw an add titled **URGENT** and it turned out to be one of those heart wrenching ads from an animal shelter. 6 dogs were slated for euthanasia due to space and on that website was a picture of Kylie. 
I dismissed it at first. I didn't want an Akita. My research had taught me that they were aloof, unaffectionate, serious dogs who were difficult to train and were unable to live in an apartment. However, her picture stuck in my mind and the next day I went back and the add was reposted. There was that face again. I emailed the add to my husband and he agreed we should look at her; "just to see."
Kylie was sick, she had kennel cough, she was underweight, she was aggressive towards female dogs, and they informed me that she had been confiscated from a homicide scene. Further research told me that is was a stabbing that occurred at a known drug house. They told me that the only reason they were going to adopt her to me was because I was going to take her to school. I felt a little guilt tripped but I could tell that once she was fattened up a little she would be beautiful and appearance is important in a demo dog. At least she would stand out. 
It would be a year before I went to NK9. That year was difficult. I had no idea what I was doing. I had her in a head halter to keep her from lunging and jumping at people and other dogs and to keep her from pulling (I have yet to encounter a dog who was worse on a leash than Kylie) and, naturally, that didn't work. Knowing what I know now a "gentle leader" was 100% the wrong approach to take with this dog.
Once I got her to school, however, things did a 180. As soon as Bob and Chris instructed me on how to correct her and lead her properly she erupted into this working dog I had never seen before. She did extremely well. She threw herself into whatever work I put in front of her, held back only by her physical limitations (she is a heavy dog at 85 pounds and was not in peak physical shape and so was not as agile as the Boxer or the Shepherds in the class) and by me learning more slowly now to teach than she learned what I wanted to teach her. Advanced Obedience, Utility (to an extent, jumping over 3 feet was hard), Scent Detection, Tracking, Personal Protection, Retrieval, and Service Dog work were all within her grasp. And she looked good doing it.
I was shocked by her progress. I knew right away that I had a stellar demo dog on my hands and have been proven right for 3 years now. But Kylie is turning 6 or 7 this year and arthritis is already setting in. What I would do without Kylie is weighing heavy on my mind and I know that I want my next Demo Dog to learn how to interact with canines from Kylie. Through training Kylie has gone from harming other female dogs to living peacefully (even making friends many times) with all of the boarder dogs we have ever had in our home. She is one of the best canine communicators I have ever encountered and I hope that will influence the next generation of FSK9 Demo Dog.
So I am researching breeds. I plan to get one in the next 2 years or so and I am looking into high caliber breeds. My instinct is to look into another Akita but my research makes me nervous. All over the place I read "aggressive," "aloof," "difficult to train," and I wonder is Kylie the exception to the rule? There are zero youtube videos of Akitas competing in AKC obedience trials. If you search images you will be hard pressed to find an image of them doing anything but standing. You search German Shepherd, or Belgian Malinois  you will find action shots of police dogs, Schutzhund dogs, and therapy dogs. Akitas? Nope. Standing. Apparently that is what they do. Sometimes they walk impressively but mostly they stand. 
I have decided that this isn't fair. Maybe Kylie is the exception to the rule but there should be some evidence of the Akita's abilities online. So I am going to start this new blog series. I don't promise that it will be weekly but it will be occasional and it will spotlight one of Kylie's skills as a Versatile Akita. If you also have a versatile Akita and would like to tell me about it I would love more evidence that Kylie is in fact, not exceptional, that if I were to invest in another Akita I would be getting the same work ethic I have found in my sweet girl.

I am going to miss this guy! He is just such a joy to have around. Now that he is 100% off leash (unless we are desensitizing him to other dogs, read more further down) he has been in and out of the house with me for all my daily chores. He came out to the horses with me this morning and held a Down Stay while I took a few minutes with the mares. The only mistake he made was he sat up at one point because he couldn't see me through the slats of the fence anymore. I was able to correct him without returning to him and he laid back down and stayed put until I was finished. He also had a bit of naughty fun today and chased one of the barn cats. I let him get invested in the chase before calling him off with the collar to make sure it would be effective for his owners if he sees a bunny or a squirrel in town (don't worry, our barn cats are -fast-). He sulked but he did break away and come back to me and sit down even though he wanted to keep chasing the kitty. I call that a win.
His obedience is very smooth. Even in higher distraction settings (a toy or stick being thrown, cats and other wildlife being silly, donkey running around) he is doing well. Other dogs are still a major distraction but with today's desensitization workout he made a major break through. We worked with Dane, the Rat Terrier, and while Dane was working 30 feet away we were able to keep Rihm under control and next to me in a Down position. He was still very vocal and annoying but he was not lunging, even though he was on a 20 foot leash and could have broken into a run if he wanted to. I then had Dane lay still while we worked around them and he was better about this also, though we mostly worked at walking away from them without Rihm constantly looking over his shoulder. As a reward we let Rihm meet Dane and even though Rihm sounded ferocious during the workout, they played a fun game of chase after the initial sniff.
Tomorrow we are just getting Rihm ready to go home. We are getting his glamour shots taken and we are taking his final obedience video to show his dad. Other than that we are going to play some games, snuggle in the living room and kind of take it easy before he gets to go home and show is owners how obedience can be his way of life now.

Phewsh, what a day Rihm had. He is, understandably, very tired right now. His day started with working on his off leash obedience. He now turns around and comes back when he feels the pager with almost total reliability. Naturally he still makes mistakes but he does not bolt anymore and he is more attentive  to his handler. He still tends to Heel maybe 6 inches further in front than I would like him to but it only takes a little reminder to put him back in step. Other than that he is doing fine, obedience wise. He is laying down on command, sitting nicely, waiting at doors, kenneling on command (most of the time, he still argues sometimes but considering where he started with that he is doing much better). We switched to a different (more boring) dog bed for the Place command and he stayed on it for an hour and a half without any bed killing so I am afraid his owners might want to invest in a different bed for him (or possibly an old towel would be fine too).
So that all sounds pretty standard, Trainer Lady, why would he be so tired?
Well, he is tired because we spent the afternoon working on desensitizing him to strange dogs. We did this yesterday, we did it today, and we are doing it tomorrow. All with different dogs that he never gets to sniff, meet, or play with. Today it was a lovely female Husky named Yuki. She is one of my star pupils and helps out occasionally. We started with simply asking him to sit near her without screaming, barking, or lunging. We used his electronic collar to give him corrections and soft praise to show approval. When we got to the point that he could hold a Sit with me at the end of the leash (ergo not holding him back) and not scream we moved on to having him hold still while the other dog was moving around him. This made him explode again and we had to start all over. Then we made Rihm do his obedience while she held a Down and he was not allowed to bark at her. At one point he became so frustrated that he started barking at me and even jumped up to try to take the leash out of my hand. He got a sharp correction for this and we were then able to move on. We took a walk next to Yuki and he was fairly quiet. Whimpering and chirping but not outright barking.
We gave him a break for about an hour after that and then did it again. This time we changed tactics and put him in a stress-relieving Thunder Shirt and used a pinch collar. He was MUCH quieter with this approach -but- he tried nip the hand that held the leash twice (this is more common with leash corrections because with a remote they don't associate it with the handler's hands). This is NOT considered aggression. He was acting out of pure frustration. I kept telling him, with my voice and the leash, that it was not acceptable to bark and lunge at Yuki. He did not like being told not to do that and so, out of frustration towards my corrections, tried to make them stop. He was not trying to harm me but was trying to regain control of the situation. The reason we (trainers) prefer to have people come to professionals for things like this is that we have better timing, better form in correcting, and we are able to remain unemotional when the dog is stressed or upset. I was able to ensure that  he never actually made contact with me and I was able to clearly communicate that that was 100% not acceptable. After that little spat he seemed to understand that he needed to strange strategy and became appeasing and focused on me instead of on Yuki. Tomorrow we repeat the process with a different dog.
I am curious if this is not barrier frustration. When he met my two dogs he was not on a leash (which is a barrier in a dog's mind) and he has been extremely polite and submissive to them (and Ted is a growly, grumpy dog). Because the next dog we are going to do this with is the best trained of my volunteers we are going to -try- transitioning him to the remote trainer without a physical leash. We will not be putting the helper dog in danger and if it ever seems like he might be the exercise will halt immediately and we will put leashes back on.
His owners will need to continue desensitizing him to other dogs and I will help them in this but he has already shown imp in just 3 days of giving very clear signals about what is acceptable and what is not. Tomorrow I am giving him an easy morning on his place mat and then more hard work in the afternoon.

Today we worked hard on Rihm's off-leash obedience. In mild to moderate distraction areas he does well on his electronic collar. His Come command has improved tenfold though he still has "bad breaks" and tends to run past me but is able to stop just past my legs. We will work on cleaning this up. He Autosits nicely once he is able to come to a stop. His other commands are going very well. He still tries to kill his bed and so we are going to try a different bed made out of a different material to see if that changes anything. His current bed feels like a stuffed animal and so I wonder if that isn't making him want to shake it.

Rihm had his first field trip today to South Park. He did okay. He was far from perfect. Whenever he saw a squirrel he would lose it a little and so it quickly became the rule that if he got too excited about something, he needed to lay down and control himself before we moved on. This worked for squirrels and strangers but his reaction to strange dogs is still so extreme that I would not recommend letting him off a leash where he is likely to meet other dogs. He is -not- aggressive. He just gets so overly aroused and excited that he starts screaming and lunging to try to get closer. However, after the initial sniff he does just fine with other dogs. It is that not knowing them that gets him excited. So for the next few days I have arranged for trained dogs to come out to help him with this. He will not be allowed to sniff, play with, or run around with these strange dogs. Any screaming or lunging will be corrected. Any calm behavior will be rewarded. I may put him in a Thundershirt if it is not too hot out. I am also taking a step back and putting him on a good old fashioned pinch collar and leash for these exercises. The reason being that, in rare cases, a dog might attribute an electric correction with the dog they are hyper-focusing on and the problem might be made worse.

This is not a problem that will be 100% fixed during a 10 day board and train, however, I am going to send Rihm home with everything his owners need and the know how to continue working with him on this and will provide strange dogs, and a safe place to practice should they need it. This is absolutely a problem that can be fixed if his owners have high expectations for him. As I said before, this is -not- an aggression issue. It is energy that has been poorly syphoned. Today when we worked around a Toy Poodle Rihm started screaming again but after a few good corrections he was willing to do all of his work around the little dog even though he was not allowed to sniff it. Very promising indeed.

Tomorrow we are goin to reintroduce Place and continue his off leash obedience practice. In the afternoon we are going to have a visit from a femal Husky and he will not be allowed to scream or lunge at her. I am excited to start really turning this around.

Today was a bit of a boring day for Mr. Rihm. I had a full day of lessons and then we had some thunderstorms that kept us inside in the afternoon. He got a few mini workouts just to keep him fresh and an exercise walk but other than that he was either in his crate or lazing around the house.
Tomorrow we are back to work and Rihm is the only thing on my schedule so he will get to make up for lost time. Tomorrow is his first day on the electronic collar! I am also planning a field trip for him on Monday to a local pet store. Should be a fun week!

Rihm is doing very very well. We have now introduced all of his commands, including Place. Place is posing its own difficulty because whenever I put him on his furry blanket he is overcome with a need to murder it. He truly acts as though the blanket has done him some great personal wrong. I am using a squirt bottle to reprimand him for blanket murder and it is surprisingly effective.  Rihm struck me, originally, as a dog who would enjoy having his face squirted with water but it is doing well as a correction for the time being.
When it comes to his obedience he is now on a long line. This is the last step before we put him on the electronic collar. His collar is charging and we plan to use it tomorrow. He is still making mistakes but he knows what is expected of him now. Later this weekend we are going to work him around some strange dogs. The dogs will be trained and under control but we will work up to having him around dogs that are strange and also not in a command to help. He has not shown any dog aggression so far, in fact he has been very submissive and appeasing. But he gets very over excited and needs to learn that even if there are potential doggy buddies around he must still listen to his handler.
For now he is relaxing calmly on the floor while the family watches a movie. He has been absolutely charming in the house and my mother in particular is in love with him.

What a good day this guy had. He had another good run with Claven and is calming down. He is downright quiet in the house and is settling in his crate. He did rub a spot on his nose raw last night but I skyped him today and he did not try to break free at all today.
His obedience is going extremely well. He has been introduced to all of his commands except for Place which we will introduce either tomorrow or the next day. He is doing much better with Sit. He likes Down but sometimes gets distracted halfway down. He is good with Come but sometimes jumps up when he gets to me. Tomorrow we are going to start with the long line to make steps towards off leash and we are going to increase his distractions.
I am very pleased with his progress. As he becomes more confident with me I expect some back talking or arguing from him but for now he is being a little angel and so we are getting plenty of work done

I just love this little fellow. Classic Pit Bull class clown, this kiddo knows how to manipulate people with cuteness. A little nervous at first he has warmed right up to everyone here, especially my husband who is our resident dog runner. Rihm really took to the jogging today. At first he was all over the place but about half way down the driveway he calmed down and ran at a nice pace. After about 2 miles of jogging and walking he came back and flopped onto the nice, cool concrete in the training room.
Rihm is one heck of an escape artist. He is staying in a large crate instead of our 6' high kennels because he can jump right over them from a stand-still. We have strengthened the joints of the crate with zip ties and he has stopped trying to escape from it. In fact, he made it through the night quietly and did not cry at all. He might have a slightly more difficult night tonight but he is settling into the crate nicely now that he has resigned himself to the fact that he can't get out of it.
He is here for 10 days of Advanced Obedience. He is a completely blank slate as he seems to barely know Sit. This is actually how I like to start because I don't need to undo anything (like fixing a dog that has been over-treated). He learned Heel/Autosit today and is sitting reliably when I stop with just a verbal reminder. He is being taught on a slip chain right now and will transition to his electronic collar in a few days. An electronic collar is a must for him because of his high prey drive. Anything small and fluffy that will run from him WILL be chased. He has even showed inappropriate interest in the horses. However, he loves Kylie, my Akita, and he is respecting Grumpy Ted. He is even being nice to Angela, the training kitty. 
Overall I am looking forward to a fun week with this guy. He has a great attitude and a wonderful sense of humor.

Well, Bailey and Ace go home tomorrow and I am pleased with what they have accomplished. They now know:
Heel/Autosit
Sit
Down from the left side and from the front
Implied stay
Stay
Come
and Place
They also know informal commands like "Careful!" meaning they have gone too far, and "Lets go" if they are being pokey They respond to the word "No" very nicely.
Bailey is a little sloppier and slower moving than Ace. Ace is pretty sharp with his obedience and can be expected to comply with commands pretty quickly. Bailey takes a few seconds to process things before she does it but should be held to the same expectations as Ace, just give her a bit longer to do it.
Ace is better about going into and staying in his kennel quietly. He does much better if he has a peanut butter Kong toy to keep him occupied.
I will miss these two. They are so goofy and wonderful, the house will seem very big and quiet without them. But they will be excited to see their people and start their new obedient lifestyle with them.