Well the Shepherd Kids go home tomorrow. They have made amazing strides towards their new obedient life style. They are still very much Kimber and Dexter. They have their quirks and shepherd silyness but they are also responsive and alert to commands. Their foundation is solid and now it is time for them to go home and for her owners to start applying the new commands to their dog's everyday life.
 Kimber still tries to wiggle and hide between her handler's feet but if this behavior is ignored she will continue to learn that it gets her nowhere. But she is sharp to commands and wants nothing more than to please her handler. All of her silly quirks come from wanting affection. She is hardly ever just plain defiant.
Dexter is such a silly boy. He is a bit more hard headed than Kimber and sometimes does try to "take a correction" which means he sometimes will see just how much he can get away with before he gets into trouble but he is also a people pleaser and so he never totally blows the handler off. Sometimes he might go down instead of sit, or sometimes he will try to army crawl over to the handler when in a Stay. He is convinced he can tease people into playing with him instead of being so serious and working so hard. But his obedience is strong if the handler is willing to be even a little bit strict with him.
The command that I think will be the most difficult when they get home is Placemat. They have stayed on Place for around 2 hours at a time here but this is something they have never been asked to do at home. The first time it is worked on I will recommend the dogs be wearing a leash so that they are easily guided back onto their rugs if they get up. They have no reason to think that the rules here will transfer to their home where there were not rules before (or at least not the same rules). So it will take a little bit of patience and vigilance on the behalf of their people to make sure that the Place command and all other commands are followed.
I tell all my Board and Train parents that they need to have high expectations of their dogs. This is especially true for a high caliber breed like the German Shepherd. These guys can do it. Even when Kimber is flopped over on her back being oh-so-cute or when Dexter is being just the most cuddly bear ever who couldn't POSSIBLY stay on Place another second, they can do it. Their obedience will become second nature for them (in many ways it is already on the way to becoming so) the more their owners expect of them. I am excited to see how well they do between tomorrow's pick up and their first followup lesson. I will miss these characters! 

We are approaching the end of Dexter and Kimber's stay with us and I am very proud of how far they have come. Today they were worked both individually and together. Their foundation in obedience training is solid and while they are still goofy and have their quirks I think their owners will be pleased.
Kimber's big project today is working on her tendency to go Down when she is supposed to be in a Sit. She LOVES to lay on feet and will wiggle around until she can curl up around your ankles. She sometimes still needs a correction or some encouragement to get back into a Sit but she has gotten loads better. She is such a sweetie pie it is difficult to keep a straight face when she gets super cuddly and cute. But she only gets real affection when she gets her commands right the first try so the value of physical praise is going up for her.
Dexter worked hard on self-restraint today. He is good at his commands but holding them for a long period of time is difficult for him. He toils to stay on Place for very long (though today we got 2 hours of solid Place!) and Down/Stay is difficult around distractions. I had him hold a Down/stay next to the paddock while my sister, Caitlin, worked the little mare she is training. Dexter was very interested in the working horse but he did reasonably well holding his Down for 15 minutes. He did get up when the donkey came over near where he was laying down but it just took one correction to get him back down. 
Both dogs have a difficult time leaving the cat alone when she runs from them but we have gotten to the point that I can turn them around and get them to stop chasing her as soon as they start. That basic instinct of chasing small, furry things is strong. I will recommend that when they are around skittish cats that they be on their electronic collars. We need to avoid them rewarding themselves with a fun game of catch-the-cat. The need to be rewarded for leaving the cat alone when told to. 
Tomorrow we are going to take their go-home video footage and their glamour shots for the Yearbook page on the website. Go Dex and Kim!

Every day these two get just a little bit better. Sure there are minor set backs and some quirks that we are still smoothing over but big picture is that they are getting it. 

Bless their hearts, today was an adventure. I had a very busy day with lessons and so didn't get -as- much training done with the Shepherd kids (as I call them) as I would have liked. But the work we did do was important. We worked on tandem training today. So far their training has been more or less individual (with other dogs milling around but not involved in the work out). Today I had Dexter and Kimber working side by side. They were good for the most part. They were happy to hold Sit and Down together (Kimber got growly and grumpy when Dexter's bottom was touching her, they really are like siblings on a perpetual road trip) but Heel was an absolute joke. They completely forgot about their training when asked to walk next to each other. It became a festival of face nipping, shoulder rubbing, prancing like little ponies, and all out shenanigans. When they are not arguing they are so cute together. We got maybe 6 minutes of good Heel work done with both of them walking side by side. Kimber eventually decided she wanted to try to walk between my legs instead of next to her brother, which was hilarious but posed all sorts of logistical issues when it came to me being able to walk.
Needless to say, we will continue our practice on this, tomorrow. Kimber is also still toiling with going completely off leash so she will still get plenty of one on one time with me working on that. Dexter is in practice mode. He isn't perfect yet but he is fully off leash and doing very well. I am just trying to build his confidence as much as I can. He gets the right answer very often but he always expects that he is getting it wrong so I need to puff him up a bit with some lavish praise so he understands that he is actually doing a very good job. 
These two crack me up every day and we are having a lot of fun. Tomorrow is another day and we will be able to get more work done this weekend when my schedule isn't so hectic. 

Gonna try to keep it short because we keep losing our internet tonight.
These two are doing great. They are both now getting used to the Dogtra IQ. Dexter is now completely off leash and is thoroughly enjoying the freedom. He is doing fine in all of his commands but if he gets overwhelmed he lays down instead of sits. He also has developed the habit of laying down when he gets to me after the Come command. He is supposed to sit when he gets to me but instead he ends up on my feet. Kimber has started doing this too only she tries to get in between my feet, not on top of them. We will work on cleaning this up tomorrow.
Kimber is not yet off-leash. It is interesting. She has a better grasp on all of the commands (though she is still a sassy pants and likes to back talk) but she get overwhelmed easily and she has a tendency to try to escape work by bolting. We have worked off-leash in my little pen but other than that she has been on the 20 foot line until I am convinced she understands that it is better to stick around and work than to run from it. She has been getting off leash potty breaks and exercise walks, however, and done fine with the radius training. She stops herself from getting too far ahead and comes back to check on the people without needing a cue. Classic herding dog.
We started Placemat today with both of them. Kimber got it right away and seemed to enjoy having a spot of her own. Dexter was being a bit of a spaz at first and could not understand the two foot rule (he has to have at least two feet on the mat at all times) but eventually he calmed down and took a nap, though I'm not really convinced he truly gets the rule yet. More work on that tomorrow.
They are doing great. Kimber is such a smarty but we need to work on her self restraint and not trying to get out of work. Dexter is doing fine except for laying down when he should be sitting, but that is an easy fix. Practice makes perfect! One of the big upcoming challenges will be working them together instead of individually. 

Oh siblings. These who are so funny together and most if the time it is peaceful but sometimes Kimber gets a little short tempered with Dex and (much like toddlers) this can lead to snappish arguments and dust ups. 2 times today I was able to stop an argument before it started with a firm "No" but once today they did get into it a little and needed a break from playing together. It really does seem to be from Kimber getting sick of her brother and getting grumpy. This behavior is something that they will likely continue to grow out of as they grow up but having owners able to redirect them into other things to do will help. This time, after we stopped their argument, we had them lay down for a short time then we walked together in a double heel for a while. Basically I told them "we aren't going to act like fools and fight with each other because it is time to walk" and even though Kimber was still grumbling she nonetheless consented to walking next to her brother who had already forgotten the fight anyway.
Obdience-wise these two are super stars. Tomorrow we are breaking out the 20 foot leash to make things more challenging. This will give them 20 feet of mistake making possibility without actually letting them off the leash. They both Heel like champs (to be honest their biggest problem is that they tend to cling a little bit). Dexter still gets a little bit too far ahead but all it takes is a soft correction to get him back to his place.
Kimber is hilarious when it comes to Down. I have to be careful not to laugh at her because she is being funny on purpose, seeing how much she can get away with. Today whenever I told her to Down she would dive for my feet and roll around like a doofus before settling into some strange contortionist pretzel position. From here I would Heel her quickly so that she had to hustle to get back into a dog shape and follow me. She will eventually realize that she needs to lay down a little less flamboyantly just to save time.
Dexter is so sweet but he is very very clingy. Getting him off my leg is an almost constant chore. He is a love-sponge who just leans and leans and leans. He is learning that I never pet him unless he gets his commands right but at least a few times a day he ends up flopping over by accident because I walked away from him and he didn't realize it in time and didn't catch himself. A creature of grace, he is not.
They are doing very well for day 2. I look forward to tomorrow and to challenging them even more while still keeping their progress steady when it comes to cleaning up what they are still a little spotty on.

I know it is a cliche for a dog trainer to say they like German Shepherds. It is like a guitar player saying they like Gibson. But it's true. I have never met a German Shepherd I haven't truly enjoyed working with and these two pups are no exception. 
Dexter and Kimber are siblings who are here for 10 days of advanced off-leash obedience with Dogtra IQ collars. They are classic Shepherds which means they are smart, inquisitive, enterprising, and also whiny, manipulative and very very sweet to people they like. Dexter is a big boy who would love to be carried around in someone's pocket. He relies on someone else (dog or human) to tell him what to do and he looks to his sister often for direction, though this sometimes leads to an argument. Kimber, while more confident than Dexter, is still very cuddly and she knows exactly how cute she is. While doing the Down command today she dramatically flopped over as if I had mortally injured her then rolled over and cocked her head at me and wagged her tail. She complies with commands but she has to put her own spin on them. She sometimes tends to backtalk by pawing at the leash or at me but she is quickly learning that it doesn't work.
Dexter constantly looks for comfort. Physical praise is extremely important to him. He will do anything for a soft pat on the head or a chest scratch. This has been instrumental in building him back up when he gets scared or overwhelmed. He is becoming more comfortable all the time and is starting to understand that when he walks nicely and sits when I stop he gets touched and when he doesn't he gets a correction.
They have both been introduced to Heel/Autosit, Sit, Down, Implied Stay and Come today. They have picked up the commands quickly but are sloppy still (it IS only day 1). Dexter oozes all over the place when told to Down. He acts like all the bones in his body are gone and just slides around on the ground until his nose is on my foot. Even if this means squirming for 5 feet along the ground. 
Kimber is a little princess who likes to get the answer right and this leads to her trying to guess what I am going to ask her to do. She isn't always right and this leads to corrections and I have to be careful not to frustrate her and so we are working on slowing down her thought process while keeping the training fun. We do a few commands in quick succession then I have her hold a sit or Down for 15 seconds (an eternity to a puppy) before asking her to do something else.
Overall, these guys are doing STELLAR for day one. Dextar is currently pouting because I changed the lock on his kennel. He figured out how to open his door in about 3 hours. Stinker. Kimber is curled up on her blanket waiting for the kitty to move from her hiding place so that she can bark at her. 
Tomorrow we are doing more on the short leashes and working towards the long line that we will hopefully start in a few days.

Another good day for Sarge the rock star. He played well with Kylie, Ted, and Ace. We walked by some barking dogs and while he pulled and got nervous and whined I was able to regain his focus and we practiced walking by them a few times before we moved on. 
We also practiced some confidence building utility work. It took a few tries and some coordination but Sarge was able to go across the dog walk like a champ. He was very shaky and tried to jump off a few times but in the end we went over 3 or 4 times without hesitation and without fear. 
I think what Sarge really needs to be successful is to practice being walked by numerous friendly people who understand the rules of his walk. Right now his primary (only?) walking partner is his dad. I believe this may have led to Sarge having a very narrow idea of who is "okay" and who is not. If different friends and family members can take him on walks (alone) he will likely become more friendly with strangers. 
Compounding good experiences with other dogs is more tricky. He needs to meet friendly dogs and be controlled around dogs that frighten him. At this point he is frightened by dogs that are acting unfriendly but also by dogs that are friendly but acting out of control. It would be ideal to set up deliberate scenarios with trained friendly dogs to encounter on his usual walking path. These can be dogs he knows or dogs or strange dogs. Any good experience will be beneficial.
I like Sarge. He goes home tomorrow and I will be sad to see him go. He is a good example of why so many dog trainers, military personnel, and police officers choose this special breed to do difficult work. He is a sensitive dog who is constantly waiting and wanting direction. 

Sarge is back for a few days for a refresher course. Over the next few days we will be brushing up his obedience and to work on some fear aggression towards other dogs that has developed over the last couple of months. 
Helping dogs come back from a scary experience involving another dog is where Ace, the pit bull, shines. This morning when I went in to get Sarge ready for the morning walk I did what I do with every board and train. My 3 dogs came trotting into the room with me. Sarge, being afraid, exploded. Barking with hackles raised, growling, all the while he was stiff and clearly frightened. My dogs know not to crowd the kennel doors so they were busy looking for the cat. I opened Sarge's kennel door and, like I expected, he did not want to come out. Sarge is not aggressive. He is scared and he deals with this fear by puffing up and trying to be scary right back. 
Ace, being the friendly animal he is, went right up to Sarge to say hello. Sarge snapped at Ace's face in an attempt to say "stay away, I'm uncomfortable." Ace sat down. This is what Ace does. He sits and waits for dogs to feel better. I truly believe that in his heart of hearts Ace is convinced that all dogs really do want to be his best friend. 
It took a few seconds but soon Sarge's curiosity got the better of him and he sniffed Ace and allowed Ace to sniff him, though there was still some growling and hackles raised.
I opened the garage door to let everyone out and Sarge grudgingly came with. He checked all the cars for his dad and when he realized that his person wasn't there he busied himself trying to avoid the other dogs. Kylie and Ted were happy with this arrangement. They have no use for puppies. Ace, however, shadowed Sarge inviting him to play until, in what seemed like a sudden change, Sarge flipped a switch. In under 3 minutes he and Ace were running and wrestling and having a great time. Kylie joined the game and Sarge became afraid and sat with me for a second before it looked like there was too much fun to be had. And off he went. I've seen this happen many times before when integrating fearful dogs into the pack.
I will try to get some more dogs out here tomorrow to compound good experiences for Sarge. If not, I will see about Saturday morning. But all in all, I am convinced that any aggression we see from Sarge is coming from a place of nervousness because of his previous bad experiences. Dogs are forgiving. They don't hold onto trauma if a good experience can take its place.

Sarge's obedience is still very much where we want it. His Heel is a little sloppy and he has lost the Sit when he does the Come command. Little things like that jut need to be tweaked. He is a joy to work with. It is always nice to see an old student who has retained the training so well.