Bear's schooling started officially today. He is a mixed breed dog (he is so unique looking! I should post a picture to see what people think he is. I see Akita, Lab, and Pit Bull) who came from the Lawrence Humane Society. I do not have a lot of background on him but he is a very quiet dog. I don't just mean he doesn't bark (which he doesn't, another Akita trait) but he is quiet with his body. When he is not chasing his new friend Piper, he is very calm and aware of where he is putting all four of his feet. He isn't a dog that knocks over furniture. Other dogs seem to make him a little nervous at first but when I just let him loose with Ted, Kylie and Piper and stepped back and let them figure out their relationships everything was peaceful. He had some hackles up and some sideways glances but the other dogs were friendly and so he relaxed and played nicely. He did stiffen when a dog approached his bed but once I shut his crate off to everybody, everyone had fun again.
I did not use the electronic collar today. He has a tendency towards anxiety and with all things being so new to him I did not want to overwhelm him with his collar. I used a basic slip chain to teach him Heel/Autosit and to make sure he understood the word "no" was a reprimand. He did alright, considering it was day 1. He pulls EXTREMELY hard if allowed to. He fought with me about staying nicely on my left side for under 2 minutes and then it was like a light bulb went off in his head and he said "OH! That's all you want?!" and he walked nicely.
Bear is what I call a "city slicker." If a dog's jaw could drop, Bear's would have hit the ground when he saw the horses. I think for a minute there he thought he had traveled to a land of monsters. I let him stand and stare at them for about a minute and then we walked on. Then one of the mares sneezed and Bear jumped out of his skin. Poor guy is not used to country life.
He met the family tonight and had some cuddle time in the house. He seemed nervous about the house but was polite and solicited attention.
Tomorrow is going to be a little boring for the boarders. It is my busy lesson day and so I will be in town until around 3. I will give them an exercise walk and a workout in the morning then they will be crated for a good chunk of the day. Once I am home from lessons it will be time for a few more workouts for the boarders. That is likely when I will introduce the Dogtra IQ to Bear. I have the time to let him settle in a little before and teaching him the basics before using the collar and that will allow him to understand what it is I am asking him and also to understand that any stimulation he feels from the collar is coming from me and nothing
I did not use the electronic collar today. He has a tendency towards anxiety and with all things being so new to him I did not want to overwhelm him with his collar. I used a basic slip chain to teach him Heel/Autosit and to make sure he understood the word "no" was a reprimand. He did alright, considering it was day 1. He pulls EXTREMELY hard if allowed to. He fought with me about staying nicely on my left side for under 2 minutes and then it was like a light bulb went off in his head and he said "OH! That's all you want?!" and he walked nicely.
Bear is what I call a "city slicker." If a dog's jaw could drop, Bear's would have hit the ground when he saw the horses. I think for a minute there he thought he had traveled to a land of monsters. I let him stand and stare at them for about a minute and then we walked on. Then one of the mares sneezed and Bear jumped out of his skin. Poor guy is not used to country life.
He met the family tonight and had some cuddle time in the house. He seemed nervous about the house but was polite and solicited attention.
Tomorrow is going to be a little boring for the boarders. It is my busy lesson day and so I will be in town until around 3. I will give them an exercise walk and a workout in the morning then they will be crated for a good chunk of the day. Once I am home from lessons it will be time for a few more workouts for the boarders. That is likely when I will introduce the Dogtra IQ to Bear. I have the time to let him settle in a little before and teaching him the basics before using the collar and that will allow him to understand what it is I am asking him and also to understand that any stimulation he feels from the collar is coming from me and nothing
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