K9 Command's Blog

Quick video of Gizmo "in progress"

2009-12-15T22:48:00.002-05:00

Gizmo has come a long way, but bless his heart, he is still a nervous bug (or as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs-Haha!) Oh well, you can see his body language and how "concerned" he is about Mark filming us. This video was taken over a week ago and he has improved some, but he is still not comfortable in different settings. He has gotten MUCH better in the house and around Mackenzie. It is hard to believe that it has taken him nearly 4 weeks to finally get comfortable with me, his complete caregiver for his entire stay! We have discussed additional options for him and will continue to work with you and Gizmo and be your support once he goes home.

Gizmo's Beginning

2009-12-02T00:21:00.004-05:00

Gizmo is quite a unique dog and has been a little bit of a challenge. However, he is a very smart dog, once you get passed all of his insecurities. The first week he has been here, we have mainly been working on getting him to be relaxed. It has taken him nearly the entire week to get to where he can relax on his "place" without panting and drooling all over the place. Now he goes to his bed and relaxes a lot more quickly. He does still tend to be more anxious when Mackenzie is around. That added energy is almost too much for him. However, he remains on "place", which is very good. He has a tendency to shake a little when we go outside, but we are continuing to work on that and I do see improvement. He has also been doing well with our dog Dona, who is in the house. He has not growled at her once since he has been here. We have been working slowly with his obedience, trying to gain his confidence and build a proper leadership role with him. So far he has been working on heel, come on, sit, down, stay and place. He is doing well with all of these commands. Down is a bit more of a challenge, but he is progressing each day with that command. He does very well with "place" and "come on". He has a nice natural focus with his heel. He performs "sit" well and he is working on sitting at the door to come in and go out. Overall, I have seen quite a bit of progress in Gizmo from the day of his evaluation. We are continuing to work on his "issues" and hope to see more improvement over the next week.

Gizmo

2009-12-02T00:04:00.002-05:00

Gizmo
Male Lab - Hound mix, 7 yrs old
Owned by Libby from Kings Mtn, NC

Board N Train began on 11/21/09

List of problems as stated by owner:

Nuisance whiner
Doesn't come when called
Shy toward new situations
Stresses easily
Separation anxiety
Very nervous and clingy and tends to be anti-social

The owner states that he has been her "security blanket" and that she has transferred her insecurity to him.

Main goals owner wants to achieve:

How to be a dog

Lucy "Down"

2009-11-08T13:35:00.005-05:00

Lucy is also learning "Down" and Down-Stay". This a difficult command for a lot of dogs because it is one of the most submissive positions you can put a dog in. Many dogs fight this command. Lucy has struggled with this command as well, but it is no different that the struggles we faced with "sit". She is learning this command and learning to trust me while I am teaching this command to her. Lucy is doing great and continues to gain confidence in herself and trust in me everyday.

Lucy "Heel"

2009-11-08T13:19:00.004-05:00

Lucy is doing great with "heel" and "come on". Heel is a command that means stay by my left side, whether that be walking or standing still. Lucy is also learning to sit automatically after we stop walking. This command is great when you need more control over Lucy, such as in traffic situations or walking in the park with other people and dogs. "Come on" is a much more relaxed command. In this command, Lucy is only required to stay close when we are walking. She is not required to be on the right or left, but only to be paying attention to where I am. This command is helpful when you are just in the yard and you want her to freely walk around with you. Currently, Lucy is walking without the assistance of the leash. The leash is still attached at this point, but is only dragging behind her. The leash is only there to guide her if she gets confused about what I am asking her to do.

Lucy "Sit"

2009-11-07T15:24:00.004-05:00

Lucy is doing MUCH better with her "sit" command now. She understands what is being asked of her and is now doing sit with verbal or hand signal commands. She also performs an automatic sit when we come to a stop after heeling. She is learning to sit and wait at the door to come in or go out. Lucy is doing great and is starting to gain more confidence in her training.

Lucy Begins

2009-11-03T23:16:00.004-05:00

Lucy is a very interesting dog. She is very sweet, but not very affectionate. She is very smart, but also seems confused. She had the life of a breeding/kennel dog before you came to rescue her. It seems she is still really trying to figure this new life out. I can see that there is a lot of intelligence in her, but I am just trying to get her to trust me at this point. We have started things pretty slow with her. Some commands she picked up on very quickly and others are a bit more challenging. She is doing great with the "place" command in the house. She is also learning to walk with me pretty well (although this is one thing she did well to begin with). She is having more difficulty with sit and down. We have incorporated some treats to help with this and it seems to be working some. Again, there is still that lack of trust with her. She likes me, she just doesn't seem to trust me...yet. I do feel this will turn around. We will continue to work and I hope to see some major progress over the next few days. So far, she is learning "place", "heel", "come on", "sit", "down", and "stay".

Lucy

2009-11-03T22:57:00.003-05:00

Lucy
Female Standard Poodle, 6 yrs old
Owned by Tommie from Kinston, NC

Board N Train began on 10/29/09

List of problems as stated by owner:

Not housebroken
Doesn't come when called
Bolts through open doors
Sniffs or eats off countertops
Chasing cats
Refuses to move when you try to lead her by the collar

Main goals owner wants to achieve:

Basic obedience
Pay attention to commands and not think they are just suggestions
Get in and out of the car without having to be lifted

Mack at the Park

2009-10-28T21:07:00.004-04:00

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I took Mack to the park today. He enjoyed his walk with Pirata, Mackenzie and me. He did very well with the added distraction. He heeled great dragging his leash behind. At one point I did remove the leash, and of course, he did great. He is doing excellent for a four month old pup. Now with consistency at home, he is going to mature into a even more incredible companion!

Big Mack and "Stay"

2009-10-19T22:32:00.003-04:00

Big Mack is virtually off-leash now. He occasionally drags his leash behind him, which I use only for guidance when needed. He will "heel", "sit" ,"down", "stay", "come", and "go to place". He is learning to do this things with more consistency and distraction. Mackenzie and the goats are a big help in that area. The only problem we have with Mack is not permanent issue. He is young. Being only 4 months old, he has a short attention span, a little puppy ADD. One big advantage we do have is that he is a very smart fellow and learns quickly. Gaining better consistency and attention will come with maturity. He has matured a lot while he has been here and gained a lot of knowledge to expand on as he grows into adulthood. As with all of our clients, we will continue to support you once he comes home to you so that you can help him through his adolescent phase.

Big Mack Learns "Place"

2009-10-19T22:21:00.003-04:00

Big Mack is doing very well with his first week here. He has been taught all of the basic commands. We are now working on consistency with him. One of my favorite commands is "place". This command teaches him to be calm in the house and he has a place to be, not on the couch or under my feet (which can be dangerous, as you know, LOL). It is very important in pack leadership, that he learns that he has a place below you. It is ok, however, for you to allow him on the couch with you, but ONLY under your direction. He must not think that the couch is his. It is YOUR couch and sometimes you allow him up there with you. He has now learned that his bed is a calm and relaxing place to be. We have taught him that other things can be "place" as well, such as a bench, a bath mat, or any other thing that I designate for him to lie down on. He also enjoys snuggling with his bear on place. So cute.

Big Mack's Training Begins

2009-10-12T22:31:00.004-04:00

Big Mack is learning how to adapt here and beginning his new training. So far he is learning to follow us on leash and come to a sit when we stop. He is also learning the "down" command and "stay". In the house, he is learning how to relax on his bed, which is now his "place" command. He occasionally gets excited and wants to move around the house, but for the most part, he is doing excellent with this command.

Big Mack

2009-10-12T22:16:00.003-04:00

Big Mack
Male American Bulldog, 4 mo old
Owned by Marianne from Morganton, NC

Board N Train began on 10/9/09

List of problems as stated by owner:

Not completely housebroken
Play bites
Doesn't come when called

Main goals owner wants to achieve:

Come when called off leash
Obedience off leash

Finn and Charlie

2009-09-25T13:16:00.003-04:00

Finn and Charlie have a great time playing together. Charlie can be a bit annoying at times when we are working, however. He always thinks it is time to play and attacks Finn when he is suppose to be working on his "stays". Finn is doing great with his obedience. He is working completely off-leash now. He will heel at or side, sit when we come to a stop, down, come, go to place and stay. He still has a lot of energy and will need consistency when he comes home or he will learn to "blow you off". He is like a little teenager. We are continuing to work on his submissive urination problem, but that may never go away. We are using the belly band to help with that and he is starting to get use to it. Overall, I think Finn is doing well with his training and I know he will be looking forward to going home with you this weekend.

Finn's training

2009-09-14T21:32:00.004-04:00

Finn is doing well with his training. He is dragging a line behind him as we are getting him more consistent with his off-leash training. He is working on sit and down stay, heel, come, and place. We have also been trying to work with his submissive urination. That has been quite a challenge the first week. We did purchase for him a "belly band" which is sort of like a male dog diaper so that when he is in the house and we do not have to worry about him tinkling everywhere. This works really well. Along with this, we are trying to teach him NOT to immediately roll and pee every time someone walks by. We are doing this by giving him treats BEFORE he rolls hoping that this will change his automatic response of peeing. If he thinks a treat is coming, he will be focused on the treat, rather than reacting in the submissive way he has been used to. We are also, trying to utilize the "place" command hoping that by giving him this command, along with the treats, it will RE-FOCUS him onto doing something positive rather than the negative reaction of urinating. We have solicited other trainers advice that have dealt with dogs like Finn and have been given lots of great methods to try with him. We will continue to work with him in all areas and hopefully we can make some good progress on his submissive urination. The pictures show Finn in a down-stay, sit-stay, and place, with and without distraction (the cat). Come to think about it, that is probably what I should have named that cat! LOL

Rajah goes to the Park

2009-09-11T20:52:00.003-04:00

Today I took Rajah to the park. He did great among the added distractions. Even the out of control Rat Terrier running around off leash, while the owner yelled "Zoey, come here, Zoey, come here" didn't phase him. He also did great with the strangers passing by. He only made a couple of grumbles and I quickly stopped that. Rajah has really come a long way since he has been here with us. He is a much calmer and more controllable dog. I have also been able to use the pedi-paws nail trimmer on him without issue. Rajah is a great little dog and now with consistency from you, he will only get better. He looks forward to a better life with you as his proper pack leader.

Finn Starts His Training

2009-09-08T22:19:00.003-04:00

So far, Finn is enjoying his stay with us. He has met new friends and loves to play with them. He is doing very well with his training so far. As you know, he had never been on a leash prior to coming here. He is doing great with that now. He is now able to walk calmly on a flexi-leash and follow me around the yard. Right now, he is also learning to sit, follow me, place, and stay. He is also doing very well with his crate training, which will help in his housebreaking. He loves his crate and feels very secure in there. Finn is a very smart and sweet little boy. He is very food motivated and this is helping with his training. Of course, we will also teach him the difference between his treats and ours. HaHa! The only problem we are having with him at this point is his submissive urination. As I believe I had discussed with you prior, this is a genetic temperament issue and is not really something that can be "trained" out of him. We can work on ways to help improve it, such as not reinforcing the behavior by doing anything that excites him when we want to take him outside, etc. At this point, ignoring the behavior and not drawing much attention to it is the best approach to take. I will explain this more in his "going home lesson". Hopefully, as he matures, and as you learn to interact with him without the "over-excitement, this behavior will diminish.

Finn

2009-09-08T22:03:00.003-04:00

Finn
Male Miniature Dachshund, 6.5 months old
Owned by Cheryl and Gary from Morganton, NC

Board N Train began on 9/4/09

Lists of problems as stated by owner:

Not housebroken
Overactive and doesn't settle down easily
Mounts objects (his stuffed bunny)
Urinates when excited or afraid
Nuisance barker or whiner when strangers are around
Play bites
Chews destructively
Sniffs or eats off countertops and tables
Obsesses over people food
Jumps up in their face
Has never been on a leash

Main goals owner wants to achieve:

Not jumping on us or lunging at our face
Not obsessing over our food
Not barking at strangers
Not urinating on us or the floor when he's excited
Going to the bathroom outside more consistently

Rajah Off-Leash

2009-09-08T21:53:00.003-04:00

Rajah has been working completely off the leash this week. He is doing great with his training! Things are finally falling into place with him. He is even showing the new guy, Finn, the ropes. He will do sits or downs with Finn or just stay on place while I am training with Finn. Of course, the cat, who still has no name btw, continues to torture him while he is suppose to be listening. They are going to miss each other. He has also learned to accept Mackenzie as a part of our pack.

Rajah Progressing

2009-09-02T21:26:00.003-04:00

Rajah had a very good training session today. We worked a lot on sit and down-stay. We also did more heeling work, now adding some distraction. I had Rajah "heel" while I was pushing Mackenzie in her little car. A week ago, this would never have happened because he was WAY too uncomfortable with Mackenzie and any other strange movement. He did very well with this exercise. He is now only dragging a 4 foot leash when I let him outside or work with him. I have very good control over him without holding the leash. We are still using a good bit of treats to reinforce his behaviors, but they will soon be weaned out. Today, I made Rajah perform a sit-stay while I fed the goats and Baxter, our livestock guardian. He did very well with this. He did get a little distracted a couple of times, but before today, this exercise was not possible. He has come a long way in the last couple of days. He is a smart dog and I knew he had it in him. It is just going to take consistency to make these good behaviors continue. He is a cute dog, and with that, he can sucker you into not following through with commands. You must follow through with each command that is given so that he will not return home and take advantage of you.

Rajah coming around

2009-09-02T20:43:00.003-04:00

Well Rajah has been her for 10 days and he is finally starting to come around. He was pretty stressed his first week here and we took his training very slowly. Now he is starting to understand what things are all about here. I also found something that he likes, to assist with his training...hot dogs! He need just a little something extra to help him "come around". Hot dogs did the trick. So far, the commands that Rajah has been taught are sit, down, come, stay, place, heel and come on. He is also working on the "quiet" or no barking command. He is a chihuahua and barking at strangers (or even people he is not comfortable with) is almost an automatic response. I am not sure that will ever be 100% but we have DEFINITELY gotten more control over it. Here are a few pics of Rajah in training. Some of the pics show the "place" command on a rock and other pics show a sit-stay and a"down" under distraction (the cat attacking him). I would say that is a pretty good distraction for any dog.

Rajah in training

2009-08-25T21:49:00.004-04:00

Rajah is a very sweet and smart dog. However, he is a little shy until he feels comfortable with you. We are experiencing some of his shyness. He is not quite comfortable here yet so we are taking things really slow with him. I have been using a lot of food reward with his training right now to get him comfortable with me and his new surroundings. That will soon be weaned out as we progress with the training. I can tell that he is going to be an easy dog to work with, once he trusts me completely. We have been working on him following me on a leash, sit, stay and place. He has already been taught many commands before coming to us, now we will just teach him how to do them more consistently with or without a food reward.

Rajah

2009-08-25T21:32:00.002-04:00

Rajah
Male, Long-haired Chihuahua, 22 months old
Owned by Pam from Winston-Salem, NC

Board N Train began on 8/22/09

List of problems as stated by owner:

Overactive and doesn't settle down easily
Mounts other dogs when he first meets them
Jumps on people
Is aggressive toward people
Growls at family members when moved from where he is laying
Nuisance barker!!!!!
Play bites
Doesn't come when called
Bolts through open doors
Guards his space and people
Stresses easily
Sniffs or eats off countertops or tables

Main goals owner wants to achieve:

obey commands
stop barking when told

Tucker and Suka

2009-06-09T17:38:00.002-04:00

We had a great training session today. It all seemed to "click" today, especially with Tucker. He did really great. I worked with both dogs at the same time. I was able to put one dog on place while I heeled with the other one and vice versa. They also did really great together performing sits, downs, and place.

Mackenzie, Suka and Tucker

2009-06-09T17:32:00.003-04:00

This is just a cute video of the dogs with Mackenzie. Both dogs are doing very well with their "place" command.