Taylos 1st day at Obedience Class...

Last night was Taylor's 1st day at Obedience Training Class...

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Obviously I could not take pictures, I had my hands full. So this picture is from their website of another class... significantly farther along than we are.

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I was so shocked when I walked up... there were about 50 dogs of every breed you could imagine already there. A few Labs, a poodle, a Labradoodle, a Rhodesian Ridge back, a couple of bulldogs, a boxer, a collie, a sheep dog, a few mutts... it was quite an array.

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I was so nervous, Taylor does not do well with distractions and this class was all about distractions! That is why they sign up so many at a time... they believe the more they can learn with distractions, the better trained they will be in the real world of distractions.

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Well until we started working with the dogs, we had to sit in a half circle and listen and watch the trainer demonstrate techniques. But don't let your dog touch another dog.

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Okay, easier said than done.

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My puppy can pull 12 refrigerators by herself!!! She is so strong!!!

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My arms are so sore from hanging on to her all night.... I am literally crippled today, and I have leash burns across every knuckle!!

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But the good news is, she did really well and we have already been working and practicing on walking on a 12 foot line and she is no longer pulling me down the street. Now my little Taylor does use the full 12 feet at this point... but it is okay and she is learning!

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I am so excited to have hope of imaging this...

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Off-Leash Obedience
Imagine this: you stroll through a meadow while your dog romps in the sunshine. A rabbit bolts and your dog starts after it. You give a one-word command and she wheels around, bounding cheerfully back to sit expectantly at your feet. Another command from you and your dog heels sedately at your left side. You stop. She sits attentively. You tell her to lie down and stay and you walk off to investigate something. You give the release command and she frolics off to continue your companionable outing together. No leash. No shock collar. No food bribes. No panic. You have full confidence that your dog is under control. At Scotch Pines Dog Training we believe that true obedience must extend beyond the six foot leash. Because gates get left open and leashes slip. Because real life, even in your backyard, is off leash. Our goal is to instill off-leash reliability whether your dog is walking with you along a mountain trail or a city street, whether there are other dogs or children about, or even whether a cat zips by.

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Wouldn't that just be too weird, to have her not rip out of my hands when a cat "zips by"!!!

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There is lots and lots of homework (I hate homework), but if you don't do it, "you and your dog will flunk"! So I guess I am now committed!

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So if you need me, I will be at the park training and bribing kids to distract my dog so she will graduate obedience class!