We have been working on a 'hold' for a couple of days now. This is the second two-minute session within five minutes this morning. Settler has never been introduced to a basket before but quickly caught on to what he needed to do. I will continue to introduce odd objects to him and eventually add duration and also work on carrying the object.
Our original plan was to go on a public outing to the park, however the poor weather prevented us from going anywhere this morning. Ugh!
The thought of being a therapy team with Settler keeps me extremely motivated to continue learning and training. Just for fun, I started a short session putting stickers on Settler just to see how he would react with something strange on his fur. I think he appreciated a few extra colorful spots!
Quickly it was back to business working Settler and Chesnee on their 'hold.' While on Day 1 I started with various toys and tugs (which the dogs were familiar with), I have switched to a small hand bag - which is not a toy but rather an unfamiliar object. Both dogs are doing a nice job picking the object up, but soon I will increase my criteria and ask for duration. I also want to continue to introduce more odd objects with different weights and textures. Chesnee tends to get a bit more frustrated and offers putting her front paws and back paws on the object opposed to picking it up in her mouth. Timing is critical for her.
Now onto agility for the evening - just Settler tonight since the sprinklers were on in the backyard. We worked weave poles again and I could see progression. However, he has made a bad habit from circling objects so tends to guess over and over by circling. Looking forward to continuing to work some of the skills learned at Sun Coast Agility in Naples, FL. Hopefully we will be ready to do some runs in the fall.
Finding time to train our dogs is never easy especially for those who work full time jobs and are away from home most of the day. I can certainly relate - I am on my own and my life is dedicated to dogs (other than my own) seven days per week. It is simple to make excuses or 'put it off' until tomorrow (I am guilty of it). The good news is, it only takes a few minutes of consistency per day to achieve behaviors and results we want. But, you have to put the time in to it! The even better news (for me), the bigger picture of dog training leads to favorable behaviors and skills that will be important for future therapy visits! If you're on the fence and considering therapy work...take a class! You have to start somewhere. Settler started his therapy journey with Mary Baker of Lucky Dog Company in Naples, FL.
In between the chaos of daycare dogs today I did some short sessions with both Settler and Chesnee. The first few minutes with Settler worked the beginning stages of a 'hold.' I did this same exercise with Chesnee. Less than five minutes per dog.
The second portion of the session was for Chesnee. I focused on body conditioning doing some 'sit pretty' and sit pretty into a stand position. Chesnee has struggled with urinary incontinence for the last few years. I have found through a strict diet and exercise it has really helped strengthen her muscles to help avoid the problem.
I have also started to reward Settler's 'calm' behaviors. He needs to start understanding that relaxation is a good thing and I will reward for that. If he was lounging around the house I would surprise him with a reward in between his front paws sporadically. His biggest challenge is his love for people. For the Canine Good Citizen test he will need to remain seated when a stranger greets us and asks to pet him. He will also need to contain himself during the physical examination.
Shifting gears: once all of the daycare dogs were picked up, and the weather was a bit cooler it was time to tackle outdoor focus and weave poles. It was time to burn some energy!
It's been an enjoyable journey in our second round of four-week Canine Good Citizen classes with Mary Baker of Lucky Dog Company located in Naples, FL. However, I know it is a long journey ahead until we reach our final goal and achieve our final therapy certification (we have years to go). However, the thought of helping others is extremely rewarding and I cannot wait to utilize Setter's full potential and love for people to help those who need it most. While he still has quite a bit of maturing to do, we are certainly enjoying the therapy journey.
Settler working on the walking pattern at home which will present itself on the CGC test. The dog must walk on a loose leash and keep focused and engaged with the handler.
Of course dog training is never a bad thing (unless of course you are using harsh correctional methods), but I really encourage anyone who thinks they may be interested in therapy work (or not) to take a Canine Good Citizen class to see what it is all about. I was always most interested in the competitiveness of dog agility, opposed to calm behaviors of therapy - but I am realizing this is some of the training my dog needs most.
Settler after an agility lesson at Sun Coast Agility with Chris Tucci in Naples, FL.
On the flip side, I know all of the obedience components of therapy classes will help us on the agility field. All and all dog training has been great bonding, great physical and mental stimulation, and great confidence building for the both of us.
Ever since I was young, I had a love for animals. Growing up I was the neighborhood pet-sitter and rode my bike from house to house to care for dogs and cats while neighbors were out of town. I never grew up thinking I could make a career out of pet-sitting. My family did not get a dog until I was in high school, so pet-sitting was a great way to get my dog fix.
After the movie 101 Dalmatians came out, Dalmatians were immediately my favorite dog breed. However, I was young and knew nothing about them. Besides that, my parents always told me to "never get a Dalmatian because they are mean." It would be years and years before I would actually ever get one.
Fast forward to my adult life; when I moved to Florida from Wisconsin in 2008, I was on my own. I came down to finish my last semester of college doing an internship in sports marketing. I stayed in the sports marketing field working for a local agency event planning sports tournaments. It was at the time that I also rescued my first dog, Chesnee. She was a mixed breed with severe separation anxiety.
After a few years in the sports marketing field I soon moved into the fitness field where I was introduced to CrossFit. While I was working in the fitness field at a local CrossFit affiliate I also started a dog-sitting business 'for fun' to help gym members out while they were out of town. I also was introduced to dog agility and used the activity as a confidence building sport for Chesnee. Agility started building my interest for dog training.
I was working full-time at the CrossFit affiliate and dog-sitting on the side out of my home. I never imagined the demand for dog-sitting would be so great. After five+ years at the CrossFit affiliate I decided I needed to take a risk and dedicate my time to developing my dog-sitting business, Walker Ranch.
I started dog-sitting in 2012. It has been my livelihood and provided for me as a full-time career. It has been my way of life, full-time, since 2014. In 2015 (after almost 3+ years researching the Dalmatian breed and breeders) God gave me a Dalmatian. Woodwynd Hear Me Roar, or Settler (named after the street I grew up on), connected me with another local Dalmatian family, which I now consider to be my own family.
Settler the Dalmatian has been the opposite of everything anyone had ever told me about Dalmatians. He is lively, athletic, energetic, loving, and works to please. While I originally had my eyes on dog agility, my motivation started shifting towards giving back and helping other people through therapy work. Settler's love for people has made me want to work towards getting his Canine Good Citizen and eventually his highest level of therapy to enable us to visit hospitals.
So while dogs have provided for me, they are also my way of giving back. My journey is just beginning, but it is very exciting to think of the lives we will someday be able to change through therapy work.
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