Indy does Puppy Training 101

Ever seen the movie Marley and Me? Remember the scene when they take Marley to puppy training - all the others puppies are sitting there calmly awaiting the next command and Marley, on the other hand, is happily trying to play with everyone while not listening to a single command.....so began our puppy training with Indy!

Dianne and Conner arrived early as this was the first week and we still had some paperwork to fill in - no one there but the dog whisperer, AKA Shane Gerrehy from Diablo K9, and us - almost forgot - also a very large poster of a Golden Retriever - Indy promptly began to growl and bark at the picture - just redirect him suggests Shane - easy for you to say - this guy is over 45 lbs already!! OK - We get situated, dog poster is now not in our view, and in walks a very sweet, although rather large (also in the neighborhood of 45 lbs), 4 month old Labradoodle. She sits quietly on her mat (Indy and his "handlers" can't even seem to locate a mat) and pays attention to her mom. Indy is dying to meet her - yes, almost killing himself trying to lunge over and introduce himself - in the meantime more and more puppies calmly walk in, take their mats and wait for instructions - all the owners are looking at us with that look of - can you not keep your dog under control? - at this point we are thinking individualized classes may be best!

As the class progresses we reinforce sit, down, touch (a new one for me), and begin to learn "let's go" - for those of you dog owners out there, let's go is a favorite of a dog (but maybe not an owner as it is being learned) - picture 6 puppies calmly walking around with their handlers and focused on the handler (and the treats) and Indy - desparately trying to make new friends and seeking better treats from all the neighbors - after I am dripping with sweat trying to "refocus" the dog and thinking this is a better work out than the gym, I asked Shane if there were any "tricks" that would help refocus him - Shane calmly takes the lead, presents his treat, and Indy walks beside him - I guess I am not a dog whisperer!!!

When it came time for "puppy play" we are all reminded that if there is an accident simply hold your dog and the mess will be cleaned up by an available adult. Off to play - (this is Indy's favorite part) - he is a great sport, finds the Labradoodle who also likes to play, and promptly takes center stage. Some of the puppies hover from the outside looking in and others look to their owners with the quissical "really?" look. Of course, play and Indy mean only one thing - poop is coming....unfortunately for us poop came while we were still in the play session - love cleaning that up with paper towel!

While we made it through day 1 with only 5 more to go - we did practice this morning with our extra special treats and that was more of a success - wish us luck for week 2 (PS - I am wearing work out clothes next week!)

Indiana Bones Glynn

Indiana Bones, call name, Indy. Born 11/7/2010 he was very well socialized in his litter. His family took him home at 8 weeks old and did a great job of continuing his socializing, training, & grooming. He was taken to training classes, slept in their bedroom, and had lessons every day. He loves kids, other dogs, cats, fetching & cuddling. He has had positive contact with horses, goats, chickens, sheep, cows, and the outdoor world. He walks well on a leash, is crate trained, mostly potty trained, knows sit, down, off, leave it, lets go, heel, wait, OK, kennel, and more.

Unfortunately one of the family owners developed a very bad allergic reaction to the puppy fur and Indie had to be returned to the breeder. We saw the note on Facebook along with the very cute pictures and began the family discussions.

We headed up to see Nacina this weekend, with Tundra in tow. I think we were all a little surprised that Indy wasn't really a puppy anymore. Maybe in age, but, those paws, wow! I think we are looking at a 80-90 pound dog a year or two from now. At 45 pounds, he is well on his way already. We had a great visit and I think even Tundra decided she could deal with a new friend, so after a couple of hours of hanging out, we loaded up everyone, including our newest family member and headed home.

He is everything a golden puppy should be - a face that is so beautiful you just want to kiss him, an inquisitive nature that incents him to be involved in every family activity, a highly social nature meaning that Tundra now has a perpetual playmate (even if she was not asking for one), and smart such that he understands what you are asking him to do (but may not choose to do it)! Parker fondly remembers him as the blue collar puppy that he fed when we went to help socialize the puppies in November. Conner has taken to helping with the training including introducing a clicker to him, which if we follow this religiously may even allow us to do further tricks like jumping through hoops!

He sleeps through the night, wakes up with enthusiasm to start his new day, loves to eat his food and treats, and wants to play play play. All in all we are thrilled to have such a great new family member and we are savoring every moment as he grows!

Now the real fun (or is that work!) begins.