Training Tuesday: Crate Work with Coco

15 week old Coco is learning to go to her crate when asked. 🐕 (Please excuse my super clumsy treat delivery!) #dogtraining #puppy #puppytraining #frenchbulldog

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on Sep 26, 2017 at 5:52am PDT

In Which Being A Dog-less Dog Lover Has Its Perks

I'll be honest. Being a dog-less dog lover -- much less dog trainer -- sucks.

But sometimes, it provides unique opportunities.

Last night, I went to obedience club, even though I wasn't rostered to teach. The other instructors often bring their own dogs to train when they aren't teaching. But, of course, I don't have a dog of my own. No matter. I could just watch a class -- there's always something to learn about teaching [humans], and training [dogs], by watching others.

But then my colleague Ryan, who was teaching last night, offered to lend me his dog, Barney, so I could participate in a class.

I felt a bit of a thrill as I took Barney and joined the line of students waiting for our instructor. (Not Ryan -- we run many different classes.) Now, I have taken Miss Ava in class before. But this felt different -- probably because I've never worked with Barney before! So I imagine the feeling was one part 'I hope I don't embarrass myself' and two parts 'hey, this is cool'.

What are we waiting for?

It turned out to be a bunch of fun! Barney is a wonderful dog. Very, very laid-back for a young labrador, and he was very responsive to me, despite the fact that, well, he doesn't know me! Even more impressive was the fact that Ryan was about 10m away, walking around and calling instructions to his class. I've seen dogs in class ignore the 50-60 other strange dogs and their handlers working around them, but lose all focus because their other human, fur-sibling or doggy friend are elsewhere on the field.

But Barney, absolutely cool dog that he is, was content just to glance over at Ryan when we took breaks. Loyal, but composed.

I may be lanky, but I'm cooler than James Dean.

It was a great night. I'm grateful to Ryan for lending him to me, to the instructors at club who trust us with crazy shenanigans, and to my classmate who always gives me great training (and teaching) advice every time we see each other.

And of course this dude, who made my night! I'm still grinning.

That's cool, you can pay me in treats.

Being dog-less in the dog industry is a weird place to be. But sometimes, cool things happen.

The Story Progresses: Melon Has A Graduation

A week ago, something cool happened. I became an official instructor at the Hills dog obedience club!

Yes, I've been teaching there for a few months. But I'm a full obedience class instructor now, because I finished the training course. I had a graduation and everything!

Honestly, it felt a little weird because for the other graduates, graduation night was the culmination of a year of study and teaching experience. (Also, most grads being significantly older than me, it was a brave step back into the world of study for them.)

Whereas I joined the course half-way and made up the homework in a short amount of time. Yes, I did the reading and written work. But since that was done alone at the comfort of my desk, it doesn't quite feel the same as a shared adventure with my peers.

But I'm very glad to be part of the team, excited for the opportunity to contribute and very appreciative of the warm welcome. The club has a really dedicated group of volunteers who teach and organise and do everything else that needs to run an organisation -- and all to benefit the community. So I'm proud to be part of the team, and will have lots of teaching adventures to share!

Sadness and a Success Story: In Which You Win Some, You Lose Some

That's what I'm strongly feeling right now: In life... you win some, you lose some.

I've been keeping busy, which is satisfyingly productive. I'm improving my skills, I'm helping people, and just generally getting on with life.

But I still live with depression.

I suspect anyone with chronic illness who has been fortunate enough to experience recovery has discovered the same thing: 'recovery' presents its own challenges. You start having expectations (other people's and your own), you start having dreams (your own mostly - others probably never had to give theirs up), and it hurts when you realise your illness hasn't gone anywhere. You're allowed to dream, but you know that most of those are still just -- a dream.

* * * 

But this is a dog blog, so let's share a "win" from the dog side of things.

Tiger

I was asked to visit Tiger, the 6 year old Pomeranian, twice a week for a month while his owners were away. He was being fed and visited by his neighbours, who are extended family, but they felt he needed more attention and weren't sure how to give it to him.

I was told he doesn't like strangers -- which was true. Although I was let in by a family member, Tiger continued to bark at me inside the house. I had arrived prepared and immediately started counterconditioning his view of me. I tossed treats away from me when he approached me, always letting him move away from me to get them. Soon he was coming toward me of his own accord. I never reached toward him, as it was obvious it would startle him.

It wasn't long before we got along much better. Tiger turned out to be a very alert, responsive little dog.

Can you see me?

While toys were number one on his list, I used his love of food to teach him a few new tricks, too.

My dogsitting job is over as his family is home. I never walked him as part of the house visits as I was told he was both human and dog reactive, but the owners might contact me in future if they want to do a behavioural modification program.

Tiger proved to be very bright and extremely trainable, so I have high hopes for him if they choose to go down that path. In the meantime, this cute dude has a few new tricks to show his friends!

Plot Developments: In Which There are More Dogs Than We Ever Expected

The first thing is that I have added two new regulars to my list of dogsitting clients.

Tiger 

Tiger is a cute little guy who needs a bit of extra company, so I'm visiting him a couple of mornings a week. He doesn't love strangers or other dogs, but he's a very smart little guy who is a pleasure to hang out with.

Apollo

Apollo is my neighbour's dog, and is by far the biggest houseguest we've had so far! Other than giving people the impression we have a lion in the house, he's a pretty chill dude. I was pleasantly surprised to find he's a calm walker, so we'll definitely be doing more walks to get some of that extra weight off him.

Didn't you say there were a lot more dogs, you ask? Yes -- I'm not done! Aside from a very short sleepover with a puppy in a few weeks, my other news is more significant in my development as a dog trainer.

I've started helping teach at the local dog training club! I'm a trainee instructor, which means I'm rostered on with an experienced instructor to teach the beginners' classes.

I've found that some of the instructors just want me to provide some one-on-one assistance to students doing the exercises, and others want me to teach the class myself while they supervise. Aside from one memorable night where I was asked to teach a class I knew nothing about, I'm enjoying both roles.

Just like Tiger loves the visits from his cow friend.

Remember my 'class instruction' exam for the dog trainers' course? Well, I could not have asked for better preparation for this role.
New pet owners? Check.
Teaching a class of humans and dogs across an open field? Check.
Ten other classes on the field at the same time, totalling about 80 dogs? Okay, maybe not so much.
But I find as long as I can keep the focus of my class, everyone else will take care of theirs. Having smelly treats to keep the dogs' attention helps...

So in conclusion -- dogs everywhere! I'm even more physically tired than I am mentally at the end of each day (excluding the days I practise driving, then I'm both!). But I'm having fun.

They say to dive right in...

Training Video: In Which Darcy Learns Important Skills, and Melon Manages Two Pups At Once

Yesterday Ava and Darcy's parents were amazed to see the puppies totally pooped (exhausted!) after I'd been in for only a short time. We joked that I must come in and hit the pups with a brick to make my job easy...

Too hot to walk your dog? ☀️ Not to worry - training time! It's the perfect excuse for you ALL to stay indoors. 🍹Tired brains make tired dogs too! #trainingdone #naptime #summer #dogtrainingtips #trainyourdog #dogtrainerslife

A photo posted by Melon (@melondious) on Jan 17, 2017 at 4:10pm PST

So, Chris and Tim, this is for you. Watch carefully to see if there are any bricks!

A Milestone: In Which The Finish Line Is In Sight

Guess what? I've completed the attendance component of my dog training course!

C'mon, human! We're nearly there!

Something I haven't yet made clear is that this course is not just a course on how to train dogs, but on how to become a dog trainer. It's offered through my city's technical college, so it's preparing us for a potential career as a dog trainer, and sharing with us all the professional aspects of the industry.

So you'll understand why my final practical exam consisted of teaching a pet obedience class (eg. puppy school). Of course, in the exam my fellow students played the part of the pet owners, but I did teach a real obedience class lesson.

I was a little apprehensive because while I feel I can teach one-on-one, I have little experience standing up in front of a class. And even less experience teaching practical skills out on a field!

But it went well! I think I actually impressed both my teacher (the assessor) and my fellow students (some of whom are quite skilled at speaking to audiences)!

So I'm quite pleased, and trying to keep in mind the idea of teaching puppy classes as a source of income. Honestly, I'm harbouring reservations. Reservations being; a combination of insecurity due to inexperience, which is natural and can be overcome, and... a genuine reluctance to deal with people. See, in obedience classes the real students are the pet owners, and thanks to my mental health challenges sometimes dealing with people is, well, a challenge.

But I do know that if I can teach and I can teach well, I shouldn't throw the option out.

Either way, having finished all my classes (and attended almost every single class) is a big achievement, and honestly more than I'd dreamed of. I've still got plenty of written assignments and a practical skill to complete, but I look forward to telling you when that is over -- hopefully before Christmas!

I think I smell freedom. Or is that Christmas cake?

A Surprise: In Which Melon Is Faced With A Challenge, But Not the One She's Expecting

It feels like yesterday I was telling you that I’m starting a dog training course taught by expert dog trainers, yet I’m already most of the way through it. It’s definitely a crash course, chock full of info and as much hands-on practice as we can fit into such a short time.

I’d love the course to be a bit longer, to be honest, as the class could discuss more dog training specifics as we encounter different things outside the classroom. I’d also like to soak up more of the gems of wisdom available just by being around Steve and Vicki Austin, my excellent and highly experienced instructors.

But although class will be over soon, I still have plenty of written assignments to complete, and frankly I’m just glad I’ve made it through class so far. Depression doesn’t make life easy, folks, so all successes need to be celebrated.

I've also been really glad for the opportunity to work with the different dogs at the boarding kennel. After the beagle incident, I've encountered a retriever mix who chomped like a crocodile, a gorgeous American staffy, a chubby cattle dog, a skinny border collie, a very nervous shepherd and more. It's like a roulette, not knowing which dog I'll have next!

It’s taught me that I’ll need a LOT more hands-on experience to become competent and confident in dog handling. My instructor has hinted that shelter work and similar will provide a lot of practical experience, and it’s definitely on my to-do list once I have a driver’s licence.

Bazyl and his humans kindly helped me with 'training practice'.

Last week was my first major practical assessment -- I was asked to assess a dog selected for me at random from the boarding kennel and more importantly, demonstrate how I would instruct it in a number of obedience exercises. I was on tenterhooks all week, wondering what kind of dog I would be assigned and how similar the experience would be to my first and most memorable kennel dog encounter, the beagle...

I got lucky -- I ended up with a calm but responsive dachshund!

dachshund, aka sausage dog
image: Ghislane, on Flickr

He was smooth coated, which made my job identifying him as an entire (undesexed) male easy. (I hate that question -- it sounds simple, but strange fluffers aren't too happy when you try to cop a feel just to tick a box on a form!)

His anatomy did create other complications, though. Do you know how hard it is to tell if a dachshund is sitting or standing, from the front?

Seriously.
image: CC0 Public Domain

Honestly though, he was probably the easiest dog I've had from the kennel so far.

My biggest fear had been getting another big, strong dog who I couldn't even keep by my side. This guy being so little, I had no such issues, even if he had tried to take off like some dogs I know.

And I took the time beforehand to check out what his Sit and Drop look like, when they sent me to get him. It wasn't hard to encourage him, since he liked food treats.
I guess someone out there finally thought I deserved a break from the crazies -- and I'm thankful it was given to me when it counts!

Anyway, I passed! My only major obstacle was (and continues to be) my attempts to train loose-lead walking. Anyone have any LLW tips? I could do with all the help I can get!

That's one down, just a few more to go!

A Comic Scene: In Which Melon Is Rudely Awakened To The Nature Of Hounds And Taken Down A Peg or Three

Last weekend was my first practical for the dog training course. Our theory classes take place in the classroom, but practicals take place at a large private boarding kennel, where we can use some of the boarding dogs in class.

We began with all the usual things -- safety checks, a tour of the grounds, and some chat about our assignments. Then we started our first lesson with the actual dogs. In future some students will bring their own dogs, but today everyone was free to pick a kennel dog.

The kennel owner explained to us that those who have quiet, well-trained dogs can usually convince a neighbour or friend to watch them when they are away. So the ones who are put in a boarding kennel are... less easy. Makes sense, I thought. I was keen to see what we could do, but also a bit nervous walking into the kennel area to a cacophony of barking.

I looked down the line, evaluating my options. 2 German shepherds -- oh no, they have the 'not for use' sign. A little fluffer -- well, I'd rather something different from my usual, but then, it's less intimidating than the bigger ones -- oh, my classmate's already approaching that one, never mind. A beagle and a lab were pawing hopefully at the kennel doors near the end of the line. I've worked with labs before, the beagle's pretty cute and they love food, right? - let's go with that.

Who woulda thunk it?
(photo: Daniel Flathagen on Flickr)

If any beagle people are reading this, I'm guessing you're laughing already. For those who are still picturing Snoopy sitting on his doghouse stoically writing novels, I'll continue the story.

Collaring and leashing up the excitable beagle was managable, and passed my instructor's assessment. We were to walk the dogs out to the field and wait with them out of reach of each other. Fair enough.

But the minute I left the kennel, my new friend almost yanked my arm out of its socket to get over to another dog, a staffy. Uh-oh. I desperately yelled for my classmate to retreat as I was dragged over.

I finally made it to the field after a firm talk from my instructor reminding me that as a grown adult I can keep the beagle under control and advising me on the safest way to hold a leash. (That said, he also told me what to do if I was pulled over...) I grasped the leash as firmly as I could, my hands already smarting from multiple rope burns, and tried to stay upright as my beagle dragged me onto the field.

I was the last to arrive, and everyone was standing around waiting for instructions, patting their dogs, one or two even giving their new friends belly rubs.

Meanwhile, I looked like this:

After I completely missed all the instructions and my classmates stoically tried to ignore the ruckus, I finally managed to plant my feet to stop him from dragging us over to the other dogs. Of course, my new friend had to express his disatisfaction with this situation. Loudly. If you're ever worried you're not yet the centre of attention, try restraining a baying hound.

Our first lesson topic was, surprise surprise, loose-leash walking. Before today I thought I had a pretty good idea of how to teach LLW, but I couldn't even stay in one spot without being dragged around by this beagle, much less teach him not to.

We ended up taking breaks for de-briefing a couple of times -- "Same dogs after lunch, folks" -- so by the end of the day I had gone in and collected this beagle 3 times, each time feeling more tired than the last but determined to salvage what I had of my pride by at least not giving up.

By the end of the day I had learnt three things: two different approaches to training loose leash walking, and not to take on a hound without a lot more practice.

Book Review: The City Dog

Basically, it looked pretty and easy to read

This book was another library find of mine. It's one of those large, non-fiction books you find on its own little stand because it looks new and colourful.

I came for a few 'recommended' books such as the Dunbar guides and having spotted it on my way out, grabbed it also. I was attracted by the modern cover design and easy-to-read typesetting, but it turned out to have a really practical, sensible approach to having a dog in the city.

In fact, I feel it provides a practical, sensible approach to having a dog in general. This Hamlyn (UK) book may not have had us 'down under' in mind, but Australia is one of the world's most urbanised countries. We also have one of the world's highest rates of pet ownership. So it's not surprising that I feel this book is practically a must-read for a new dog owner.

 The City Dog: The Essential Guide For the Urban Owner opens with an introduction to the idea of dogs in the city:

While it may be tempting to think of most dogs being at home in green fields and woodland, they can adapt well to life in the city and can flourish there, with a little understanding, training and care. (Introduction, p.6)

And I think this book provides us with just that -- a little understanding, training and care -- so that we can, in turn, provide our dogs with the same.

It presents a thorough understanding of the issues involved in having a city dog, from sheer size considerations for a dog navigating city streets to the necessity of 'leave it' in that environment.
Each double-page spread has eye-catching (and adorable!) photos alongside descriptions which provide an understanding of the relevant concepts without descending into jargon.

And the training exercises? Recall, Sit, Down, Leave it -- as well as attention, socialisation (with checklists!) and café manners -- are what I'd consider essential for any pet dog anyway, so I love that they are all there, with step-by-step photos.

And I think reminding owners about balancing their needs with that of their dogs -- such as bringing the dog along to the outdoor mall for a shopping spree but taking care pup doesn't leave hairs on the clothing -- shows that they really have covered the topic 'with care' and consideration.

But really -- this is all just my very long way of saying I really enjoyed this book. I was impressed at how it could present such sound, comprehensive and relevant information in such a simple manner, with more than half the book being beautiful photographs and so few words! (... unlike me!)