Guest Post: The Trouble With Walking Humans

Hi guys. Darcy here!

It's nice to be back on the blog.

But the thing is -- I have this problem.

See, my sister said that training humans can be hard. But then, she said that I could do a good job if I was con...sistent? Basically, I have to be responsible and keep doing the same thing over and over until they work out what they're meant to do. That doesn't sound too hard.

But no one told me how hard it is to walk a human!

First, you have to have them on a string, because otherwise they don't follow you.

If it weren't for the string, who knows where the human would end up!

But then once you're outside, they don't seem to know what to do. You know how it is, right? There are people to get pats from, birdies to chase, all kinds of tasty things to grab and sooo many smells to sniff!

Must. Catch. Birdies.

Hmm.

Mmmm.

But the human just can't keep up. Like, whenever I leap for a birdie, she always stops before I can catch it! (I guess humans tire easily.) Sometimes she even turns around to go in the other direction... even though I'm all ready to meet the people coming towards us! Sigh.

And that's not all. Whenever there's the good smells, the ones that need a whole minute to appreciate (you know the ones), she can't seem to wait, and tries to hurry me along! Can you believe it? I guess patience is hard for humans.

My sister did tell me humans can be kind of slow, but I dunno how she managed to train them because we pups never go walking together anymore. I dunno why. Maybe because the humans are too clumsy to keep the strings from tangling up when I jump on Ava? They seem to get all flustered every time I tackle her!

Don't get me wrong, humans are fun and I know I have a big responsibility to teach them right. But man, it's hard work!

Help a pup out -- do you have any tips on walking humans?

Woof,
Darcy xx

A Year Later: In Which Melon Is Getting Crazier and Crazier

A year ago I posted about sitting by the side of the road in the name of puppy socialisation. Who cares what people think? 🐶 Today, Darcy and I took a break on the footpath as he was a little overexcited. So I sat on the ground with the puppy. And since I was there, I might as well take a photo for Instagram, right? See the black? That's my pant leg. Leaning back, looking at my screen and making kissy noises, I forgot I was lying by the side of the road... until a lady pulled over to ask if I was all right. 😳 🐾 What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in the name of dog training? #trainersgonnatrain #butsometimeswescarepeople #oops #dogtraining #6monthsold

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on May 16, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

Conflict Arises: In Which Scruffy Finds Himself in Bootcamp and Melon Thinks the Universe Knows More Than It Tells

Why do things never turn out like we expect?

I had Scruffy and Charlie booked in to stay with me for a couple of weeks around Easter. They last had a very smooth stay in January, so we assumed it would be pretty routine.

Charlie (L) and Scruffy (R)

This was not to be. Just before their owner went away, I was told that I would be left with only Scruffy, as a trainer had advised that the dogs sleep separately. I was puzzled, but confirmed the boarding.

I've mentioned the issues between these two dogs before, and my hopes for some professional intervention. Due to personal reasons, I had made the decision last year to give their owner some referrals rather than take the job myself.

Then, less than a week before Scruffy and Charlie were to be dropped off, the dogs were at a different groomer from usual. While there, Scruffy attacked Charlie and left him with puncture wounds. The vet who treated Charlie referred their owner to a professional dog trainer.

Here's the cool part. The professional trainer, through a stroke of luck, turned out to be one of my teachers from technical college. So while I was thrilled to have Scruffy and Charlie in such good hands, he seemed pleased to hear that I was the dog-sitter who would be watching Scruffy while their human is away.

So while Charlie is resting up at home with a family member, I've got this dude with me.

Scruffy doing a Sit-Stay at the shops

As instructed by my teacher, Scruffy and I are working on basic obedience, crate training and treating some mild separation anxiety. He whines when left alone, presumably because he's never been truly alone before -- he and Charlie were always kept together.

Howzat for enthusiasm? #dattail #fooddriven #breakfast #dogtraining #wirefoxterrier

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on Apr 19, 2017 at 9:56pm PDT

It's not 'my job' to train Scruffy, but I am taking this opportunity to learn from my mentor. I'd also like to help out this owner, as long as she is dedicated to putting in the work to keep Scruffy. (If he is not safe around Charlie after this training, I believe Scruffy will be re-homed.)

Fingers crossed for good results!

Tiger and Cow: A Love Story

As a petsitter / dog trainer, I am in the unique position of having many dogs go through my home / care, rather than just one.

And we know that every dog is different, with their own likes and dislikes, and all sorts of fun personality quirks.

That’s why, in my household, this plant will forever be known as Gatsby’s Bush.

I just loved to look out my window and see her balancing like a sphinx on the round bush (top left).

And then -- there's Tiger’s Cow.

Allow me to present: Tiger and Cow: A Love Story.

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...

Wednesday Walks

Hello Darcy.

Ready for a walk?

What are you looking at, Ava?

Nothing.