Life on the Leash

Yup, you get two ridiculous Sumner photos in one week, because he also wants to wish you …

Happy first day of spring!

No canine psyches were harmed in the making of this greeting.

Aloof?

“Who, me?”

My new client, Midnight the 2-year old Shar Pei, apparently hasn’t read his breed description.

“I’m all about defying expectations,” he told me.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

He looks like a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

His stage name? Erin Go Braless.

My new client was candid with me the first time we spoke on the phone. She told me that her dog Spencer the four-month old Goldendoodle was frustrating her, not just because he was up to typical puppy antics, but also because she’s living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. Though her recovery has been remarkable, there are some aspects of her injury that make “typical” puppy behaviors incredibly hard for her to handle.

I didn’t know what to expect at our first lesson, other than massive amounts of fluffy cuteness. Spencer delivered:

My client stopped me when she felt overwhelmed by my instructions. She apologized profusely when she asked me to repeat myself, and I had to reassure her that every client gets confused and feels clumsy at the first lesson.

She told me some of the details of how the injury impacts her daily life. Standing, something we usually do for the entire hour, is challenging for her, although walking is not. Sequencing, or following steps in order, is also difficult. Anyone who has trained a dog (all of you, I hope) knows that a “step one, step two, step three” progression goes hand in hand with the beginning stages of learning manners, for both dog and person. Though my client told me that it’s hard for her to process sequential instructions, she did a phenomenal job. And Spencer?

Superstar.

Working with Spencer and his person is going to force me to really examine the way I impart information. I know that I talk too quickly and I can be mumbly … during the session I found myself weighing each word I spoke. That turned out to be a good thing. Rather than racing through my standard lesson on autopilot, I focused on the moment.

I think I’m going to learn as much as Spencer.

Seamus the year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a toy fanatic:

Anything I took out of my bag was fair game. Sumner’s blue ball? Yup. The hedgehog? The cupcake? The donut? The Flat Cat? Yes, yes, yes and yes please.

He even gave the boring antler a go:

(It was only for about 2 minutes and I couldn’t get a decent shot!)

I love working with dogs equally driven by both treats and play, because that flexibility affords a stunning variety of reinforcement options. A polite “stay” can be rewarded with a quick game of tug, or a speedy recall can be rewarded with some fetch.

Seamus, my friend, we’re going to have some fun.

Remember Mari from last week? Meet one of her pups, 11-week old Nemo:

Here he is walking all over Momma Mari:

His details are short and sweet, just like him: Nemo is a Chihuahua, he’s playful, and obviously adorable! His early life wasn’t so sweet … he and his family came from a puppy mill.

Check out Nemo and the other wonderful dogs up for adoption at Pawfect Match Rescue!