Ottawa GRK9 of the Month

1. How old was Ladybug when you got her? 4 1/2 years old (so they say) 2. Where did you get her from? Ottawa Humane Society, I am her third person (home, street dog, tied in a barn then me) 3 Why did you pick her? It was her face...I am a shepherd person (first one was a border collie/shepherd then dutch shepherd mix) and was looking for a new pal after my last one passed (and the cat was also very sad) so the second I saw her pop onto the OHS website at night, I lined up in the morning, was the first one in the door to meet her and when her little round body came in the room, in a frenzy, freaking out, looking panicked, I knew she was the dog I needed. 4. Why did you want to begin training? I had no choice as she was way beyond my skill level. My last two did obedience training and search and rescue training for fun but Ladybug was a whole other deal. I found out very quickly that she was reactive to other dogs and wasn't socialized properly but I vowed to be her last home so no matter w

hat I was going to make sure she was safe, happy and home. 5. What were some of your training goals? We started small with no counter surfing, no toilet drinking, not on furniture, not jumping, sitting, staying, own and then I needed help with proper heeling, and the ultimate is the reactivity, redirection biting and proper socialization which is where my most wonderful trainers (you guys) came in. 6. What was the biggest obstacle to overcome during training? Honestly, my hardest obstacle has been an emotional one...it tears my heart out every time we regress, even though I know I am working with a live creature. I just SO want her to be happy and be able to go on adventures with her! 7. What are you guys working on now? We are working on impulse control (as the first few trainers I worked with did not have us working on that) and her reactivity and being calm...she is an anxious little beast! 8. If you could give any of our client's advice about accomplishing your training goals, what would it be? Patience, consistency and clarity...those seem to be the keys. And don't beat yourself up if you don't progress as fast as you think you should. I am so happy that I have a log of what we've done so I can look back and see the monumental change we have made. And personally I always go back to the quote that you don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. So look inside yourself to understand the journey you are on because it is a marathon, not a sprint.