Swimming-duck

So I've really enjoyed working with Maemae and training her. She now sits for both a verbal sit command and a non-verbal command. I still have to make sure the distraction level is pretty low, but it's coming on quite nicely.

We've started working on down. Oy!!! I've been having trouble getting this girl to down. I have been able to get her to down for her food bowl. Thank you Mikey for the instructions on that! She's still not perfect at it (sometimes tries to get up before the food bowl hits the floor and I've given her a "free" cue), but she's progressed nicely. When we first started poor girl would just sit and look at me all confused - like what's wrong with my human?

So we're working on down with a lure (no verbal command yet). I FINALLY got her to do it a couple of times today. I was so happy!

I'm so glad we signed up for Family Dog class. It's been confidence-building for both of us I think!

She's done better with her four year old human and he's doing better with her overall. Right now I just separate during his "bouncy hour" before bed. She's also choosing to use her dog bed in the kitchen (away from bouncy child) when she's wanting to rest vs. trying to rest in the middle of the room and getting touchy about being disturbed. I understand a girl's gotta get her beauty rest, so I'm glad she seems to be catching on to this!

Overall she's doing so well. Her confidence seems to be increasing. She now carries her tail a bit higher most of the time and really wants to play more!

We adore her - she's just a wonderful girl!

Lightning&Stomps

Yay! Sounds like everyone is working things out! That's wonderful. Kudos to you and your family for putting in the effort to make it work. And I was never able to teach Lightning or Stomps down. I figure with the way they are built they're naturally 3/4 of the way there, so why make them go the rest of the way.

LuciaB

Cannoli has down, but it took some work and treats. Most of her obedience things are a combo of verbal and non verbal. Your family sounds so loving and commited, makes me happy =)

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~Lucia~

Barney'spal

Wonderful news! She sounds like she's coming along so beautifully....and how proud you must be. Wish mine could do all that but I'm really not much of a trainer...we just kinda co-exist. He does the important stuff but that's about it....Keep up the good work!

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Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend.

houndmomma

Oh, YEA!!! For everyone!!! Doesn’t it feel great when the get it? It might be a low watt light bulb at first – but once they start to get it – everything else seems to follow.

Jen~
~

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Momma to Lucy age 12 ~ Basset Hound
Momma to Rickie age 5 ~ Shi-Poo (don’t tell him though – he thinks he’s a hound dog)
Momma to Mabel age -1 ~ Basset Hound
Momma to Flash – RIP 2000 ~ 2011 – Gone in body but with me in spirit ~ You will live on forever in my heart baby ~ Je t'aime

Swimming-duck

Haha - you are right in that she is mostly down anyways! She's probably just like, "What's wrong with this human? I'm practically lying on the floor anyways and she wants me to go further?"

Thanks. I'm just so happy that she's here. I really would do anything in my power to do to make this work! I know it's silly, but having a furry companion is a childhood dream come true. Yes, we had fish, but I'm sorry - they just don't do it for me!

You know, I actually enjoy the training stuff. It's fun for me. I could see myself doing a lot more with it someday when I have more time (kids are older and not doing full-time daycare!). Even the thought of doing events/competitions someday sounds kind of fun!

It's so true. I do feel like it's a flickering bulb right now. It's like I think she has it and then she just looks at me all confused or maybe she just thinks I'm nuts. OR, and I suspect this might be it, it's the independent hound in her going "Nah - don't feel like it right now!"

She's a gem. I'm so glad she's here!