AUGUST 2022 Client Spotlight: Leela
Leela is a wonderful dog. She is the epitome of sweet and I don’t think there’s another dog like her. I recently finished a package with her family and out of the hundreds of dogs that I’ve trained, she is on the list of most memorable. She is one of those dogs that remembers, not only who you are but what she’s been through. It’s not hard to notice that she is grateful to be home. Her owners love her and would do anything for her and that’s the kind of story that brings purpose to my work.
When I first met Leela, she had just moved into her family’s house that is located on a hill overlooking the rest of the neighborhood. Her owners were worried about her running off and wandering into stranger’s yards with dogs unaware of her friendliness. After taking a tour of her yard, we set up a plan of working on recalls, leave it and strengthening name sensitivity. I told them that our work together was not necessarily all about the training as much as it was about their relationship.
When adopting or rescuing a dog, it’s important to set a foundation that is consistent, valuable and structured. If one of the three principles are missing, it makes it difficult to have an enjoyable relationship. Consistency is in the way that you interact with them day to day, value is how motivated your dog is to do what you ask and structure is how you implement the cues into real life events. If you are inconsistent, it’s difficult for them to learn how to behave.
When it came to Leela, the owners originally relied on a shock collar to keep her within bounds. I explained the above principle to them and they came to understand how using the device could potentially damage what they’ve created. Needless to say, they chose the positive route and Leela is thriving today. They even allow her to sit outside for a short while (keeping a close eye of course) to sunbathe and enjoy her new home. Who could ask for more?
Now that we’ve completed our work together, their work as owners has just begun. We discussed how to structure training moving forward, generalizing the skills we learned at home to use in public. It will take time but I know Leela will eventually become an obedience rockstar. Don’t be surprised if you see her at your local bar or brewery. She is one not to be missed and I’m sure the owners would be thrilled to practice polite greetings. Give her a pet and a cookie for me and enjoy getting to know her!