SEPTEMBER 2022 Client Spotlight: Ryder

Ryder, a 4-month-old Berniedoodle is my spotlight of the month. He was a day training client with the brain of a genius. He is one of those dogs that can learn anything in a matter of moments and it didn’t take long to realize. The owner’s hired me to help teach him how to control himself around their young children as well as out on walks. The cues that we taught him sit, down, touch, stay, go to place/crate, leave it, wait, heel, this way, let’s go, come, and “now”! We took a full round of obedience training (which usually takes 8 weeks in a group class) and condensed it into a three-week boot camp to get it done in under a month.

Day training is when I come in and help owners train their dogs while they work. It’s a way to make sure that puppies have opportunities to practice on a regular basis and to get clients excited about participating knowing that their dog is getting the attention they need during the day. The training only lasts a few weeks but can save owners time because a professional is doing it first. Day training doesn’t promise perfection but it does help owners get started.

Ryder picked up all the cues in a matter of days. The first week we created a fluent “go-to-place” and by the end of the package, Ryder was targeting his crate from across his house. As far as “leave it” goes, Mom told me that while she was cooking dinner, Ryder jumped up on the couch and stole her child’s muffin. She said “Ryder, leave it” and he promptly let go of the muffin and ran over to her for reinforcement. In that moment, she knew the training was worth it.

We not only worked inside but we met outside during transfer sessions to help Ryder generalize his learning as well as help his mom understand what her puppy was saying. He had trouble walking with her but after our sessions ended, she felt more confident and clear about what she needed to do in order to succeed. We both left our time together feeling really good about Ryder and all that he can do. As long as she keeps practicing with him, I know he will continue to amaze his family as well as anyone else he meets throughout his life.