I completed my Obedience Trainer course Canada West Canine Training Center in May in Salmon Arm B.C. All I can think about is training dogs, and how much I want my own puppy to train. There are lots of dogs that I get to work with and help train, but none of them are mine. Up until a few days ago, I had convinced myself that my old almost 12 year old Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle mix was to old to re-train. But I have come to realize that she is just as trainable as any other dog. If I had adopted her a week ago she would need to be trained regardless of her age. So why not start over.
I have had Lilo for 11 years. We have grown up together, and she has always been my shadow. If I can take her with me, I do. She loves car rides, licking windows and barking at dogs as we go by. She was trained using treats, and knows tricks like "sit pretty", "wave", "roll over", "speak", "spin around", and my boyfriend has got her trained that if she comes in the house without barking/trying to eat the neighbor she gets a treat.
My new training method does not use treats. It uses praise, motivation and correction. All use touch and voice to communicate with the dog.
So this blog is now going to be myself and Lilo's Training Log.
Last night Lilo and I got down to business. We had already gone for a short walk with a friend and her dog, so she had her training collar on already. I clipped my 6 foot leash to her, and we set off. I am sure my neighbors thought I was crazy.. walking around the cul-de-sac with small steps and turning circles, making Lilo pay total attention to me. She picked up on the heeling quite fast, it is the auto sit when I stop that she is completely dumbfounded by.. She did it twice for me without me having to bend down and put her into the (heel)sit. But then of course the next time, gave me a blank stare..
I love teaching dogs the heel and auto sit, to me nothing looks nicer than a dog that knows how to heel and isn't pulling the owners arm out of their socket. It is one of the commands that makes training that much easier, and everything else that is taught stems from the mastering of the heel and auto sit.
I wanted to start this blog, not only to talk about my training but to show that even older dogs can learn new commands and become better canine citizens.
Cheers,
Hana @ K9 O'Hana
