Monday, June 10, 2013

New week

It's Monday - a brand new week.  It's supposed to get warmer this week, muggy even.  It figures.  Go from unseasonable cold to muggy and humid overnight.  It rained Saturday night and about half the day on Sunday.  It sure looks like it could rain now too - but according to the weather channel, it shouldn't. 

We are having t-ball again tomorrow and it even looks like it could be *gasp* sunny!  Today we are hoping to get to the park. 

Hans started obedience class last week.  We are signed up for classes at a dog training place in the town next door.  I thought I would give them a try versus the pet stores this time.  Here were my options:
1. Take an adult 1 class at the pet store where we took our first puppy class.  The instructor was very nice, seemed knowledgeable, but the space left something to be desired because we were a little cramped, and it was the furthest away.

2.  Take an adult 1 class at the pet store where we took our 2nd puppy class.  It was very close by, but the space was terrible.  Way too cramped and very hard to control dogs when they are inches away from each other.  The instructor was very gruff, which is necessary at times, but she also had only been a trainer for 18 months.

3.  Take an adult 1 class at the professional dog trainer's facility.  Didn't know anything about it, other than I'd heard from some dog-people it was a good place.

All 3 were within $10 of each other, so I figured I'd give option 3 a try.  The first week, they didn't want any dogs - we just went over requirements of the class, type of leash, type of collar, etc.  When I explained the issues I was having with Hans (a little pulling on walks, and a LOT of pulling when he'd see other people or dogs.  I've had 2 burns across my hand from the leash and 2 fingernails bent backwards.  Boy, do those hurt.)  They suggested that I come early the following week and get Hans fitted for a prong collar. 
A prong collar has blunt prongs that squeeze the dogs neck when tightened.  It's supposed to replicate the mother dog grabbing her pups by the neck as a correction tool.  It looks intimidating, and I'd heard good and bag things about it.  During the week I did a bit of reading up on them and they are actually a quite gentle training device - more so than the choke collars or slip collars that were suggested as well.  When I went to have Hans fitted, the owner of the place did it himself and spent about 30 minutes with me showing me effective ways to use it, put it on and remove it. 

He told me that a lot of how Hans reacts in the prong is going to be based on my body language and how I hold the leash.  We tried an exercise - he told me to tense up my body as much as possible, arms, legs, shoulders, hands, etc.  Then he brought another dog close to Hans and Hans FLIPPED OUT.  He was lunging, trying to get close to the other dog, whining, etc.  They removed the dog and now he told me to relax as much as I could, slow, deep breaths, and to close my eyes.  They brought the dog back and I couldn't even tell he was there.  Hans was as still as a statue.  And just to drive the point home, we tensed up again brought the dog back, and I had "crazy Hans" again.  Weird.

So now we've been walking with the prong, and using in for 10-15 minutes at home doing our exercises and he's been doing great.  We only have the collar on when we are training.  I even was able to walk Hans through a group of about 5 kids, up to a lemonade stand and buy a cup. :)  He was totally calm, which never would have happened before.  There was only one issue.  We were walking by 2 dogs in their front yard.  I purposefully walked out into the middle of the street so Hans wouldn't get too close.  We are doing well around other dogs (excitement wise) but I still need to take it slow.  Of course these dogs aren't tied up, no fence whatsoever so they run out to us in the middle of the street.  Meanwhile the owners are sitting on their steps calling their dogs back (who aren't listening) and Hans is going crazy - probably because I'm all tensed and stressed and surprised at this sudden surge of dogs.  So Hans is yelping and jumping and going all crazy and sounding like something is hurting (because it is) and I'm trying to get the owners to come take their dogs away - which they eventually do.

For the Canine Good Citizenship test, you can't use prong collars.  So in adult 2 classes, they work on switching back and forth. 

Here's some pics of the kids at the Twins game last week - because I don't have pictures of the dog class.




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