Over the next few months, I will be recruiting guest blog writers to cover other areas of the dog world. I hope to get owners, veterinarians, groomers, day care workers, rescue volunteers etc. to give me their perspective. My first guest writer, Taryn Temple, adopted a dog from the Ottawa Shelter a little over 2 years ago, named her Trinity, and promptly enrolled her in one of my group classes. I recently asked Taryn to write a short note about her experience going through training and getting to know each other better after adopting. Below is her perspective:
One of the most valuable decisions I made as a new dog owner was to start a basic obedience class less than a week after I brought my pup home. It wasn’t so much the tricks we learned (although Trinity sits so prettily now, and she’s adorable when she bows). What we learned in class was communication. She realized that the signals I made and the words I said had meaning. Also, I learned to read her body language so I could tell when she understood what I was asking her to do or when she was completely confused. Thus, from our first weeks together, we opened up lines of communication that we still use today. Instead of remaining two separate species with no idea how to “speak” to one another, we found a language of simple words and body signals we could both understand.
The class we took used positive reinforcement to reward behaviors. I strongly and emphatically recommend this kind of training method! I never felt like I was punishing Trinity or making her afraid of me. She came to me as a shy rescue dog and I never betrayed her trust by yelling at her, hurting her, or “punishing” bad behavior. Not using punishment didn’t mean Trinity got away with everything or ran rampant through the house. We learned a strong “no” signal to indicate unwanted behavior. However, when Trinity changed the unwanted behavior into something acceptable, she received a reward for that choice.
The constant praise and treats brought Trinity slowly out of her shell. She started her first class terrified of men, but after a few months of positive reinforcement work her confidence grew so much that she would take treats out of the hands of clerks and male customers in pet stores. Not only that, but she became what I would call a “creative” dog. When we started learning a new signal she would show me all kinds of old and new behaviors (some helpful, some less so) in hopes that one of them would be the one I was asking for and would get her the reward. Even now when I get out the treats, Trinity runs the gamut of her tricks before I even ask her—it makes me giggle every time!
The process was not all rainbows and sunshine. The very first command was sit, and Trinity could not figure out what on earth I was asking her to do. I remember coming to my trainer in tears, certain that we would fail our first class. Thankfully I had a trainer that was willing to give us some extra time and try new methods to lead Trinity into the behavior. Finally Trinity understood what I wanted her to do and, voilá, a sit on command! Also, daily practice was necessary, which was difficult with my busy schedule. One week Trinity would know a command perfectly, the next it would be like I had never taught her at all. Plus sometimes she would do a trick at home, but then be so distracted in class she wouldn’t remember it. Still, the improvement in both of us from week to week was exciting to see. Despite occasional setbacks Trinity and I both enjoyed the mental stimulation and challenges of class.
I can say without a doubt that taking classes with my dog has enriched our lives together exponentially. Plus now I have a fantastic resource because my trainer is someone I can go to with questions if problems crop up in the future. Trinity and I can’t wait to take an agility class together soon and keep learning and having fun together! If you have a dog or will be getting a dog soon, enroll in a class together. You won’t regret it!
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