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Saw me on Your Dog's Best Friend on Fairfax or Comcast public access cable.

More to Come

I will have fresh-baked posts for you all in a couple weeks. Yeah...sorry. I just started a new job, ensuring our government's propaganda machine is in working order, and will be attending my Grandma's memorial the first week in March.

Thanks for your kind words about my Grandma. It's hard to think about not talking to her, or getting the cards from her anymore. But with spring comes new life & new adventures, all of which she'll be watching.

In Memoriam

Edna Louise Rusch (nee Lempke) was born in September 1906. She was the first of her family to go to college, she was a nurse, a wife, a mother and a grandmother.

She loved dogs.

My Grandma died today. This was the last picture we took together, on her 100th birthday in September 2006.

'Tis The Season

I'm so sorry for no posting. It's the season to be super busy. However, I have two weeks off from work coming up, and will post something or other during that time.

The two of you who responded to my last post - yeah you! The rest of you can Kissmyarse.

Happy Holidays & Merry Xmas & Happy Hanukkah annat!

It Works Like This

Dear Lurkers:

The more comments I get, the more inclined I am to post!

No Photo to Share. Seminar Summary.

The Ian Dunbar seminar in Orlando was a gruelling 3 days, but let me tell you, I learned so much my head was threatening to explode.

I learned some new techniques which are different than Lloyd's. I think that's just peachy. When I strike out on my own as a professional, I want to be armed with as much knowledge as possible.

Dunbar has very strict age limits for his puppy classes, which allows young dogs (no more than 4 months) to play while being trained subtly. The subtlety comes from allowing play, while interrupting at timed intervals to take hold of the dog's collar, then letting him go back to play. This creates a reward system for allowing the owner to grab the collar - the dog learns that he will be allowed to play after he allows his collar to be held.

This progresses to holding the dog's collar, then having him sit, then allowing him to continue playing. Eventually, the owner should be able to tell their dog to sit from a distance, without touching him. The young age of the dogs allows them to interract without the baggage and behavior problems that may come with older dogs.

We also got to see videos of all the techniques in action, including a beginner's class with older dogs. One of the videos showed dogs progressing from being rewarded for simply looking at their owner to staying by their side while walking. Pretty amazing stuff. Franklin and I are practicing this. It may taker a while, but it is gentle and reduces stress for dog and owner.

One of Lloyd's favorite phrases is "catch a dog doing something right, and reward him for it". This fits the technique above to a tee. The owner simply waits for the dog to do what is required, and is rewarded. The beginning is looking at the owner, progessing to always following the owner's face, even when the owner turns his or her back to the dog. This progresses to the dog sitting by the owner's side, then walking by the owner's side. Wonderful.

I met some top-notch people at the seminar, including local DC area trainer and author Joel Walton, and trainer and author Nicole Wilde.

R.I.P. (not dog related)

Milton Friedman died at age 94.

Don't Get Your Knickers in a Twist

I'm waiting on someone to send me a picture via email before I blog about the seminar. If it doesn't arrive by a week from today, I'll soldier on without it.

Now stop bugging me! Sheesh!

Seminar on Thursday

I'm trying to ignore the fact that I have to get on an airplane on Wednesday. But the Ian Dunbar seminar starts on Thursday, so I will have reportage for you next week.

In the mean time, I am working with Franklin on his Gentle Leader. I sewed a small bit of fleece onto the snout piece so it wouldn't dig into his wrinkles. He gets treats when I put it on him, and we've walked some small distance with it. He is still getting used to it (i.e. he hates it), but he does very well with it. Nary a pull...loose leash all the way.

Becoming a professional

I just took a lookee loo at the NADOI provisional membership application. A provisional membership in NADOI is for apprentices like me. Let me tell you, it's hard. It's long. It's detailed. If this is a provisional membership, I shudder to think what the full-fledged membership entails.

But I'm going to do it. By god. NADOI is top-of-the-line for dog training instructors. Lloyd will help me with my application, I'm sure, and I'll be on my way.

Also, Franklin tried on a Gentle Leader last night and it fit! We're working on somee positive reinforcement training to gradually get him used to it. The Gentle Leader will be a huge help in our therapy team training. It's not a muzzle, by the way - it's like a horse bridle. Basically, a collar that doesn't go around the neck, but around the snout instead. The name is as it implies....a gentle way to lead a dog. Ask your dog trainer about it. It does take some instruction and training to use it, but it's well worth it. Every dog I've seen who uses one is a dream to handle. Can't wait to get going with it!

Therapy Training

Franklin and I will be embarking on the Delta Society's Pet Partners home study training course. I think it's time for a new challenge for myself and the poopy dog. He did very well in Cleveland during Labor Day for my Grandma's 100th birthday. My Grandma is, as her age suggests, not very mobile and slightly frail. Franklin was curious about her, and very friendly. Most of the time he is a bit shy with new people, but with my Grandma he was wide open.

Therapy dogs provide valuable emotional support for the elderly and sick children. Studies have shown that exposure to dogs reduces stress in most people, and they take people's minds off their illnesses. Therapy dogs are often used with autistic children, who sometimes show openess and emotions around the animals that they have trouble expressing with humans.

I think this will be an excellent opportunity for me, and Franklin will have exposure to all kinds of people.

Wish us luck!

TV Show to Air on Oct 3

I hope to have a YouTube link to Your Dog's Best Friend after the show airs tomorrow. That is, if I can figure out how to do it. And if it's not too embarassing.

All is well in dogland. The class with my parents in attendance went very well & they were duly impressed with Lloyd's teaching.

I have been sick for most of the last week, so I didn't attend class this past weekend. I won't be at class this coming weekend because of a wedding in Connecticut. We had planned on stopping in Atlantic City on our way home for some much-needed gaming, but as it looks like Franklin will be with us, that is out.

Business idea: dog-friendly casino!

I leave you with an image of the animals in my household interacting. Well, this is as close as they come!

Awww Jeeze. Or, What Did I Get Myself Into?

My parents are in town.

They are coming to watch me at puppy class on Saturday. Given that they are huge Cesar Milan fans, they may not quite "get it" (Milan does not use positive reinforcement methods 99% of the time).

Oh hell, I would be nervous anyways.

Sorry it's been a long time & Big Steps

There are 3 new developments in my doggie training career. These really show the progress that can be made in just one year, with commitment, passion and determination.

First, up until a couple of weeks ago, I would set up the equipment for class, handle money and registration forms and make sure the dogs had their collars on properly. After class started, I would mostly observe from the sidelines. When the newest puppy class started, Lloyd asked me to be down front & center with him. My purpose there is to help individual trainers during class if they're having trouble with things like holding the leash properly, controlling their dog, or employing the methods Lloyd teaches for things such as "Sit" and "Down". This means a lot more work and a lot more fun for me!

Next, I made my reservations to attend my first doggie seminar in Orlando. The seminar is conducted by one of the world's most respected animal behaviorists, Ian Dunbar (pictured). Dr. Dunbar is a pioneer of canine behavior, building on the methods and experience of such other greats as Milo Pearsall. This is Dr. Dunbar's last multi-day seminar in the U.S., so it's a really exciting opportunity (although the thought of flying is already giving me agida, even though the seminar is 2 months away). If you're an apprentice looking to attend these types of things, but are worried about the expense, there are probably opportunities for you within driving distance. And if you live near a university town, you can probably find classes and symposia on this type of subject matter. But I would really recommend a savings fund for longer trips, especially if it's a respected teacher like Ian Dunbar.

The biggest development in my mind is that I will be teaching makeup lessons for puppy class. If a dog and trainer miss a class, they have a 5-minute makeup lesson before class the following week. Lloyd asked me if I wanted to do the makeup lessons, and I was thrilled! This is a big step in my learning how to teach people how to teach dogs.

It's so rewarding to see results of my effort. I feel like the ball is really rolling now, and I'm well on my way to being able to do this as a career.

Shhhhhh! He's sleeping!

Be vewy vewy quiet!

Absenteeism & Perceptions

For the last 3 puppy classes, only 2 of the six dogs and owners have showed up. It's great for the 2, because they get semi-private lessons, but I wonder what gives with the other families? If I paid money for a class, you bet your butt I would show up or call the teacher to explain my absence! Anyway, I hope to see some of them back to make up their lessons in the next session, because there were some cool pooches there.

The two that have showed up are adorable and hilarious to watch playing together. They're both black labs, but one of them has a really shaggy coat and a very square face, which makes me think he may be a Chessie mix (see pic of Chessie - Chesapeake Bay Retriever).

It was really hot the Saturday before last. I was schvitzing up a storm while I was setting up the chute (for practicing off-leash come-when-called).

Lloyd said that he got the impression I not much of an outdoorsperson, that I couldn't be without a hot shower and air conditioning.

I quickly disabused him of that notion. Here are two of the places I have seen in person (sans voiture).









Death Canyon, WY (Tetons)














Lion Head, New Hampshire (Mt. Washington)

We Finally Did It!

Well, I made it to the correct TV studio yesterday (literally a 3-minute drive from the office). Lloyd told me to wear light blue, so I picked a light blue silk blouse from my closet. Errr...not so good. Just call me Professor Pitstains when you see me, OK?

Anyway, it went really well. The time (15 minutes) flew by - we didn't even have time for 10 questions.

The gist of my appearance was to let people (especially those over 30s) know that you can do this, financially, physically, emotionally. It's possible. Just do your research, Google is your friend, find a good trainer to work with, educate yourself, read lots of books and magazines.

Me, An Idiot

Well, turns out your Dog Apprentice is quite the idiot! I went to the wrong studio for the show taping. We had to reschedule for next Thursday.

Learning opportunity for me and you: ALWAYS remember your cell phone!

Me, A Ham (Get It? No? Not a Women's Soccer Fan?)

Lloyd has invited me to talk about becoming a dog trainer and the apprentice experience on his TV show. We'll film on July 20th, and I believe the show will air on the first Monday in August at 6pm (note: the time on the web site is wrong). Look for Your Dog's Best Friend on Cox cable in Fairfax County, VA!

P.S. Since your lazy butt won't allow you to Google, here is the meaning of the subject line.

How I Came to This Pass

So, I decided I wanted to be a dog trainer. I am simply not cut out for office work - each day in an office brings me down (see: Peter Gibbons). Anyway, I love dogs. I loooooove dogs. And I thought to myself, after watching innumerable dogs shows and agility competitions on Animal Planet: "why can't I do that?".

I had no idea how to go about pursuing this dream. I did a little Googling, and found a few of (very) basic pieces of info:

1. Do an apprenticeship
2. Attend seminars/conferences/conventions
3. Join associations such as APDT or NADOI

I had tons of questions, mainly: How does one become an apprentice? How do you know when and where seminars & conferences are occurring?

I couldn't find much on become an apprentice....I needed to know how to approach a trainer, how much of a time commitment there was, did I have to pay anything, etc.

I figured that I would just go for it and jump in blind. I decided to take advantage of my professional skills and offer an exchange: I'll create a web site, they'll take me on as an apprentice. This worked out well, since almost none of the trainers I found had web sites. I found emails for every dog trainer within a 25 mile radius of my house (mainly using the online Yellow Pages and Metropets), composed a form email and sent it out.

According to Lloyd, it is pretty standard to make first contact with a trainer via snail or e-mail.

I got a few responses, and my story of how I hooked up with Lloyd is in the April Archives of this blog.

After Lloyd and I started working together, the seminar thing fell into place - Lloyd lets me know about any useful seminars or conferences he hears about. His network is obviously quite extensive, so he gets wind of everything!

Some trainers will ask for money to do an apprenticeship (Lloyd tells me the standard is $1000/year), but if you have some useful skill, such as web design, administrative experience, accounting skills, handyman abilities, you could definitely work out a barter arrangement. A good dog trainer willing to be a mentor will work this type of thing out with you.