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.
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.
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 teac
her 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)
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.
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!
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.
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:
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.
Franklin enjoying the dog park, Monroe St. in Alexandria
Leo not enjoying getting his picture taken at the dog park.
Since Franklin has a little trouble relating to humans and has been reluctant to get in his crate, I am trying Bach's Flower Essences on him, per Lloyd's recommendation. He is taking Aspen, Rescue Remedy and Mimulus. Lloyd also recommended Water Violet, but I was unabel to find that in the store. He hasn't had too much interaction with people since he started the therapy, so it remains to be seen whether it will work. I will start trying to get him in his crate this weekend. I plan to put treats and food in there to entice him & keep the experience positive.
Also, I am considering a new diet for him, called BARF. People say BARF stands for different things, but the most common one I've heard is Biologically Available Raw Food. This means feeding the animal food that it would be eating in the wild. He will get raw chicken necks, backs and wings. Raw chicken bones are not brittle (as they are when they're cooked), so the choking hazard is less. He'll also get some livers, hearts, kidneys, etc. and kelp, which is very nutritious.
It was yet again another Hell Saturday (see earlier post on this topic) on June 10, 2006. We have a medium-sized class this time, with an English Bulldog, a couple of black labs, a Boxer and two unruly & aggressive German Shepherds. The Shepherds will stay outside the group for the next several weeks until they learn some manners and are accepting of the other dogs in class. By the end of that first class, they were fairly clam and were able to be within 30 feet of the other dogs without barking. The owners of these dogs have some major work to do. I admire their committment - they drive all the way from Frederick, MD to Great Falls, VA early on Saturday mornings to help their dogs.
We also had an Off Leash Readiness class, in which Franklin is supposed to participate. He will not get to come to class until a week from this Saturday, because I have agreed to handle a dog for one of the students whose husband can't be at class (they have 2 dogs). But it's a pleasure to work with Bonnie Blue Eyes, the black lab/husky mix. She's a big flirt and so smart. The Rottweiler in Off Leash Class was giving her big kisses!
It's been about 1 year since I started this whole doggie journey. I left a really crappy job in February 2005, and spent a couple of months being depressed and tired. When my severance from the job ran out, I got up off my butt and emailed every dog trainer I could find in the DC area, and I got a part time job at the doggie daycare.
I worked with one trainer for a few months, but she was mainly doing dog sitting and very little training. I hooked up with Lloyd, and away I went! After I attended Lloyd's first puppy class, I was hooked, and I love it more and more every week.
The daycare job was really difficult, I must say. Some of the dogs honestly should not have been allowed there. See one of my early posts about that. Working there was a great experience, and the 20 hours a week I worked allowed me to get my own dog. I always felt like owning a dog was a distant dream, given my past full-time work schedule and my lack of yard. I did research and found that having a Pug in a condo was feasible. I found a reputable AKC registered breeder and connected with my little baby dog Franklin.
Franklin is a joy - he learns very quickly and loves being around other dogs. He is a bit shy of people, but we're working on that.
Now I'm back working full time in an office, attending to my apprentice duties during off hours and on weekends. Franklin plays at Lloyd's house every day & is completely zonked out at night (see pic of Franklin & Lloyd's dog, Crash).
Life is good.
I was sick as a dog (pun intended) on Saturday, 5/27, so no puppy class. I also had to miss a vet appointment to get Franklin's Bordatella vaccine updated.
On Sunday, we went to the dog park, just Franklin & I. Fiance Leo usually accompanies us, but he was late (what else is new?). It's starting to get hot here, so franklin only lasted about 20 minutes at the park. On Monday, he only lasted 15 minutes.
It is important for dogs with smashed faces, like pugs (I forget the technical name for a smashed in face, and I can't be bothered to Google it, sorry!) to be watched carefully in hot weather. Franklin was panting heavily when we left the dog park, but he was fine - just exhausted fo rthe rest of the day!
This Saturday, June 4, there will be several classes - the last class of the current session and the first class of the next. Not sure when Off Leash readiness starts, hopefully soon.
When I first met Lloyd, he showed me his dog training pyramid. The pyramid explains the careeer path of a dog trainer, as well as shows how many real Dog Behavior Consultants or Dog Behaviorists are out there (hint: not many!). I designed this for Lloyd's web site, but I thought you might like to have a look-see. I'm only 1/2 way through level 1.
Today the weather was unexpectedly great... mostly sunny, temp somewhere in the high 60's. Franklin accompanied me to class to do his demo with the Holt halter. He did great. Lloyd took his leash, while I moved about 30 feet away. I had some treats in my hand, squatted down and called Franklin. The halter kicked in when I called and he tried to run to me. Lloyd stood still, and Franklin stopped pulling instantly and sat down. 
He also got to see his girlfriends Marina and Zoe. Marina is a rambunctious yellow Lab, and Zoe is the only Bavarian Bloodhound (an example is pictured here) in the U.S. She came form Poland originally. I must say, Franklin has great taste in women!
Franklin also had fun with Raven the Rottie and Thor the young Dobie.
My favorite little pup, Kuma the fluffy black thing, was not at class today. No fluffy cuddles for me. Hopefully next week I'll get my Kuma fix.
If you're thinking about becoming a dog trainer or dog obedience instructor, avoid any company that bills themselves as a Dog Training School. These people charge a buttload of money for something you can get for free.
A good dog trainer will be open to taking on apprentices and won't charge a fee for the privilege. Dog trainers will be mentors and teachers all in one, whereas at a school you will rarely get individual attention.
If you are willing to spend money to learn about dog training, go to your local college and take courses in psychology and animal behavior - they will get you a lot further than any dog training "school".
I started another blog to show off my fabulous & tacky shot glass collection. Have a look-see. If you're 21 or older.
Tomorrow at puppy class, Lloyd will be teaching about getting your dog to walk by your side. He uses and recommends either the Holt Halter (for smaller or younger dogs) or the Sporn Halter (for larger dogs).
Anyway, when you use one of these halters, when your dog starts pulling ahead, you give a little tug on the leash, making sure the tail of the halter is parallel to and touching the dog's back. The halter will cinch up under the dog's armpits when you tug, which makes the dog think: "Huh? What the hell was that??!". It doesn't pull on or put pressure on the dog's throat.
Franklin has really responded well to his halter, so he will be doing a demonstration at class tomorrow. I hope he won't be too distracted by all the other dogs!
I entered Franklin in the Old Navy Mascot search. I'm sure he's up against some stiff competition. A hundred dollars says a Border Collie who can disassemble a bomb and
cook your breakfast will win. Pshaw....Franklin is by far the Cutest Dog in the World, even though he sometimes has a hard time coming when called.
I watched part of the Crufts Dog Show, then The Apprentice came on. However, after Googling it up, I see that an American dog won! I do love Aussie Shepherds for their smarts and their beautiful coats. The Pug did not place in the Toy Group. What were they thinking?!?!? Pomeranian, my butt.
I was out of town this past weekend, so I didn't attend puppy class. Now I'm pooped. I'll write more stuff sometime this week.
For your entertainment and eddification, some pics from the weekend in North Joisey and the greater NYC area. These are ladies I met on the internet. They tried to sell me a timeshare in Arkansas. 
