 GINGER
Longhaired Dachshund
18 Months
Ginger is a little snuggle-bunny lover. She is sweet and gentle and adores affection. And just look at those eyes! Unfortunately, she has a penchant for attacking the mop and broom when Mom is cleaning and she loved to jump on the kitchen table! Although she was sensitive to corrections, they weren’t stopping her from the behavior. Another reason I don’t like corrections – they don’t work!
Ginger needed to be handled very gently as she would cower if you raised your voice even a little. She gained confidence with positive reinforcement and I’m very happy to say that Ginger learned all her obedience so well and was eager to please (and earn a treat, of course). I’m even more excited to say that, after trying a few tips from me, Ginger no longer jumps on the kitchen table and Mom is very happy about that. As for the broom and mop, well, Ginger never tried it with me. Her Mom thought maybe I switched dogs when she wasn’t looking because she was so well-behaved whenever I was there. I seem to have that affect on a lot of my clients. Now Mom puts Ginger in another room with a nice chewy when she cleans. Sometimes, management of the environment is the wisest choice. As long as Ginger is prevented from engaging in the behavior, I believe that she will eventually give it up as she matures.
 CHLOE
Bernese Mountain Dog
5 Months
I hate to stereotype but when it comes to Chloe, I think she read the books on Bernese Mountain Dogs and decided, “Oh, so that’s how I should act!” I am always amazed and impressed with the focus and intelligence of these gentle giants and Chloe was no exception. At three months of age, when I started working with her, I could do more with her than I can with most puppies 6 months or older. I always say you can’t drill a puppy over and over but, I swear, Chloe would have loved it and was up for the challenge. She was a bit of a jumper-greeter (NOT good in a dog that size) but would quickly give it up when she saw that I wouldn’t greet her unless she had 4-paws-on-the-floor. I hope her Mom and Dad have been diligent in requiring that from her.
Despite their size and seeming “toughness”, these dogs do not respond well to punitive measures. Even small corrections can make them shut down. Chloe was a litter tougher in that respect than my last BMD but, of course, other than a verbal “ah-ah”, I don’t use corrections. Chloe blossomed under positive reinforcement techniques and was a happy and eager learner. Her Dad and I enjoyed the training sessions as well and THAT’s the way it should be in training – all happy tails! Dad did a great job working with Chloe and now, at 7 months, feels she’s ready for the next level. I look forward to working with her again sometime – I need my big-dog “fix”!
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