Pawtential Pals MEETUP

The first meetup of Pawtential Pals training group was a great success. We had 12 dogs of all different ages and breeds turn up. Everyone socialized well together, including Coco who isn't even really a fan of other dogs and then we got down to business. 

We discussed our options for working on Levels, Dog Scouts, Therapy behaviors, Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Trick Dog titling, Rally and other options and most everyone is ready to just work on the basics and then go from there.

All the dogs were able to focus on their handlers and I think everyone went away with a plan for next week and a few new ways of looking at things. YAY! 

Phoenix missed out this time as I had Coco with me but she will be joining us next week!

New FREE Weekly TRAINING GROUP MEETUP

We are starting a local group to meet Monday nights at 6:30 in Durham for people who wish to work on any of the following:

Sue Ailsby's Training Levels - (great graduated scale for family pets, sport dogs or therapy/assistance dogs)

Dog Scouts of America - we will be working towards earning the basic DSOA badge and then people can pursue individual badges based on what they enjoy.

Trick Dog Titling - Earn a Novice, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert level title with your dog.

Rally-O Foundations - for anyone interested in pursuing a Rally Novice title

There is no cost to this group - just come along and work with your dog whatever level you are on.

There are currently several pups ranging from 9-16 weeks, a few adolescents and several adults. All sizes are permitted but any dog that displays reactive or aggressive tendencies will be asked to work outside the enclosure or leave. 

There will be a social time before the group starts from 6:00-6:30.

All dogs must be current on vaccinations including rabies and bordetella where applicable.

To register for the group - just let me know here or by email with details of yourself, your dog and what you would like to work on.

Phoenix is coming along in leaps and bounds!

So Phoenix is definitely one smart cookie.  Just this week she passed her Novice Trick Dog Title and became on of the youngest to have ever done this - at 7 weeks!  To do this she needed to demonstrate she could do 15 tricks from the Easy list in front of a witness with no more than half needing to be lured still.

She did:

Sit
Down
Come
Stand
Touch (Hand)
Chase Lure
Puppy Push Ups
Follow Finger
Ramp
Thank You (Drop It)
Fetch
Head Tilt
Jump Over Bar
Kisses
Paws Up
Table (Pedestal)
Wobble Board


But she is also showing a more independent side now as well as a bit more of the Hound type personality comes through.

She is proving to be good with all sorts of dogs and people and training with her is a joy!  Plus she LOVES to play!

New Arrivals - Welcome Ivy, Fern & Willow

We have three new members of the Pawtential family.  Two hooded and one standard hairless rats!  This is a gene mutation that first occurred in lab rats and has now been selectively bred for like hairless cats and skinny pigs.

We saw a listing and drove out to Greensboro and picked up these girls from a lady who bought a pet shops remaining animals when they closed down.  I have worked with rats before and I find their intelligence exciting and I love working with other species.  

They were in a cage with 6 females and 1 male - which could mean trouble but they don't seem pregnant.  The plan is to hopefully work with them in rat agility - yes it exists and there are actually national competitions for it!  I also hope to have the first certified Novice Trick titled rat through Kyra Sundance's Do More With Your Dog program.  She just certified her first horse and all species are allowed to enter.  We'll see...