WEBVTT
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.280
Dogs are more than pets, and living with them is about so much more than teaching them to sit, stay, and come.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.080
Welcome to the K9 Country Academy podcast.
00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:14.080
I'm Paula Nowak, owner and head trainer at K9 Country Academy.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:24.480
Here we'll talk about dogs, training, behavior, dog sports, enrichment, relationships, and all the things we can do more with the dogs we love.
00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:34.880
The Kine Country Academy podcast is proudly brought to you by, well, K9 Country Academy.
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:40.799
Four years ago, I said my last goodbye to my heart dog Curly.
00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.240
We had spent 16 years together.
00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.359
He's why I got into dog training.
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:50.159
He's why I teach the way I do.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:57.840
The deep relationship we had is one I want to help you and others achieve with your own dogs.
00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:02.240
I didn't get into dog training because Curly was naughty.
00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:06.879
I got into it because I wanted a deeper understanding of who he was.
00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:10.480
I wanted to learn how we could do more together.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:20.480
What if dog training wasn't primarily about changing our dog's behavior, but about understanding who they are?
00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:32.079
While I could 100% tell you about our 16 years together, I don't want to lose you in this podcast, but I do want to share some of the special highlights of our time together.
00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:36.400
I got Curly from a rat terrier rescue group at three months old.
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:50.480
We already had two rat terriers and ended up adopting two more, Curly and a sister Ava, because well, we were buying a house and we had more room, and we thought, what the heck?
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.319
Let's get two more and we'll have a set of four dogs.
00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:00.719
We had no business getting two more dogs, much less two more puppies.
00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:10.000
My husband and I, we worked outside of our home, about 30 minutes away or more, and there was no way we were gonna get back to the house to let them out to potty.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:13.360
That's for a future episode.
00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.400
Curly was confident.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.120
He was silly and mischievous.
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:24.719
As a puppy, he and his sister chewed a lot of things.
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:34.000
We lost cords, had damaged baseboards and siding, because they had a dog door, of course, and lots of shoes.
00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:39.599
They had too much freedom and not much physical or mental stimulation.
00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:44.560
Curly was very social, both with people and dogs.
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.919
And not because I helped him get there.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.800
I didn't know anything about dog training at the time.
00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:52.960
He was a curious boy.
00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.080
When we would work on projects around the house, he always inserted himself.
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:04.479
I can remember when we were putting together a grill in the kitchen, he needed to check out everything.
00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:07.280
He was fascinated by what we were doing.
00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:09.840
He was also a food thief.
00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:19.280
Oh my gosh, so many stories of him stealing food from tables and even off the counter, even though he was a small dog.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:43.120
This one time I had friends over from Canine Country Academy, fellow trainers, the former owner and creator of Canine Country Academy, and the theme was tacos or Mexican food.
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:53.840
And somehow, Curly jumped up to grab tortillas out of the tortilla wrappers, which is hard enough to do.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:02.560
Grabbed one, ran around the kitchen island as I tried to go get him, and shot out what I would only call his escape hatch out the dog door.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.840
Needless to say, he ate that tortilla and we all had a really good laugh.
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.680
He also weirdly loved chai tea.
00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:19.040
Kathy had chai tea often at our lessons, and he fell in love with chai tea.
00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.160
He looked for it, he wanted to get a sip of it, and eventually he explored other teas.
00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:27.839
He was all about getting a taste of whatever you had in your cup.
00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.439
Despite his antics, Curly wasn't a problem dog.
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:38.079
He was naughty, but he wasn't reactive or anxious or aggressive.
00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:49.279
I don't know when I realized our unique bond, but I know after attending a Rat Teria Jamboree in Sweetwater, Tennessee, that they still have to this day.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:55.360
We tried out Raleigh, and I lured him the whole way with food, but I thought he was a genius.
00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.879
And I thought, wow, we can do this.
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.680
I love this.
00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:02.800
And so I wanted to teach him more and understand him more.
00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:19.120
I actually had no idea how to get started in training, but I stumbled upon a rescue event that we attended with our rat terriers we were fostering at the time, because once you get into rescue, you have to help the rescue.
00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:21.680
And I found K9 Country Academy.
00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:26.560
And it sounded like something that I wanted and wanted to explore.
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:32.079
I had no idea how I was going to afford the time or the money to pay for these classes.
00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:39.040
But we got into an obedience class and eventually we got into a rally class at Kine Country Academy.
00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:52.399
And it made me aware of how dogs learn, how to start building a trusting relationship, and that made me hungry for more with Curly as well as our other three dogs.
00:05:53.279 --> 00:06:01.519
After a few months of group classes with Curly at Canine Country Academy, we were invited to do a demonstration at the Conyers Horse Park.
00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:03.839
It was a dog event of some sort.
00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:11.199
And Kathy, the founder of CCA and then owner, asked me to demo some rally on a course that she had built.
00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.079
She initially wanted it on leash and then thought we could do it off-leash.
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.879
I had never let this dog off-leash on purpose.
00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:22.160
What made me think that he would stay with me?
00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.800
It wasn't enclosed, it was just some poles and some rope.
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:32.560
But I trusted her, the faith she had in us to do it.
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:37.920
And I'm so grateful that somebody videotaped this because I still look back at that and think, wow.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:48.240
It was incredible to move through the course with him off leash, of course, with food, of course, with food.
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:50.000
But we were able to do it.
00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.519
And people were so surprised to see it as I was myself.
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.920
The more we did, the more we learned, the more I wanted.
00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:08.959
I was hungry for this knowledge.
00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:17.920
I end up becoming an apprentice trainer at Canine Country Academy after about a year of just taking classes.
00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:28.399
And during my apprenticeship, the APDT or the Association for Professional Dog Trainers hosted their annual conference in Atlanta.
00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:35.279
I attended one day, and part of that day they had a rally competition.
00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:40.319
So Curly and I got to go to that competition.
00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:47.040
He'd never been in a hotel before, he'd never been in the city before, he'd never been in a parking garage before.
00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:50.000
These were all new things to both of us.
00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:55.920
I was mildly intimidated by just competing, much less at a dog trainer conference.
00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:57.120
Who was I?
00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:59.920
There were a lot of firsts that day.
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:05.360
Entering a hotel together, making sure he didn't pee on anything or do anything naughty.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:10.800
Being in a parking garage and having cars and gates nearby.
00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:15.759
He actually was unsure of part of the parking garage grates.
00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.240
And I realized thinking, how am I going to get him over this?
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.639
I could carry him, and I think I did one time.
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.600
But then I realized he knows how to jump over stuff.
00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.519
So I just said, over, and he jumped over it with ease.
00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:34.559
It was just a new way of doing things and understanding how to support him in something that was really new.
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.720
And by this time, Curly was three or four years old.
00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:45.279
So he had missed a lot of learning during that time that I didn't know what I was doing, having multiple dogs.
00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.879
We also attended two clicker expos.
00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:50.639
One was in Tennessee.
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:51.919
That was our first one.
00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:53.440
And I brought him along.
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.799
I was a little unsure about that, but he did great.
00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.960
And then one in Virginia, he attended later in life.
00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:06.000
He was able to go into these, you know, working spots.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:15.519
He was able to go into the lecture areas, go up and down elevators, walk around with lots of activity, including dogs and people.
00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.080
It was like he was made for it.
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.919
Curly was an incredible snuggler.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.279
He would lay on me on the couch like we were one.
00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.159
Imagine me laying on my side and then Curly on the side exposed.
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:35.600
Just nestled in, big pressure, just snuggled up.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:43.759
Eventually, Curly helped me with shy and reactive dogs once I start taking on behavior cases.
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.240
He seemed to just know what to do.
00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:48.240
He was a natural.
00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.639
I certainly didn't teach him any of this.
00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.399
The other dogs, if they would bark at him, it didn't bother him.
00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:06.240
He stayed neutral, engaged with me or whoever was working with him, and he even befriended some of these dogs that were reactive to other dogs.
00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.159
He was always game to do more with me.
00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.200
He never asked when or how long it was going to be.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:27.279
Things like training, walks, going to work together, traveling, snuggling, of course, and sharing snacks was probably one of his favorites.
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.120
Training and doing anything together was part of a conversation.
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:35.200
Not do it or else.
00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.519
It was a two-way conversation.
00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.000
Like good friends have.
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.639
The ones you don't even have to say a word to understand each other.
00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:55.279
The way I train dogs and understand dogs is because Curly led me to work with trainers like Kathy Bruce, who then led me to Suzanne Clothier.
00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:59.440
They taught me how to really see the dog.
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:02.799
The dog as an individual.
00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:32.399
A question we should all consider when working with our dogs or others of any kind.
00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:39.919
When a dog does something undesirable, I want to understand why.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:48.480
When a dog does something that is unusual, I want to understand why they did that.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.879
What was the motivation behind it?
00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:59.120
When a dog won't do something that we do desire them to do, even if we think they know it, I want to understand why they won't they do it.
00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:01.039
There must be a reason.
00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:10.559
And an example of this is one time Curly and I went to a rally run through at a different training facility and he refused to sit.
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:15.919
And this is a dog who sat beautifully, and he repeatedly wouldn't sit when I asked him.
00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:25.360
And when I end up just going past that sign and saying, Oh well, the person hosting the event somewhat rudely asked me, why don't you make him do that?
00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:26.639
Why don't you make him sit?
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.799
And I thought to myself, make him sit.
00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.559
And I responded, there must be a reason.
00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.159
This was very early on in my apprenticeship still.
00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:39.200
Or maybe I wasn't even training at the time.
00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.600
And then they said, Well, where do you train that you don't make your dog sit?
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.039
And I immediately said, Well, canine Country Academy.
00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.240
There must have been a reason he didn't want to sit.
00:12:52.320 --> 00:13:00.399
I really want to look for ways to live more in harmony with dogs, not disharmony.
00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.120
And that takes a lot of work for some dogs.
00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.960
Curly was a one-of-a-kind dog.
00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.440
Our future and current dogs won't ever be him.
00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.039
Not gonna lie.
00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:18.559
I look for traits like his in our dogs to savor those sweet, sweet memories.
00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.639
The little things that he did that I sometimes see in our dogs.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:31.919
The way that Hondo might lay on me a certain kind of way, or Curly just would have done.
00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:37.679
Or the way Norby maybe gives me a look or is a little mischievous.
00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:39.360
It makes me think of him.
00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.639
Each dog is an individual.
00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.480
You can't compare even the same breed or related dogs.
00:13:49.759 --> 00:14:06.399
What I've learned is that each dog being an individual and understanding them and treating them like an individual can really help guide the training and the conversation and ultimately the relationship efforts we put forth.
00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:14.639
This week, I want you to spend a little bit of time not training your dog.
00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:17.120
I want you to observe them.
00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:21.919
I want you to consider the following questions during your observation time.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.559
What does my dog naturally enjoy?
00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.799
What makes my dog uncomfortable?
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.279
How does my dog ask me for something?
00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.559
What kinds of activities makes my dog light up?
00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:48.240
What have I been assuming about my dog that I should investigate more?
00:14:49.759 --> 00:15:00.799
And my final question to you is the big question I want you to ask is where could my dog and I improve in our communication and relationship?
00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:07.120
I taught Curly a lot in 16 years.
00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:18.960
He taught me more about living a full life in a healthy relationship based on good communication, healthy boundaries, and a lot of trust.
00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:25.360
All of our adventures together are memories I can revisit anytime I want.
00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.080
I train people in dogs the way I do.
00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:39.519
Not because I think we need obedient dogs, not because I think people should compete with their dog, and not because we own dogs.
00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:49.279
I do it to help both the person and the dog build a deeper understanding to live more peacefully together.
00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:57.840
If this episode made you think, I want to understand my dog better, that's exactly where I want you to start.
00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:02.720
Go to Canine Country Academy and take a look at our training opportunities.
00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:07.679
And if you're not sure what would be the right fit for you and your dog, reach out to us.
00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:13.600
Tell us about your dog, not just what you want your dog to do, but who your dog is.
00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:15.200
What do they love?
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.440
What do they struggle with?
00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:19.360
What makes them light up?
00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.120
That's the information that helps us help you.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:27.679
Because at Canine Country Academy, we're not just interested in training dogs.
00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:32.879
We're interested in helping people build better relationships with the dogs they share their lives with.
00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.600
Remember, you don't need a problem to start training your dog.
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.960
You just need a desire to know them better.
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.280
Dogs are more than pets, and living with them is about so much more than teaching them to sit, stay, and come.
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.080
Welcome to the K9 Country Academy podcast.
00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:14.080
I'm Paula Nowak, owner and head trainer at K9 Country Academy.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:24.480
Here we'll talk about dogs, training, behavior, dog sports, enrichment, relationships, and all the things we can do more with the dogs we love.
00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:34.880
The Kine Country Academy podcast is proudly brought to you by, well, K9 Country Academy.
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:40.799
Four years ago, I said my last goodbye to my heart dog Curly.
00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.240
We had spent 16 years together.
00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.359
He's why I got into dog training.
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:50.159
He's why I teach the way I do.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:57.840
The deep relationship we had is one I want to help you and others achieve with your own dogs.
00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:02.240
I didn't get into dog training because Curly was naughty.
00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:06.879
I got into it because I wanted a deeper understanding of who he was.
00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:10.480
I wanted to learn how we could do more together.
00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:20.480
What if dog training wasn't primarily about changing our dog's behavior, but about understanding who they are?
00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:32.079
While I could 100% tell you about our 16 years together, I don't want to lose you in this podcast, but I do want to share some of the special highlights of our time together.
00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:36.400
I got Curly from a rat terrier rescue group at three months old.
00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:50.480
We already had two rat terriers and ended up adopting two more, Curly and a sister Ava, because well, we were buying a house and we had more room, and we thought, what the heck?
00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.319
Let's get two more and we'll have a set of four dogs.
00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:00.719
We had no business getting two more dogs, much less two more puppies.
00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:10.000
My husband and I, we worked outside of our home, about 30 minutes away or more, and there was no way we were gonna get back to the house to let them out to potty.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:13.360
That's for a future episode.
00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.400
Curly was confident.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.120
He was silly and mischievous.
00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:24.719
As a puppy, he and his sister chewed a lot of things.
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:34.000
We lost cords, had damaged baseboards and siding, because they had a dog door, of course, and lots of shoes.
00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:39.599
They had too much freedom and not much physical or mental stimulation.
00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:44.560
Curly was very social, both with people and dogs.
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.919
And not because I helped him get there.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.800
I didn't know anything about dog training at the time.
00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:52.960
He was a curious boy.
00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.080
When we would work on projects around the house, he always inserted himself.
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:04.479
I can remember when we were putting together a grill in the kitchen, he needed to check out everything.
00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:07.280
He was fascinated by what we were doing.
00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:09.840
He was also a food thief.
00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:19.280
Oh my gosh, so many stories of him stealing food from tables and even off the counter, even though he was a small dog.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:43.120
This one time I had friends over from Canine Country Academy, fellow trainers, the former owner and creator of Canine Country Academy, and the theme was tacos or Mexican food.
00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:53.840
And somehow, Curly jumped up to grab tortillas out of the tortilla wrappers, which is hard enough to do.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:02.560
Grabbed one, ran around the kitchen island as I tried to go get him, and shot out what I would only call his escape hatch out the dog door.
00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.840
Needless to say, he ate that tortilla and we all had a really good laugh.
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.680
He also weirdly loved chai tea.
00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:19.040
Kathy had chai tea often at our lessons, and he fell in love with chai tea.
00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.160
He looked for it, he wanted to get a sip of it, and eventually he explored other teas.
00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:27.839
He was all about getting a taste of whatever you had in your cup.
00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.439
Despite his antics, Curly wasn't a problem dog.
00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:38.079
He was naughty, but he wasn't reactive or anxious or aggressive.
00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:49.279
I don't know when I realized our unique bond, but I know after attending a Rat Teria Jamboree in Sweetwater, Tennessee, that they still have to this day.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:55.360
We tried out Raleigh, and I lured him the whole way with food, but I thought he was a genius.
00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.879
And I thought, wow, we can do this.
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.680
I love this.
00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:02.800
And so I wanted to teach him more and understand him more.
00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:19.120
I actually had no idea how to get started in training, but I stumbled upon a rescue event that we attended with our rat terriers we were fostering at the time, because once you get into rescue, you have to help the rescue.
00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:21.680
And I found K9 Country Academy.
00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:26.560
And it sounded like something that I wanted and wanted to explore.
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:32.079
I had no idea how I was going to afford the time or the money to pay for these classes.
00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:39.040
But we got into an obedience class and eventually we got into a rally class at Kine Country Academy.
00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:52.399
And it made me aware of how dogs learn, how to start building a trusting relationship, and that made me hungry for more with Curly as well as our other three dogs.
00:05:53.279 --> 00:06:01.519
After a few months of group classes with Curly at Canine Country Academy, we were invited to do a demonstration at the Conyers Horse Park.
00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:03.839
It was a dog event of some sort.
00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:11.199
And Kathy, the founder of CCA and then owner, asked me to demo some rally on a course that she had built.
00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:16.079
She initially wanted it on leash and then thought we could do it off-leash.
00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.879
I had never let this dog off-leash on purpose.
00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:22.160
What made me think that he would stay with me?
00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.800
It wasn't enclosed, it was just some poles and some rope.
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:32.560
But I trusted her, the faith she had in us to do it.
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:37.920
And I'm so grateful that somebody videotaped this because I still look back at that and think, wow.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:48.240
It was incredible to move through the course with him off leash, of course, with food, of course, with food.
00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:50.000
But we were able to do it.
00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.519
And people were so surprised to see it as I was myself.
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.920
The more we did, the more we learned, the more I wanted.
00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:08.959
I was hungry for this knowledge.
00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:17.920
I end up becoming an apprentice trainer at Canine Country Academy after about a year of just taking classes.
00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:28.399
And during my apprenticeship, the APDT or the Association for Professional Dog Trainers hosted their annual conference in Atlanta.
00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:35.279
I attended one day, and part of that day they had a rally competition.
00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:40.319
So Curly and I got to go to that competition.
00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:47.040
He'd never been in a hotel before, he'd never been in the city before, he'd never been in a parking garage before.
00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:50.000
These were all new things to both of us.
00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:55.920
I was mildly intimidated by just competing, much less at a dog trainer conference.
00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:57.120
Who was I?
00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:59.920
There were a lot of firsts that day.
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:05.360
Entering a hotel together, making sure he didn't pee on anything or do anything naughty.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:10.800
Being in a parking garage and having cars and gates nearby.
00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:15.759
He actually was unsure of part of the parking garage grates.
00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.240
And I realized thinking, how am I going to get him over this?
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.639
I could carry him, and I think I did one time.
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.600
But then I realized he knows how to jump over stuff.
00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.519
So I just said, over, and he jumped over it with ease.
00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:34.559
It was just a new way of doing things and understanding how to support him in something that was really new.
00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.720
And by this time, Curly was three or four years old.
00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:45.279
So he had missed a lot of learning during that time that I didn't know what I was doing, having multiple dogs.
00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.879
We also attended two clicker expos.
00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:50.639
One was in Tennessee.
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:51.919
That was our first one.
00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:53.440
And I brought him along.
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.799
I was a little unsure about that, but he did great.
00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.960
And then one in Virginia, he attended later in life.
00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:06.000
He was able to go into these, you know, working spots.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:15.519
He was able to go into the lecture areas, go up and down elevators, walk around with lots of activity, including dogs and people.
00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.080
It was like he was made for it.
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.919
Curly was an incredible snuggler.
00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.279
He would lay on me on the couch like we were one.
00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.159
Imagine me laying on my side and then Curly on the side exposed.
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:35.600
Just nestled in, big pressure, just snuggled up.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:43.759
Eventually, Curly helped me with shy and reactive dogs once I start taking on behavior cases.
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.240
He seemed to just know what to do.
00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:48.240
He was a natural.
00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.639
I certainly didn't teach him any of this.
00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.399
The other dogs, if they would bark at him, it didn't bother him.
00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:06.240
He stayed neutral, engaged with me or whoever was working with him, and he even befriended some of these dogs that were reactive to other dogs.
00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.159
He was always game to do more with me.
00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.200
He never asked when or how long it was going to be.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:27.279
Things like training, walks, going to work together, traveling, snuggling, of course, and sharing snacks was probably one of his favorites.
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.120
Training and doing anything together was part of a conversation.
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:35.200
Not do it or else.
00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.519
It was a two-way conversation.
00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.000
Like good friends have.
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.639
The ones you don't even have to say a word to understand each other.
00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:55.279
The way I train dogs and understand dogs is because Curly led me to work with trainers like Kathy Bruce, who then led me to Suzanne Clothier.
00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:59.440
They taught me how to really see the dog.
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:02.799
The dog as an individual.
00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:32.399
A question we should all consider when working with our dogs or others of any kind.
00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:39.919
When a dog does something undesirable, I want to understand why.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:48.480
When a dog does something that is unusual, I want to understand why they did that.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.879
What was the motivation behind it?
00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:59.120
When a dog won't do something that we do desire them to do, even if we think they know it, I want to understand why they won't they do it.
00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:01.039
There must be a reason.
00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:10.559
And an example of this is one time Curly and I went to a rally run through at a different training facility and he refused to sit.
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:15.919
And this is a dog who sat beautifully, and he repeatedly wouldn't sit when I asked him.
00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:25.360
And when I end up just going past that sign and saying, Oh well, the person hosting the event somewhat rudely asked me, why don't you make him do that?
00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:26.639
Why don't you make him sit?
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.799
And I thought to myself, make him sit.
00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.559
And I responded, there must be a reason.
00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.159
This was very early on in my apprenticeship still.
00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:39.200
Or maybe I wasn't even training at the time.
00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.600
And then they said, Well, where do you train that you don't make your dog sit?
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.039
And I immediately said, Well, canine Country Academy.
00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.240
There must have been a reason he didn't want to sit.
00:12:52.320 --> 00:13:00.399
I really want to look for ways to live more in harmony with dogs, not disharmony.
00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:03.120
And that takes a lot of work for some dogs.
00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.960
Curly was a one-of-a-kind dog.
00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.440
Our future and current dogs won't ever be him.
00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.039
Not gonna lie.
00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:18.559
I look for traits like his in our dogs to savor those sweet, sweet memories.
00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.639
The little things that he did that I sometimes see in our dogs.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:31.919
The way that Hondo might lay on me a certain kind of way, or Curly just would have done.
00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:37.679
Or the way Norby maybe gives me a look or is a little mischievous.
00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:39.360
It makes me think of him.
00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.639
Each dog is an individual.
00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.480
You can't compare even the same breed or related dogs.
00:13:49.759 --> 00:14:06.399
What I've learned is that each dog being an individual and understanding them and treating them like an individual can really help guide the training and the conversation and ultimately the relationship efforts we put forth.
00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:14.639
This week, I want you to spend a little bit of time not training your dog.
00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:17.120
I want you to observe them.
00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:21.919
I want you to consider the following questions during your observation time.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.559
What does my dog naturally enjoy?
00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.799
What makes my dog uncomfortable?
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.279
How does my dog ask me for something?
00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.559
What kinds of activities makes my dog light up?
00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:48.240
What have I been assuming about my dog that I should investigate more?
00:14:49.759 --> 00:15:00.799
And my final question to you is the big question I want you to ask is where could my dog and I improve in our communication and relationship?
00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:07.120
I taught Curly a lot in 16 years.
00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:18.960
He taught me more about living a full life in a healthy relationship based on good communication, healthy boundaries, and a lot of trust.
00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:25.360
All of our adventures together are memories I can revisit anytime I want.
00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.080
I train people in dogs the way I do.
00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:39.519
Not because I think we need obedient dogs, not because I think people should compete with their dog, and not because we own dogs.
00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:49.279
I do it to help both the person and the dog build a deeper understanding to live more peacefully together.
00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:57.840
If this episode made you think, I want to understand my dog better, that's exactly where I want you to start.
00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:02.720
Go to Canine Country Academy and take a look at our training opportunities.
00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:07.679
And if you're not sure what would be the right fit for you and your dog, reach out to us.
00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:13.600
Tell us about your dog, not just what you want your dog to do, but who your dog is.
00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:15.200
What do they love?
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.440
What do they struggle with?
00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:19.360
What makes them light up?
00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.120
That's the information that helps us help you.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:27.679
Because at Canine Country Academy, we're not just interested in training dogs.
00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:32.879
We're interested in helping people build better relationships with the dogs they share their lives with.
00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:37.600
Remember, you don't need a problem to start training your dog.
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.960
You just need a desire to know them better.
