Tag Archives: elite instinct canine training

The end of the world as we know it

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prowl

Honestly i’m to busy in my little doggie filled life to pay attention to what goes on in most the world, but even this news did pop up on my facebook account this morning when i got up. It’s really a shame that people have nothing better to do then make up fictional dates and activities that will never happen. So rather then dwell on any possibility that life as we know it will end i got out and trained some dogs!!!!!!

The main lesson for today was training in the rain is fun!!!!  Well it’s wet at least. All 3 girls plus felix got a short search problem in the rain and thunderstorms that ensued this miserable afternoon. Despite the downpour, thunder, and distant lightning (no one was in danger, we made sure the bad portion of the storms was going around us so we were just able to desensitize the dogs to the sounds and environment without actual danger) everyone did AMAZING. Now in most situations we will not search in sever thunderstorms but it doesn’t hurt to know that the dogs can do it without any hesitation. They know there job and they do it well.

I was extremely proud of abby (who’s indication is a bump, meaning she comes up and slams me on my chest as hard as she can then takes me back to the subject) who not only located the subject in her off trail problem but i had already passed him so she had to come up and slam my back which was the first thing presented to her!!!! We had been working the last few months on getting her to slam me anywhere not just my front so i know that she would alert me no matter what part of my body was closest to her. Way to go Abigail!!!

Foto Friday

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Sit stay in front of the lake

annnnnnnnnd ACTION

I was sleeping

Vacation weekend

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This past weekend Kara from Amigo SAR dogs and I attended a Bill Dotson workshop up in Skaneateles New York. It was a pretty dreary wet weekend but we made the most of it. The weekend was a lot of classroom work and it was a wealth of knowledge. Bill is a great guy and one of the guys who started it all with search and rescue in the 1970’s. He absolutely loved the way Raina worked and i was one proud handler.

Feedback time

Every morning and evening we took everyone on long walks around Skaneateles which was  great socialization and desensitization for them. I brought Raina to work the seminar and Abby to keep an eye on her recovery so she was able to tag along on all the walks too. Kara brought Felix the GSD Life Long Tails got a few months ago who we wanted to place in a working home. All three did fantastic downtown even during the busy night hours.

Everyone did great in the hotel room and were on their best behavior at the seminar, no barking or complaining even with being in there crates a lot during classtime.  I have to say we have the best behaved dogs!

No fear of heights mom

I usually only attend a seminar every year but i always take a lot away from it and this time was no exception! I hope before the summer is up to visit Bill and his training facility in Virginia!

   

Girls on the Pier

   

Both girls in front of the lake

Dog days of spring

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I have been slacking on blogging, but i have to say i do have a dozen dogs to take care of and their exercise, obedience, and varying jobs all come first! Today was a great lazy afternoon where i got some work done, made some new videos check them out www.youtube.com/eliteinstinctcanine and spent some much needed time catching up on computer stuff.

We also took a break and went outside for a 10 minute photo session. Now i have to admit i have THE BEST pack of dogs in the world, and anyone who has met them will agree with me!  The following is pictures of some of our pack enjoying the fenced in back yard escape that we have bbq’s and camp fires in.  Here you will see an example of a stable group of dogs from 6 months to 12 years old and 6 pounds to 80 pounds sharing a backyard, and a life together. It can happen, i have yet to meet anyone else with such a well defined pack as mine but i would love to!!!

Boburka

 

Emeline

Raina

Part of the pack

And another one bites the dust

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Another weekend gone by. I really don’t know how they go this fast anymore. It’s been a stressful weekend with Abby up at Cornell sick with no direct answer yet as to why. I know they are taking good care of her but i’m still a wreck especially because she is puzzling all the doctors there with her abnormal anatomy in her abdomen!

ready for the command

With the nice weather Kara and I have been able to get up to the state land behind my house and work the girls almost everyday. Erik is amazing enough to hide for us all the time and i’m pretty sure Raina has a crush on him!

pullllllll

We have been working on building raina’s nose time in her search problems and placing the subject in heavy brush. Her third test will be a 30 acre heavy brush test which will be one of our hardest! I have been doing blind problems on a regular basis so that i know how to read my dog in all terrain and wind conditions. Raina has taught me so much these last few months!

Eme is also working on some nose time, as well as getting her bark as strong as her sisters. She has always been a thinker and i see it now more then anything. She needs to fully understand what she is doing to get it down, but when she does there is no fault in the process at all. Once her barking starts she delivers the full out bark and bounce just like her daddy Quax!

Alerting to the find

The time is flying by, and i cannot believe its already may. We have a lot to cover before the summer is up and many more tests to tackle so we can get the girls fully operational! This weekend will be a nice break when we attend a Bill Dotson seminar up in the finger lakes area of New York. He is a SAR legend and i’m sure i and the girls will learn a lot from him!

Keep moving

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The girls spend most of their time off leash either working or hiking so we must practice self control exercises and focus work while out and in the field. The girls are used to this on our land and while out together or with our other dogs in the pack but they also need to be able to do the same with more distractions and in variable environments.

Stay work

The environment is new, we have never visited this state land and felix is a dog that was turned over to Life Long Tails and is currently in training with his K9 handler Kara for Search and Rescue with Amigo Search Dogs.  A simple training command that is obeyed so perfectly at home can be a challenge if to many variables are changed to quick. Both girls did great this time as we have been practicing separate and together in varying environments for the last few months.

Girls

The hard work pays off!

Better then a bird

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Training the dogs is great, its a mental and physical release, whether its my own kids, or a training class or private session. The focus, the dedication and the overall joy of having that connection allow me to leave this world and enter another, one with just me and the canine. I can really step back and view him or her they way they should be, as a dog.

Anyone who knows me knows that i am a talker, and i am not afraid to say anything!  This allows me to talk through what the dog is thinking, and why it is behaving how it is, and really explain what i see to clients. This clear communication is part of our foundation at Elite Instinct Canine.

annnnnnd...........ACTION

The girls love a good training, whether its just basic obedience or their favorite search and rescue missions! The other kids really love just polishing up on some obedience and getting a few trips out to the dog park.

L-O-V-E

Either way its spring and soon will be summer the dogs are happy and i gotta go out and find a pool!!!

ahhhhhhhhh