We couldn’t have asked for more in 2012! It’s been a busy year, and we spent our time doing tons of training and a lot of driving for evaluations. From The New England Pet Expo to this fall’s German Shepherd Rescue event, it was a pleasure to meet dog owners in Mass and New Hampshire with big training goals.
Our proudest achievement was the work we did with aggressive dogs. We worked with vets and owners to make dogs with aggression issues healthy and happy again. You can read more about these success stories in this post.
One of the biggest keys to stopping these kinds of behavior issues before they start is by giving your dog a strong foundation in obedience. Lately we’ve had the chance to work with more and more puppy and adult dogs in on and off-leash obedience. We train all breeds, aggressive or not. Here are some of the different dogs we’ve worked with in recent weeks:
Koda is an absolutely beautiful red/rust colored Doberman from Exeter, NH. We’ve watched him transform from a dog afraid to enter the training room to a dog who can genuinely focus on (and enjoy) a learning environment. One of the biggest obstacles we faced with Koda is that he loves his owners too much! Instead of board & train, they wanted to attend classes with Koda so that they’d be able to absorb training knowledge and bring it home. At first, Koda was much more interested in looking at mommy than learning to lie down and stay. Khaled was able to build a rapport with Koda and make him a more alert and accepting dog. We’re looking forward to continued progress in 2013!
Koda attends one of our dog training classes in Brentwood, NH
Brooklyn is a really sweet Lab/Pit mix from Brighton, MA. Her owners brought her for off-leash obedience board & train and to prevent aggression issues. We used her love of running to keep training sessions fun, and we were very impressed by how quickly her owners picked up on the training techniques.
Belle is the oldest dog we remember training at 10 years old. She’s doing a good job of disproving the notion that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Right now we’re doing training classes to stop her barking and growling habits. While some owners compromise on their dog’s behavior, Belle’s would rather be able to have a hassle-free life with their dog.
Eve is a rescue Lab mix from Sudbury, MA. Her owners’ experience is not uncommon: their dog would act aggressively toward people who seemed timid. While we’re not sure why anyone would be afraid of a dog like Eve, we worked with her in various situations to make sure she shows her loving side to everyone. Eve is a “leaner”- which is to say that she’s happiest when she’s pressed up against a human’s side. Her playfulness has been a great asset in the training room and she’s now very accepting of all people. She responds to off-leash obedience commands very quickly!
Brewster is a young Chocolate Lab from Reading, MA. Since he’ll be sharing his home with 2 adult humans and 4 children, his owners wanted to set him up for success by nipping his “mouthing” issues in the bud. Brewster is currently enrolled in our On & Off-Leash Obedience Board & Train program.
Brewster
Inuyasha is brand new to First Choice Canine’s ranks, but he’s certainly worth mentioning…he’s a Dingo! Well, not a real Australian Dingo, but an American Dingo (also known as a Carolina Dog). DNA tests of these North Carolina dogs have shown a strong link to very primitive bloodlines, and they do in fact look like Australian Dingos. Inuyasha’s owners have noticed aggression issues that they want to control, and we’ll be giving their dog On & Off-Leash obedience training in our Board & Train program.