RowdyDogs
Member
Hi everyone! I figured I'd introduce myself and my dogs. I'm a pretty experienced dog trainer with 4 dogs currently. I have Scooter, a 12 y/o blue heeler/border collie cross; Bandit, a 9 y/o blue heeler; Wooby, a 14 y/o blue heeler; and Hector, a 2 y/o GSD. I've had Scooter and Bandit since they were little ones, and have used them in herding work and done some fun herding trials with them. I just adopted Wooby about 2 years ago, and due to her age and the fact that she had no training at all when I got her, we just do some very fun basic obedience and tricks--she likes a little bit of training, but mostly she's interested in sleeping on the softest and warmest bed she can find! Hector was a dumped dog I rescued about a year ago, and we pursued search and rescue training until recently when we decided he wasn't suitable for it. Now I do nosework with him. I also do some non-competitive agility training with all my dogs, just to give them something fun to do!
I'm a big believer in positive training and since I've adopted it, I've accomplished things with my dogs that I never thought possible before! Bandit and Hector are the two biggest examples. Bandit suffered from severe abuse as a young puppy, and then was rescued by a well-meaning but ignorant family who made his problems worse. As a result, when I got him he was very fearful and prone to biting. I struggled for years to get him over it using more traditional methods, but while he trusted me, he never made much progress overall. I learned about clicker training with him and decided to try it, and within 6 months we saw a huge transformation. Hector was about a year old when I got him, and had no socialization or training--he fought with other dogs, was rude to people, barked at people out of fear, etc. Using positive reinforcement, within a matter of weeks he had learned to socialize nicely with other dogs, ignore or politely greet passersby and visitors, and just overall be a very well-behaved dog! If I wasn't a believer before, his example would have convinced me.
I'm looking forward to hopefully learning some new ideas from this community, and sharing stories and experiences with you all! I'm very happy to have found a community that is based in positive reinforcement training.
I'm a big believer in positive training and since I've adopted it, I've accomplished things with my dogs that I never thought possible before! Bandit and Hector are the two biggest examples. Bandit suffered from severe abuse as a young puppy, and then was rescued by a well-meaning but ignorant family who made his problems worse. As a result, when I got him he was very fearful and prone to biting. I struggled for years to get him over it using more traditional methods, but while he trusted me, he never made much progress overall. I learned about clicker training with him and decided to try it, and within 6 months we saw a huge transformation. Hector was about a year old when I got him, and had no socialization or training--he fought with other dogs, was rude to people, barked at people out of fear, etc. Using positive reinforcement, within a matter of weeks he had learned to socialize nicely with other dogs, ignore or politely greet passersby and visitors, and just overall be a very well-behaved dog! If I wasn't a believer before, his example would have convinced me.
I'm looking forward to hopefully learning some new ideas from this community, and sharing stories and experiences with you all! I'm very happy to have found a community that is based in positive reinforcement training.
Great story, I really enjoyed reading it!!
And I too want to thank you for taking in Wooby and giving a golden oldie a great home in which to live. Also all you're other lovely dogs too.
