Caspian has accomplished a variety of wonderful things of late... He just completed his 6 week basic obedience course at Great Dog. He earned his first diploma last Monday! In addition he was the winner of the "longest down" contest meaning that he maintained his "down-stay" longer than the other dogs in class. Caspian is a star.
Caspian has shown great interest in children and has accompanied me to several humane education program sessions. Last week he was the featured dog in a summer program for youth in grades 4 & 5 in the Seatac area. The lesson for the children centered on understanding the negative impact of bullies and how to deal with bullies in their own lives. Caspian, being a bully breed dog was the perfect role model for the kids. He entered the room with complete finesse-he was calm, happy and eager to make new friends. He did not jump on anyone, responded immediately to any obedience requests and charmed the kids and staff.
Initially I could tell that several of the kids were visibly concerned by the presence of a pit bull. One child stated that she was afraid of all pit bulls because her mom told her that they all were vicious. I explained that Caspian was kind, well-behaved and well-trained. He had been tested for his ability to come and be a member of the classroom. He showed how well he was trained, did his tricks, and won the heart of everyone there. He was an ambassador for his breed and a learning tool to help the kids understand the belief "It's the DEED NOT the BREED" We discussed how sometimes the kids are misjudged for how they look, the neighborhood they live in, their family, the color of their skin, the school they attend-and we discussed how the same thing happens to Caspian. There was a real sense of identification with him, and he in turn gave love and support to every child there...unconditional love. Caspian made a positive impact on the kids and for his breed. It was a gift to be part of the experience.
He is one truly wonderful dog who is still looking for his forever home-would you like to get involved in humane education or therapy dog work? Caspian would be the perfect partner for you!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Caspian the House Hound
Caspian is doing great in his foster home with Mitch. Major kudos to Mitch for sharing his life and home with Caspian. It is obvious that they have a mutual love affair going on. Caspian needed to be in a home environment to learn how to live in a family setting. More importantly, he has learned the importance of chilling out and watching a baseball game with his favorite guy, just hangin' out on the couch. (Yes, he has permission to hang on the couch as long as he is polite, and is willing to jump off if Mitch requests him to do so. He earned the right to snuggle with Mitch by being a well-behaved house guest!)
He is learning how to relax in his crate when Mitch needs to leave him at home. He is doing well with this and is respectful of the need to be calm-especially when a stuffed Kong is his crate mate.
Come back to read tomorrow's post as I share the remarkable experience of introducing Caspian to a group of kids who learned that all pit bulls are NOT vicious. "Caspian the Ambassador" is on the schedule for the next post, but for now I have dogs to train-one of them is Caspian!
Woofs and wags to all of you Caspian fans.
He is learning how to relax in his crate when Mitch needs to leave him at home. He is doing well with this and is respectful of the need to be calm-especially when a stuffed Kong is his crate mate.
Come back to read tomorrow's post as I share the remarkable experience of introducing Caspian to a group of kids who learned that all pit bulls are NOT vicious. "Caspian the Ambassador" is on the schedule for the next post, but for now I have dogs to train-one of them is Caspian!
Woofs and wags to all of you Caspian fans.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Caspian Updates of Late...
I must apologize for being out of touch on the progress of the fabulous Caspian! So sorry to have neglected updating all of his fans. Life and work have been really hectic.
Caspian has made so much progress over the past few weeks. He is so well behaved and such a sweet boy! He loves people, kids, dogs and life in general. He is however not deemed cat safe. This is important for you to know if you are thinking about adding him to your life. Like so many terrier breeds his desire to go small quick moving kitties overcomes his generally good manners. He has demonstrated great play skills and manners with our resident chihuahua/jrt mix Linty, my JRT Opie, pugs, KCC's, and other terriers in our daycare group. He is kind and respectful of the many senior dogs in our office, including the greyhounds who rule the canine kingdom in the admin. offices!
He is able to do all basic obedience including sit, down, stay, wait, come, walk on a loose leash, go to his bed, leave it and object or food exchange. He has learned how to shake and give you five, spin and is just about to have take a bow! He has been in classes for reactive dogs as the mentor dog (meaning he is the quiet and well behaved one for the other dogs to observe)
He know what the request to be quiet is, and he is able to spend time in his crate without whining or barking. Initially he may whine for a few minutes, but he settles in pretty fast.
Everyone at Great Dog loves him and he is an ambassador for the pitbull breed!
He has accompanied me on dog bite prevention and humane education programs in elementary schools with wonderful interactions with children ages 9-11 years of age.
This dog is really a joy to know and work with-please consider giving this boy a forever home!
Caspian has made so much progress over the past few weeks. He is so well behaved and such a sweet boy! He loves people, kids, dogs and life in general. He is however not deemed cat safe. This is important for you to know if you are thinking about adding him to your life. Like so many terrier breeds his desire to go small quick moving kitties overcomes his generally good manners. He has demonstrated great play skills and manners with our resident chihuahua/jrt mix Linty, my JRT Opie, pugs, KCC's, and other terriers in our daycare group. He is kind and respectful of the many senior dogs in our office, including the greyhounds who rule the canine kingdom in the admin. offices!
He is able to do all basic obedience including sit, down, stay, wait, come, walk on a loose leash, go to his bed, leave it and object or food exchange. He has learned how to shake and give you five, spin and is just about to have take a bow! He has been in classes for reactive dogs as the mentor dog (meaning he is the quiet and well behaved one for the other dogs to observe)
He know what the request to be quiet is, and he is able to spend time in his crate without whining or barking. Initially he may whine for a few minutes, but he settles in pretty fast.
Everyone at Great Dog loves him and he is an ambassador for the pitbull breed!
He has accompanied me on dog bite prevention and humane education programs in elementary schools with wonderful interactions with children ages 9-11 years of age.
This dog is really a joy to know and work with-please consider giving this boy a forever home!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Day 9
Caspian is having another happy and relaxing day. He seems to be a bit tired today, which is expected after being with us for a full week now. He has constant activity all day long and even in the evenings and night time he has other dogs around to interact with making it a big doggie party for most of his time. We are planning on having him go home for a night or two with Samantha so he can have a bit of complete rest with her and her mellow basset hound. We think he needs some quite time where he can have lots of time to chill out.
He has mastered "down", "wait" and is on his way to achieving "leave it." He also has learned a trick "spin" which he thinks is great fun!
I observed playing last evening with two puggles (a cross between a pug and a beagle) he was so funny with them. They would run under a raised platform along the wall used for sleeping and observing by the daycare dogs, and Caspian would chase them and then turn around and they would pop out from under the platform and chase him. They were all so full of delight...tails wagging like wild with huge smiles on their faces. I left smiling too.
Like the rest of us Caspian is getting tired of the rain. When we walked outside yesterday he tried to duck back in the door to avoid the rain. He gave me a look as if to say "Really, this is not my idea of a fun walk...how about we go out for a quick pee and then go crash on your couch?"
And speaking of pee (isn't that a wonderful topic to blog about?!) We are confident that Caspian knows how to ask to go outside to do his "doggie business". When he is working in the concierge lounge we have noticed that he gets up, goes to the door, circles a few times, whines and looks at the door. This is his signal to go outside. Each time that he has done this behavior is is taken out and he immediately does his doggie business!
If you are interested in Caspian come by Great Dog in north Seattle to meet him!
He has mastered "down", "wait" and is on his way to achieving "leave it." He also has learned a trick "spin" which he thinks is great fun!
I observed playing last evening with two puggles (a cross between a pug and a beagle) he was so funny with them. They would run under a raised platform along the wall used for sleeping and observing by the daycare dogs, and Caspian would chase them and then turn around and they would pop out from under the platform and chase him. They were all so full of delight...tails wagging like wild with huge smiles on their faces. I left smiling too.
Like the rest of us Caspian is getting tired of the rain. When we walked outside yesterday he tried to duck back in the door to avoid the rain. He gave me a look as if to say "Really, this is not my idea of a fun walk...how about we go out for a quick pee and then go crash on your couch?"
And speaking of pee (isn't that a wonderful topic to blog about?!) We are confident that Caspian knows how to ask to go outside to do his "doggie business". When he is working in the concierge lounge we have noticed that he gets up, goes to the door, circles a few times, whines and looks at the door. This is his signal to go outside. Each time that he has done this behavior is is taken out and he immediately does his doggie business!
If you are interested in Caspian come by Great Dog in north Seattle to meet him!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Days 7 &8
Caspian had a restful day on Tuesday, starting off with his daycare buddies, and showing off for Laure, Christine and me by doing his "down", which he learned and retained in his first week of Basic Obedience Class Monday night accompanied by Samantha. Today I requested a "down" while out on his walk and he plopped down on the sidewalk without hesitation! Good dog, Caspian! He continues to walk like a dream on the leash without any pulling. He spent a few hours lounging with the staff on a big bed in the concierge lounge-he was snuggled under a fleece blanket and had his head on a stuffed toy. Yes, he is a bit indulged BUT when we ask him to work on his training, display good play habits in the daycare and interact effectively with people and dogs in the facility he is focused and responsive to his human partner.
At 4:45pm we joined Julie and Carolin for the ride to the Seattle Animal Shelter for our weekly class with the dog walking volunteers and the current resident dogs at the shelter. (I must add that he was a perfect gentleman for the entire car ride.) We were all curious if he would be worried upon arrival back at the shelter. He knew where he was when we turned into the parking lot, and he showed a few signs of stress when we entered the lobby. (He became very alert and licked his lips several times.) However once he saw his human friends he got very eager to great them and catch up.
Caspian served as the role model dog for our class to teach the shelter dogs how to be more relaxed when they are near other dogs. He was brilliant, calm and confident as he worked with Carolin. I think that all of the Shelter staff and volunteers were delighted to observe Caspian doing so well and being so happy. It was sure fun for the Great Dog team to let everyone see the program he has made in such a short time. BTW we all agree it is so much more about the fabulous attributes of Caspian than the work we are doing with him!
He quickly relaxed and settled in to the classroom. We had a young puppy with us in the classroom to offer it some good socialization and time out of the kennel. Caspian was very excited to see the puppy and he was initiallyoverly eager to get close and met her. We were careful to introduce them appropriately so as not to frighten the puppy. Caspian paid attention to our requests to be calm and gentle and settled down to the point that when we was given access to her he was enthusiastic but kind and gentle. He eventually settled down and ignored her for most our the time in the classroom.
Today, Wednesday, found Caspian in training session with Carolin to work on his manners while walking in the neighborhood. He is learning how to be polite when he sees other dogs and people he would like to meet. He also worked to reinforce his new "down" skill and performed like a pro for that part of his training. He spent time with Christine and Laure providing "guest service support". Caspian thinks that he must offer a wag, a wiggle and a grin to everyone who enters the concierge lounge. He does make people happy and he is beginning to serve as an ambassador for his breed on a consistent basis.
I am observing that he is really beginning to feel like he is part of the Great Dog environment. He knows his way around, is able to recognize favorite staff, clients and dogs and he is able to control himself around the shop cats. (Another plus for anyone with a cat who is interested in Caspian!) He showing that he can be trusted around cats, although we are supervising him when he is with the cats for now. I think that he may have potential to be trained to live successfully with a cat. Stay tuned for more on that as time goes on...
Tomorrow we will begin working on the concepts of "wait" and "stay" and introduce him to the concept of "leave it". I am confident that he will pick up on all of those skills fast.
For those of you who don't know me, I am very active in the many aspects of therapy dog training and work. I am seeing traits in Caspian that make me think that he could do the training and earn his therapy dog certification. If you are thinking about becoming his forever home person and you are interested in sharing in the joy of helping others by partnering with their dog to visit at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc. Caspian is the dog for you!
At 4:45pm we joined Julie and Carolin for the ride to the Seattle Animal Shelter for our weekly class with the dog walking volunteers and the current resident dogs at the shelter. (I must add that he was a perfect gentleman for the entire car ride.) We were all curious if he would be worried upon arrival back at the shelter. He knew where he was when we turned into the parking lot, and he showed a few signs of stress when we entered the lobby. (He became very alert and licked his lips several times.) However once he saw his human friends he got very eager to great them and catch up.
Caspian served as the role model dog for our class to teach the shelter dogs how to be more relaxed when they are near other dogs. He was brilliant, calm and confident as he worked with Carolin. I think that all of the Shelter staff and volunteers were delighted to observe Caspian doing so well and being so happy. It was sure fun for the Great Dog team to let everyone see the program he has made in such a short time. BTW we all agree it is so much more about the fabulous attributes of Caspian than the work we are doing with him!
He quickly relaxed and settled in to the classroom. We had a young puppy with us in the classroom to offer it some good socialization and time out of the kennel. Caspian was very excited to see the puppy and he was initiallyoverly eager to get close and met her. We were careful to introduce them appropriately so as not to frighten the puppy. Caspian paid attention to our requests to be calm and gentle and settled down to the point that when we was given access to her he was enthusiastic but kind and gentle. He eventually settled down and ignored her for most our the time in the classroom.
Today, Wednesday, found Caspian in training session with Carolin to work on his manners while walking in the neighborhood. He is learning how to be polite when he sees other dogs and people he would like to meet. He also worked to reinforce his new "down" skill and performed like a pro for that part of his training. He spent time with Christine and Laure providing "guest service support". Caspian thinks that he must offer a wag, a wiggle and a grin to everyone who enters the concierge lounge. He does make people happy and he is beginning to serve as an ambassador for his breed on a consistent basis.
I am observing that he is really beginning to feel like he is part of the Great Dog environment. He knows his way around, is able to recognize favorite staff, clients and dogs and he is able to control himself around the shop cats. (Another plus for anyone with a cat who is interested in Caspian!) He showing that he can be trusted around cats, although we are supervising him when he is with the cats for now. I think that he may have potential to be trained to live successfully with a cat. Stay tuned for more on that as time goes on...
Tomorrow we will begin working on the concepts of "wait" and "stay" and introduce him to the concept of "leave it". I am confident that he will pick up on all of those skills fast.
For those of you who don't know me, I am very active in the many aspects of therapy dog training and work. I am seeing traits in Caspian that make me think that he could do the training and earn his therapy dog certification. If you are thinking about becoming his forever home person and you are interested in sharing in the joy of helping others by partnering with their dog to visit at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc. Caspian is the dog for you!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Day 6
Monday found Caspian delighted to welcome all of the regular daycare dogs back for play, naps in the sunshine and back for more play. Caspian is especially fond of a lovely lab/pit mix who is the same age and approximate size as him. They always greet each other with a play bow and the romping begins.
Caspian has two specific jobs now: first he spends part of every day in the concierge lounge greeting clients and keeping Laure and Christine company as they work. He works very hard at being guest service oriented. He offers tail wags and kisses to any client that he feels needs some special attention. Next he helps Christine organize all of the belongings, treats and food for the dogs who have checked in for overnight care. He follows her about as she puts belonging in each dogs storage space. He sits patiently as she post
He attended his first session of obedience class on Monday evening with his human friend from Daycare, Samantha. I was there to see him enter class, which he did with well-mannered attention to Samantha. He was initially very stimulated by the other dogs in the room. He maintained his composure fairly well until one of his old kennel mates from the Seattle Animal Shelter came into the room. Both dogs shared loud vocal greetings and tried to get closer to each other. Samantha took the time to redirect Caspian by asking him to watch her and sit for a treat. He responded to the request and was able to settle right down. This class was the first time that Caspian had been requested to be on leash and calm with a group of other dogs he did not know. He was initially pretty excited and eager to meet every dog and new person. He had to learn that in class not all dogs and even some people, are not open to meeting new dogs. He needed to take the time to read other dogs canine body language and then interpret how to behave. For the most part he handled this well and was able to display nice manners to other dogs and people. He is working hard to be a good ambassador for his breed, American Pit Bull Terrier.
The class itself was pretty hectic (very normal for a first session of basic obedience, most dogs have no idea what they should do) but Caspian was very good and worked well for Samantha. He finished class with sleeply eyes and returned to overnight playcare with dreams of becoming the best dog in class!
Have you been reading about Caspian and thinking that you would like to think about adopting him? Then contact the Seattle Animal Shelter and set up an appointment to meet him! He would be such a great addition to your life!!!
Caspian has two specific jobs now: first he spends part of every day in the concierge lounge greeting clients and keeping Laure and Christine company as they work. He works very hard at being guest service oriented. He offers tail wags and kisses to any client that he feels needs some special attention. Next he helps Christine organize all of the belongings, treats and food for the dogs who have checked in for overnight care. He follows her about as she puts belonging in each dogs storage space. He sits patiently as she post
He attended his first session of obedience class on Monday evening with his human friend from Daycare, Samantha. I was there to see him enter class, which he did with well-mannered attention to Samantha. He was initially very stimulated by the other dogs in the room. He maintained his composure fairly well until one of his old kennel mates from the Seattle Animal Shelter came into the room. Both dogs shared loud vocal greetings and tried to get closer to each other. Samantha took the time to redirect Caspian by asking him to watch her and sit for a treat. He responded to the request and was able to settle right down. This class was the first time that Caspian had been requested to be on leash and calm with a group of other dogs he did not know. He was initially pretty excited and eager to meet every dog and new person. He had to learn that in class not all dogs and even some people, are not open to meeting new dogs. He needed to take the time to read other dogs canine body language and then interpret how to behave. For the most part he handled this well and was able to display nice manners to other dogs and people. He is working hard to be a good ambassador for his breed, American Pit Bull Terrier.
The class itself was pretty hectic (very normal for a first session of basic obedience, most dogs have no idea what they should do) but Caspian was very good and worked well for Samantha. He finished class with sleeply eyes and returned to overnight playcare with dreams of becoming the best dog in class!
Have you been reading about Caspian and thinking that you would like to think about adopting him? Then contact the Seattle Animal Shelter and set up an appointment to meet him! He would be such a great addition to your life!!!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Day Five
Caspian had a day of play with the small Sunday group of overnight playcare dogs. He is sleeping and eating well. His buddy Samantha came in on her day off to make sure he had a long walk and some time to practice his wonderful obedience skills. He is so motivated to learn and please it is a pleasure to work with him. On Monday he will be attending his first group basic obedience class with Samantha. I have taken lots of pictures of him that I promise to post as soon as I get the time! Stay tuned...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Day Four
Caspian experienced his first Saturday at Great Dog which means lots of different people and dogs in the facility for classes, socialization sessions and shopping.All excellent learning opportunities for Caspian. He was happy to greet me as I came in for my first class at 9am. He had to learn to remain calm and quiet in the play space directly across from my class, "Short Stuff Agility" He really wanted to join all of the gang under 17" for the fun, but he finally accept that he was too tall and watched quietly, but with a forlorn look on his face. He responded appropriately to the "quite" request from Samantha, the daycare staff member for the day. He turned his attention to his playmates and made me proud of him as I did not have to once ask him to be quiet while I was teaching.
Next class up was our "Reactive to Refined Dog" geared toward dogs that have limited ability to control themselves on leash and in novel situations. Two weeks ago Caspian was a great candidate to participate in this class. In the last 15 minutes of class our role-model dogs decided that they were ready to call it a day. Their job is to calmly and quietly enter and leave the room while the class dogs are working on accepting the presence of another dog without becoming highly aroused/reactive. Julie and I decided to give Caspian a try as the role-model dog since he has made such fantastic progress. We were a bit unsure of his reaction, but we were also confident that he would respond to our coaching. He entered the classroom with calm confidence, and worked brilliantly for both me and Christine(another new found love of Caspian who has been working with him since his arrival last week.) We were all so proud of him and frankly amazed at the progress Caspian has made in just a few days. We are all quick to want to say that he is getting extensive training, lots of positive feedback and a huge amount of physical exercise which is all contributing to his rapid learning and success. BUT beyond that is the stuff that Caspian is made of...a strong desire to please, a quest to learn, a bright mind and a heart just ready to give and accept love. If you are looking for a brilliant dog that will steal your heart and provide you with constant companionship and fun you must meet Caspian!
Next class up was our "Reactive to Refined Dog" geared toward dogs that have limited ability to control themselves on leash and in novel situations. Two weeks ago Caspian was a great candidate to participate in this class. In the last 15 minutes of class our role-model dogs decided that they were ready to call it a day. Their job is to calmly and quietly enter and leave the room while the class dogs are working on accepting the presence of another dog without becoming highly aroused/reactive. Julie and I decided to give Caspian a try as the role-model dog since he has made such fantastic progress. We were a bit unsure of his reaction, but we were also confident that he would respond to our coaching. He entered the classroom with calm confidence, and worked brilliantly for both me and Christine(another new found love of Caspian who has been working with him since his arrival last week.) We were all so proud of him and frankly amazed at the progress Caspian has made in just a few days. We are all quick to want to say that he is getting extensive training, lots of positive feedback and a huge amount of physical exercise which is all contributing to his rapid learning and success. BUT beyond that is the stuff that Caspian is made of...a strong desire to please, a quest to learn, a bright mind and a heart just ready to give and accept love. If you are looking for a brilliant dog that will steal your heart and provide you with constant companionship and fun you must meet Caspian!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Day Three
Caspian Day 3
Caspian has had what I might call a luxury day at Great Dog today! He was up early for breakfast and a romp with his daycare buddies. At 9AM his friend/trainer Carolin arrived to provide some training, exercise and enrichment activities. They started out with a walk in the surrounding neighborhood; showing off his newly achieved loose leash walking skills as he calmly walked with Carolin. We have a novel training opportunity in our neighborhood as there is a full-size bronze statue of a sitting German Shepherd in the back yard around the corner. It is very life-like, but…well it doesn’t move…it’s a statue. It is visible from the sidewalk and generally takes every dog that sees it by surprise on first encounter. Caspian was no different; Carolin reported that he noticed the statue looked at it several times, got a bit worried, looked up at her for support and then barked. It was a typical reaction and a good training opportunity. Carolin helped him regroup by requesting him to sit and accept treats from her. She used a happy “no big deal” attitude and voice and Caspian recovered quickly. Several hours later I walked him past the same yard, he slowed to look for the statue, observed it, looked at him, looked back at the statue and just kept right on walking calmly by! Good dog, Caspian! This is evidence that he is a fast and competent learner. On his first walk of the day he encountered sometime novel and a tad bit frightening. On the second walk he remembered that he had been offered calm support by his human companion resulting in a sense that he has in a safe zone. On his second trip past the statue he was able to assess the situation, remember that it caused him no harm and move on to another adventure. As a canine educator I am always excited when a dog is able to take a novel situation, get support from a human partner to learn how to handle the novelty and better yet, be able to apply that learning the next time the same situation happens. This is a sign of a dog that is capable of learning, assessing and adjusting to unusual situations without making negative behavior choices. Caspian, what a dog!
His afternoon was dedicated to luxury lounging. He was so tired on the daycare floor that a staff member noticed that he was actually falling asleep while standing up! This is a frequent experience for dogs new to the daycare routine. They enjoy being able to play and romp with so many dogs with frequency that they need to learn to pace the activity. They are also a lot like little kids who don’t want to take a nap because they might miss something. But, the staff knows best and they knew he needed a nap. He was invited to the Concierge Lounge where our clients and their dogs can sit in a quite space to book daycare, grooming, training, etc. There is a choice of soft beds; one is a wicker basket that fits our JRT and Cairn Terrier staff members with a little room for leg stretching. Caspian decided that the basket was the place to nap so he curled up into the tightest ball of a brindle dog that I have ever seen and with his head hanging a bit over the edge he took a nap. I can report with confidence that Caspian can snore like a pro! ;-) with some very funny little gurgles mixed in for our staff’s entertainment. He slept all afternoon.
Now he just bounced in with one of our other canine educators who has been working with him outside watching dogs come and go so he can work on his ability to be polite when other dogs are approaching him. He was a perfect gentleman until his new best friend walked by on his way home and he just had to bark a farewell. He was pretty determined to have his say, but he did respond to a distraction and once again settled into a calm sit and watch.
He is still trying to figure out how to complete the “down” skill. He is not eager to put his tummy on the floor and he likes to keep his bum in the air with his tail wagging. Humm…maybe because we all laugh at him because he is so darn cute-he thinks it is more fun to do his version of “down”. Well, all I can say about that is that we are pretty dog-gone good trainers here, but if YOU saw Caspian’s version of “down” you would be laughing and encouraging the behavior too! I have decided to teach him “bow” for the little maneuver that is his version of “down” and re-visit “down-the real one” in a few days.
Please think about adopting this amazing dog. He is inspiring everyone here. More tomorrow…
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Day Two
Caspian is a beautiful brindle Pit Bull waiting for his forever home. He is eager to learn, has a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life, enjoys the company of dogs and people. Below journals his adventures at Great Dog.
Day Two 5/29/08 by Judi Anderson-Wright , MA, CPDT
Today was his first experience welcoming the daycare dogs into the play space as they all start arriving at 7am. He was curious about the gang as they came streaming in, but welcomed them happily. I arrived and watched him play for 10 min. before he saw me and greeted me with a wide grin and a wildly wagging tail.
He has a rowdy play style that could be misinterpreted, because he likes to make growly noise and uses his paws to box, but it is all friendly, exuberant ruff and tumble big boy play. Anyone interested in adopting him should be educated that he is really high energy, uses his voice and boxes a bit.
He is feeling good and is showing no signs of anxiety or stress. He did get a bit too exuberant and just could not keep from humping a dog, but he was called off and realized it was rude or that the very least too much!
He is very interested in a puppy (already 80+ lbs. Great Dane) He will continue to grow in his confidence so we are making sure that he doesn’t get too rowdy too soon and over step his bounds with the long time senior dogs. I am sure that he will learn quickly and be respectful of his new found friends.
Just finished a training walk on his wonder walker harness, and he was perfect on lead. He learned to sit upon request at each street corner prior to crossing. Returned for inside training to work on general obedience skills. First I assessed him for food aggression, possessiveness, etc. no problems so far.
Next he met my own Jack Russel Terrier, who had to give his “paws up or paws down” impression of Caspian. The meet and greet was doggie text book perfect, and they quickly began a round of chase me-chase you. Both accepted treats in the presence of each other and both waited patiently while the other received verbal attention and a treat. All very good news for Caspian.
He is quickly exceeding my expectations, which were pretty high already having observed him in our class at SAS over the past few weeks.
I introduced him to the clicker today, which he found to be really motivating. He will be trained in both clicker mode and traditional positive lure-reward techniques to maximize learning and adoptability.
Caspian has a rock solid “watch me” and “sit” as of today’s session. He is also showing a very strong recall, but can be distracted away from the recall by noise, movement, etc. He has an emerging down, gets it all down BUT the bottom-very cute, but not a down yet. We will work on that more. Introduced “wait at the door” and he picked up on that very fast.
He is now out with a dog walker working on leash skills and burning off some steam. Final words on Caspian-He is a fabulous dog!
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
Day Two 5/29/08 by Judi Anderson-Wright , MA, CPDT
Today was his first experience welcoming the daycare dogs into the play space as they all start arriving at 7am. He was curious about the gang as they came streaming in, but welcomed them happily. I arrived and watched him play for 10 min. before he saw me and greeted me with a wide grin and a wildly wagging tail.
He has a rowdy play style that could be misinterpreted, because he likes to make growly noise and uses his paws to box, but it is all friendly, exuberant ruff and tumble big boy play. Anyone interested in adopting him should be educated that he is really high energy, uses his voice and boxes a bit.
He is feeling good and is showing no signs of anxiety or stress. He did get a bit too exuberant and just could not keep from humping a dog, but he was called off and realized it was rude or that the very least too much!
He is very interested in a puppy (already 80+ lbs. Great Dane) He will continue to grow in his confidence so we are making sure that he doesn’t get too rowdy too soon and over step his bounds with the long time senior dogs. I am sure that he will learn quickly and be respectful of his new found friends.
Just finished a training walk on his wonder walker harness, and he was perfect on lead. He learned to sit upon request at each street corner prior to crossing. Returned for inside training to work on general obedience skills. First I assessed him for food aggression, possessiveness, etc. no problems so far.
Next he met my own Jack Russel Terrier, who had to give his “paws up or paws down” impression of Caspian. The meet and greet was doggie text book perfect, and they quickly began a round of chase me-chase you. Both accepted treats in the presence of each other and both waited patiently while the other received verbal attention and a treat. All very good news for Caspian.
He is quickly exceeding my expectations, which were pretty high already having observed him in our class at SAS over the past few weeks.
I introduced him to the clicker today, which he found to be really motivating. He will be trained in both clicker mode and traditional positive lure-reward techniques to maximize learning and adoptability.
Caspian has a rock solid “watch me” and “sit” as of today’s session. He is also showing a very strong recall, but can be distracted away from the recall by noise, movement, etc. He has an emerging down, gets it all down BUT the bottom-very cute, but not a down yet. We will work on that more. Introduced “wait at the door” and he picked up on that very fast.
He is now out with a dog walker working on leash skills and burning off some steam. Final words on Caspian-He is a fabulous dog!
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
Day One
Caspian is a beautiful brindle Pit Bull waiting for his forever home. He is eager to learn, has a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life, enjoys the company of dogs and people. Below journals his adventures at Great Dog.
Day One- 5/28/08 by Judi Anderson-Wright, MA, CPDT
After picking up a very excited Caspian, our first challenge was helping to believe that my small VW bug was an appropriate mode of transportation for him. He was not too sure about the closing down of the hatchback closing. Once I convinced him that the blanket in the back was budding with magically appearing treats he decided to give it a rest and was content to view the scenery from Seattle Animal Shelter to Great Dog in a happy sense of anticipation.
Upon arrival at Great Dog he was met by several grooming and retail shoppe staff members at the front door bearing treats of welcome. Not a second of hesitation from him, he walked in and met the staff with tail wagging and a huge smile on his face. He was confident, but not ever rude, and very curious about the new surroundings. He met our daycare manager who immediately took him for a run around the neighborhood sporting his new blue wonder walker harness and he didn’t pull a single step! It was a good match, Caspian has mega energy and Chris is a mega long-legged runner-perfect!
Next, introduction to the daycare dogs and staff. We provided him a side run to meet single dogs from the pack one at a time, beginning with dogs from the pack who are accepting, calm, and lower status dogs in the group. Caspian was appropriate, used excellent canine communication, never a rude moment with any of the “easy dogs”.
Next we introduced male dogs with more status and stronger attitudes. Once again Caspian handled himself perfectly-showing great meet and greet behaviors, calming signals and very little signs of stress. He was actually having fun being with other well socialized and respectful dogs. It was delightful to see him enjoying the company of other dogs.
Finally we introduced him to the high status dogs; the “big boys” who have been around for 3-5+ years and who have grown up here and who think that they run the show, and actually they do! We have one Dobie, who we use as the real indicator of how well a new dog will be accepted into the group. It went great! The Dobie and Caspian met and then were pretty much indifferent to each other (exactly what we wanted!)
Without more fanfare I walked Caspian onto the daycare floor where he was initially greeted by 20+ dogs. This is generally the most difficult for any new dog as they are surrounded by the gang, all sniffing and whirling around tail to back end. It can put the most confident dog into a moment of either over stimulation or over whelmed stress. Caspian handled it with calm resolve, and trotted off to explore his surrounds, with a gaggle of dogs right behind, all wanting to meet the new guy.
He settled in quickly, and took notice of dogs who wanted to play with him. He responded with happy play bows, a few barks that sounded like “Wooooo Hooo!!!” He played, ran and explored with his new buddies.
Later in the evening he met the overnight crew, had dinner and settled in on a comfy couch to sleep for the night. He only had 5 overnight dogs to snuggle with, so it was a mellow night. He slept all night, woke up ready for breakfast, and another day in training.
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
Day One- 5/28/08 by Judi Anderson-Wright, MA, CPDT
After picking up a very excited Caspian, our first challenge was helping to believe that my small VW bug was an appropriate mode of transportation for him. He was not too sure about the closing down of the hatchback closing. Once I convinced him that the blanket in the back was budding with magically appearing treats he decided to give it a rest and was content to view the scenery from Seattle Animal Shelter to Great Dog in a happy sense of anticipation.
Upon arrival at Great Dog he was met by several grooming and retail shoppe staff members at the front door bearing treats of welcome. Not a second of hesitation from him, he walked in and met the staff with tail wagging and a huge smile on his face. He was confident, but not ever rude, and very curious about the new surroundings. He met our daycare manager who immediately took him for a run around the neighborhood sporting his new blue wonder walker harness and he didn’t pull a single step! It was a good match, Caspian has mega energy and Chris is a mega long-legged runner-perfect!
Next, introduction to the daycare dogs and staff. We provided him a side run to meet single dogs from the pack one at a time, beginning with dogs from the pack who are accepting, calm, and lower status dogs in the group. Caspian was appropriate, used excellent canine communication, never a rude moment with any of the “easy dogs”.
Next we introduced male dogs with more status and stronger attitudes. Once again Caspian handled himself perfectly-showing great meet and greet behaviors, calming signals and very little signs of stress. He was actually having fun being with other well socialized and respectful dogs. It was delightful to see him enjoying the company of other dogs.
Finally we introduced him to the high status dogs; the “big boys” who have been around for 3-5+ years and who have grown up here and who think that they run the show, and actually they do! We have one Dobie, who we use as the real indicator of how well a new dog will be accepted into the group. It went great! The Dobie and Caspian met and then were pretty much indifferent to each other (exactly what we wanted!)
Without more fanfare I walked Caspian onto the daycare floor where he was initially greeted by 20+ dogs. This is generally the most difficult for any new dog as they are surrounded by the gang, all sniffing and whirling around tail to back end. It can put the most confident dog into a moment of either over stimulation or over whelmed stress. Caspian handled it with calm resolve, and trotted off to explore his surrounds, with a gaggle of dogs right behind, all wanting to meet the new guy.
He settled in quickly, and took notice of dogs who wanted to play with him. He responded with happy play bows, a few barks that sounded like “Wooooo Hooo!!!” He played, ran and explored with his new buddies.
Later in the evening he met the overnight crew, had dinner and settled in on a comfy couch to sleep for the night. He only had 5 overnight dogs to snuggle with, so it was a mellow night. He slept all night, woke up ready for breakfast, and another day in training.
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
Introducing Caspian
I'm a handsome two year old neutered Pit Bull who's a complete sweetheart! I spent the first part of my life in less-than-glamorous surroundings (can you believe that I was left tied to a porch?), but that has not dampened my enthusiasm and love for people. I'm now waiting for my forever home at the Seattle Animal Shelter. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
It didn't take the staff and volunteers at the shelter very long to realize my potential. I was hand selected by Judi Anderson-Wright, co-owner of Great Dog to come spend a few weeks with them at their doggie day care and training facility. Judi and the team at Great Dog have been helping me and my fellow kennel mates at the Shelter for the past few weeks, and they immediately saw how smart I was and how quickly I picked up on training.
So now here I am at Great Dog and I'm lovin' it! Judi is keeping a daily journal of my progress, so we thought it would be great to share it with all of you. Enjoy!
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
It didn't take the staff and volunteers at the shelter very long to realize my potential. I was hand selected by Judi Anderson-Wright, co-owner of Great Dog to come spend a few weeks with them at their doggie day care and training facility. Judi and the team at Great Dog have been helping me and my fellow kennel mates at the Shelter for the past few weeks, and they immediately saw how smart I was and how quickly I picked up on training.
So now here I am at Great Dog and I'm lovin' it! Judi is keeping a daily journal of my progress, so we thought it would be great to share it with all of you. Enjoy!
Please visit his Petfinder page to find out how to meet Caspian. http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10857696
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