As a professional dog trainer, I often meet dogs that leave an impression on me for one reason or another. Some because they are breeds I may not routinely encounter and it’s fun to work with something different. Or they were challenging cases that stretch my creativity and tool kit in order to turn things around. Others it is simply because they are just such dream dogs to train. The ones that are easily engaged, quick learners that make me look brilliant, when it’s really just the dog that is so special!
But then there are clients that I never forget either. The ones whose names and faces are etched in my memory. Despite having worked with thousands and thousands of pet owners over three decades, there are ones that stand out. Not because they had the most remarkable dog, but because they were the most remarkable humans doing everything they can to do right by their dog. They ask questions, do the work, and ask more questions because they are hungry to learn. Those type of people have earned the designation of My Dog’s Hero because it is no longer just about what the dog can do for them…it’s equally about what they can do for their dog. A give and take relationship based on mutual respect, and trust.
A relationship like that starts with education, because understanding dogs is not intuitive. It requires conscious, consistent effort to learn and do. People like that I remember. One of those people is Becky and her husband Steve. I asked them to share their story and some key insights into what they have learned. Becky shared the story and some photos from a few of their adventures. Enjoy!
My Five Year Journey To Become My Dog’s Hero
Our journey together began in 2020 when River was two months old. One of our previous dogs was a Brittany. When my husband and I lost her, we decided we wanted another. It did not take us long to realize that all Brittanys are not the same. Plus, we had not had a puppy for 12 years! We quickly learned that River was smart and extremely energetic. We had no idea at the time, how much time and energy it would take to become River’s hero.
Before we got River, my husband and I agreed that we were going to be fully committed to whatever it would take to make him a part of our family. This would include having him join us in as many adventures as we could, rather than leave him behind.
With that in mind, we took him through many training classes; puppy obedience, puppy agility, basic obedience, and intermediate obedience. But even after all of that, we were still so frustrated with some of his behavior. He seemed to be more engaged in his surrounding environment than with us. There didn’t seem to be a connection/bond between us and River. Seeing that, one of our instructors suggested we try ecollar training.
My search began for a highly qualified professional ecollar instructor. My search ended when I found Robin.
We enrolled in her virtual “Basic Ecollar Training“ course. We learned a lot, and although River began to respond, we still felt we were not fully connecting with him. We needed more help. That is when we participated in Robin’s guided course, “Beyond The Basics.” It was during this course that we realized that we were trying to fit River into our image of a well trained dog. Thanks to this course, we began to understand our specific dog and HIS needs. We learned that River has a very high prey drive. The knowledge helped us understand him and taught us to adapt our training to his personality.
Early in our training journey, River was acting out like a school child who did not get recess. Now we were learning to use recess as part of his training. The ecollar helped with recess! He gets to run free, hunt, flush critters, and explore his surroundings, but has learned to respond and pay attention to us when he is called. As we built a stronger relationship, he began to check in with us on his own, without even being called!
We now have the happy, loving, obedient dog we were hoping for when we began this journey. Make no mistake, this journey continues and so does the training. The bond we have with him is incredible. Our commitment to River has made us “Our Dogs Hero.”
