Hello again and Stay Tuned!!

My sincere apologies for the long absence.  In addition to some technical difficulties, the past 8 months have been chaotic and inconsistent, not the conditions that allow for time or creativity.

The adoption of Fred (an adult African grey parrot in much need of love and training), a declining employment situation, extensive repair and preparation of our house to go to market (and all the other good stuff that follows listing one’s home) as well as an arduous New England winter have all kept us away.  But no more!

Please see the video at the end for a summary of what we’ve been up to.

Fred is stabilized and no longer needs such disciplined attention.  I have left my daytime job (hurrah!) and now only work on my passions – teaching piano and dog training.  The house prep is complete and it’s available for showing.  And best of all, we are clear of the awful snow and the inconvenient spring rains.  So it’s time for outdoor videos!

I have had a lot of training and behavior ideas I’d like to share.  And I’ve received a LOT of emails about barking situations.  I will soon write a follow-up barking post to hopefully address as many questions in one place.  Below is a list of other topics I’m excited to address –

• Training a dog to deal with collar anxiety
• Teaching a solid ‘Leave it’
• Focus games
• Transferring trained (positive) behaviors into new situations (out on the road, at a friend’s house, etc)
• Preparing for a move and an extended car ride
• How to shave your dog– this saves me about $150/month during the summer months
• Dog bite wounds and treatment
• Flexibility – when to allow variation in response and when to be disciplined

Trooper and Sydney have been rather stressed in the past few months so I’m excited to start video taping them again.  It makes them feel very special (all that attention) and the extra training will serve as a good anchor in their life.  Because of the house sale process, there has been a lot of change and many trips with boxes.  If your Australian Shepherd is anything like mine, the sight of a box, suitcase or furniture being rearranged is enough to make them feel like they are about to lose you.

Thank you for reading and your patience in our long time away.  We have a lot to share and enjoy helping others find the same dog training fun in life that fills ours.

Talk to you soon!