Welcome to Success Dogs!
What do you see when you look at the image above? To me, it encompasses fun, excitement and engagement between dog and owner … which is exactly what my training philosophy is all about!
You see, I created this website because I believe that successful dog training goes beyond the end-result. To be truly successful, I believe you need to train in a way that is fun, builds trust and grows your relationship with your dog.
I talk more about this in the video below … (Click the play button.)
As for the contest, I will randomly pick 3 comments below and send them what I consider to be the world’s best tug toy ever! (It’s my favorite tug toy to play with my dogs.)
Make sure that you write your answer to the question “What does success mean to you? (in terms of training your dog)” in the comment section below.
And don’t forget to attach a photo of your dog! (Yes, I want to see your dog!)
The contest ends in just a few days … (I will announce the winners.)
Good luck!
UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Click here to see who won!
Hello Jean,
success for me is to be able to communicate clearly with my dog.
The photo is Pepita in the front, Jose behind her and Milos the cat in front.
This is Dolly (Dolores) and success to me means peace of mind.Dolly is a hound, a pack dog whose nose is always to the ground sniffing out something interesting! I’ve got to be sure she’ll return to me at home time as she loves her rambles in the woods, scenting out something or other.
This is Sophie. She loves to play. She especially loves to tug but she has super strong jaws and sharp teeth. Without careful supervision she can destroy most dog toys in minutes. It has been a challenge to find toys tough enough for her. My wish for successfully training her would be to keep her safe and to help her be an obedient pet so that I can feel comfortable taking her with me wherever I go. She is a clown and so much fun that I would like to share her unique character with everyone.
I find the KONG toys to be the best ones at pet stores, however the ones that I’m shipping are much more durable. The key is to only use these toys during the training and not let the dogs chew on them in their “free time”. 🙂
Thank you Jean. We do have a few of the heavy duty Kong toys. You are right they are very durable. You are also correct about using the toys only when playing or training. Do you have any safe suggestions to satisfy the chewing needs?
This is Lola, named after Lola Flores, the Spanish flamenco dancer and singer ! Success to means really achieving small steps with Lola. We’ve had her nearly a year now and she came to us without any training at all in any respect. It was a shame as she is beginning to respond now and is a happier dog as a result.She seems to know where she is and is beginning to comprehend her boundaries.
Training to me is creating a life long bond between myself and my Memphis. It makes me proud to walk my dog knowing he has learnt his manners, socialisation skills with both people and dogs. Is he perfect oh no, a wonderful joker never a robotic dog. He also loves a tug toy.
Success for me is that moment when Jagger (photo) looks to me for direction because of the trust built between because training. We both learn and thru that we bond.
Success to me in terms of training my dogs is to train them how you want them to be trained and getting a good outcome. This also involves the owner by keeping up with the training and giving your dog the praise they deserve. Then you have no reason to not succeed.
Success in terms of training my doggies mean, furthering our bond, developing new skills by learning from each other and discovering my dogs learning style.
That’s a great definition of success, as long as you keep learning and training using positive reinforcements, you will feel successful. 🙂
When I have captured my dogs total attention..with full and sustained eye contact, I feel we connect and that my dog is happy with herself.
Success in dog training is getting to spend quality time with your dog and really enjoying them! It is getting to take your dog on a walk and teaching it tricks! It’s a way for your dog to have fun 🙂
Sucess in training means Contentment to me 🙂
Hope you don’t mind I added the website of the Greyhound rescue I volunteer for as I don’t have a personal website.
For me success means both myself and my dog have fun. , build a better and stronger bond because we understand each other and are continually growing together .
I do agility with callie and get such joy to see her enjoy herself so much and when I get it right it’s such a buzz for me to see my girl understand what it is I wNt from her as well as having so much fun along the way together .
Our puppy Diesel (9 month old lab husky mix) is a highly energetic fellow. He loves to be scratched around his ears and will do just about anything for affection! He smiles all the time and his tail wags constantly. To me success would be when I can take Diesel with me on walks on leash and when he stops jumping on people when they come to visit. He digs holes in the yard and I usually don’t get too upset about that because I know that’s what puppies (and some dogs) do. I’m not so much into the cute tricks (though I do love to see other dogs do them) I just want to teach Diesel how to behave properly so we can continue to have a wonderful relationship for many years.
Success with my dog Chelsea means she is very obedient, knows my hand signals for come, sit, stay, etc. and she is eager to please which results in her getting a toy, a treat or playtime with neighbor dogs.
What does success mean to you? Well for me success means that we both have a better and closer bond while having an awesome time together and we both understand eachother in order to work on her weaknesses so we can work on them better 🙂
What a gorgeous husky!!
Success for us means my dogs knowing what is expected and me being able to trust they will be able to do it. My photo is Dixie being used as a pillow for Chancey.
Success is when both my dog flash and I enjoy putting what we have learnt into practice and if it doesn’t quite go to plan, coming up with a solution for success
I can relate to this comment for sure. When this don’t go as planned (especially with a puppy) finding a solution that works.
Looks like you got a serious tugger there. 🙂
i walk dogs for the local pet boarding – yes, i get paid to play with dogs every night! – and to me, success is getting to know the dog as an individual person with likes, dislikes, anxieties, interests, and so on, just like any human-shaped person. it’s nice to look at a dog and know pretty much right away “he’s tired” or “he’s hungry” or “he wants to play” or “he’s upset” in the same way we look at our pre-verbal children and know what’s going on in their heads.
the best marker of all is when my dog does something that indicates genuine, rational, logical thinking (such as bringing me my brand new boots instead of the old ones he’s brought every time before and without being cued to them).
Success to me would mean that Dixie comes when I call her regardless of other distractions.
This is Star(forefront, 9 years old) and Juno (in the background, 1.5 years old). Success to us means that we enjoy the time we spend together playing and training. In this photo they are waiting for the next ball toss! Love, love, love my Border Collies!
Success is a combination of hearing my kids laugh because of Jaxson’s silly antics while they play off-leash outside and the knowledge that if someone comes to the door , the dog will behave in an obedient manner.
Success to me is being able to trust my dogs in most, if not all, situations and knowing they trust me in return.
If my stubborn little Scottie would simply obey, instead of sitting back and considering things before acting, I would be happy. He understands many things but acts on a command only after giving it some thought and if he WANTS to do it. I have feeling he reads my mind that I dont like his obstinacy but whatya going to do…He’s a SCOTTIE !!! A stubborn one ! But damn he’slovable !
Success is having a fun and force free relationship in which my dog is encouraged to make positive choices for herself, whilst understanding what is being asked of her. Ultimately this will lead to a happy dog who is capable of making her own decisions whilst trusting the owner in the process.
In the picture is Isabelle, our bullmastiff puppy who was adopted last year from a local welfare charity.
Success in training for me is having a great day playing and both of us coming home happy and sleepy
Success to me isn’t necessarily the ‘final product’. Success is being able to increase and decrease expectations as the training situation dictates. This sounds very simple at the onset, but with a multidog team, I tend to assume that dog 2,3,4,and 5 will perform to the same standard as dog 1. Perseverance will ensure success, but it isn’t always pretty. Sometimes just telling myself ” Good enough, Boys!!” makes all the difference in their performance.
Success for me is when we ( myself, Tawny and Tasha) come home from an off leash play session and everyone is tired and happy. The result of a completely unstressed play day.
Success to me is to have my dog bond with me to the point she can read my mind. Peaches is a Pomeranian with all the typical traits. Success for us would be controlling those traits. We need to improve on our front door etiquette with her buddy, Monty. Bark fest. Dog bells! That would be success!
Hi jean, my labrador and I have an amazing friendship that’s unbreakable, I’ve taught her a few tricks like speak, shake my hand with both paws (one at a time than switches) drop, fetch…but she loves to chew almost everything, seems like every toy I buy her seems to be in pieces within a day or two (except for her kong) although she does find it very funny when she gets ahold of things like my Teddy’s and my nephews toys and runs from me when I try to get them off her, it’s like a big game to her ( she’s smart even when I try to lure her in with treats, it doesn’t work. ) I have to corner her before I can get back what she took, And she’s good at Hide and seek, it is my favourite game with her, she still has things to learn like not chase my cat, or jump up on people she hasn’t seen in ages, and walks off leash,….. Success in terms of training to me means to have a good, positive outcome so were both happy of what has been achieved. 🙂
I would recommend that you keep certain toys specifically for training (playing/relationship building/reward). When you are done the training session, put it away on a table so that your dog can’t get it. Using a toy like this should last you months or more!
Success to me is the ability to communicate with my dog, he knows when I’m serious or time to play!
Success with my dog would mean so many differant things. It would be being on the same page. She understands me and I could understand her. Success would be for her to want to be with me even when we are out. To set an example for others who see us together. Weather it’s to come when off leash, to not pull when on leash and to see an obvious bond. Love my dog with all my heart so I’m sure success would mean as much to her as it does to me.
The photo is of me and my 9 month old white Shepherd. Her name is Guinevere.
Lovely dog!
Success to me is making it through another day in one piece – we’re trying to adjust to life with 2 9-wk Goldens!!
Puppies are always a handful but keep with it, they’ll turn out to be amazing dogs!
success in training is a happy dog with drive and motivation and accuracy. get all that and wow, celebration time!
“What does success mean to you?
A long term commitment to the Health and well being of Coco the AMSTAF.
Billy
uK
Success to me is when Daisy (picture attached) does exactly what i asked her to and looks up at me as if to say “I did it – did you see me ? Did you see me ?”. Makes me smile from ear to ear every time.
Success in training my dog means the loving bond between us in understanding what each of us wants. I am not into special tricks but luck watching others do it. I prefer just good behavior and obeying commands for her safety.
Dog training success to me means setting a goal and being able to attain it while having fun, enjoying time spent with my dog and making it a game so it really doesn’t feel like “traditional” training at all. I have learnt from a friend that training can be a series of little games that you can build on to achieve many things from tricks to important safety knowledge such as recall. Successful training makes Sophie a great family member!
I wonder who told you that. :o) Glad you entered Sophie into the contest, good luck!
Myles and Mocha being happy and well rounded is success to me. Both dogs were adopted and came with their own issues. Still working on some of these issues. To see them play, listen, relax, feeling loved, just be dogs having a normal life, and feeling secure with their surroundings, that is success to me. Then the whole pack is happy.
Success means alot to me because I love to have that connection with my dogs and I have a great bond with my 3 dogs, and sadly had to put my german Shepherd to sleep due to cancer 2 weeks ago which was the saddest thing I have ever had to do.. see with her she was very loyal and well trained and I was very successful in training her 🙂 success is having fun with my dogs while training them at the same time to build that trusting bond.. and it has very well worked for me 🙂
For me succes means to have a dog whoe is eager to work for me. Who wants to learn by playng.And when we doeing competition, its more important to have fun together than to win. When my dog has fun in the ring I have already won;
Success with my dogs is when they respond to do what I ask with enthusiasm and they want to be with me.
Success for me with my current dog named Truman or any dog I might have, is creating the perfect Citizen for our society. I achieve this goal through training using techniques available, play time, treats and my love for animals. The result is a win win situation and the best darn dog ever!
For me and my dogs success means them learning my cues and me learning how to give them so my dogs can learn them.
In the picture are my two lovers, Dixie being used as a pillow by Chancey. 🙂
Training SUCESS to me means to have my dogs happy and exited to listen and play with anyone! Sucess to me is growing the bond I have with all my dogs.
To gain success with my dog training is to experience the joy of teaching them ,watching them understand what I have asked. Success for me and my dogs (Lola and Cole) is getting a connection that nobody else has. One on one connection ,attention is with me is the face of distractions ie at agility trials or out on the running trail. When you achieve success with your dog training it is a great feeling, very rewarding knowing you’ve got it!
This is Mimi. She is an older female shitzu-poodle and doesn’t seem to have a lot of interest in playing with dog toys. I think that it is important for all animals to have some exercise and success for Mimi would be giving her the attention and physical boost that may encourage her to play more. Success in training is seeing the reality that you as the owner can see your accomplishment as well as watching your dog see and feel theirs.
Elizabeth
Success to me when training my dog is when I ask her to do a command and she follows through with it and doesn’t nibble.
Being a new first time dog owner I have to admit I first tried several training methods that I didn’t agree with…and in essence making my dog do the behaviour regardless.
Now that I train with positive reinforcement success to me is putting in the time and effort to train my dog and my dog enjoying it, not instilling fear and not looking for a quick fix to things.
Success is training my dog to be well rounded. To be comfortable meeting dogs and humans and to be well behaved. Trying to find ways to help her chew only toys.
Esha is a 2yr.old shitzu-poodle. She is a lovable and active dog. She enjoys playing with her toys and this new toy would add to the excitement of watching her have fun. Success to me in training Esha would be to see her listen more to me and understand what I am trying to teach her. I just want us both to have a more relaxed and enjoyable relationship.
Success is your dog realising that learning, solving puzzles, is FuN, and they are actively looking to learn more, do more! Success is picking up your rewards or clicker, and the dog displaying it’s whole repertoire of behaviours voluntarily to try and solve the puzzle before you’ve even showed it! Success is your dog loving to “work” and loving new challenges!
Success to me in terms of training my dogs is to train them not only what I want from them as a member of my pack, but also to encourage, promote and enhance their natural working abilities.
Hi this is my dog rebel he just turned2:and it has been a real joy training him. Training to me has helped me have a calmer and I believe happier dog. It means having structure and gives my dog a job. Training helps with bonding and playing also. To have better control and understanding one another. I spend my whole day with rebel and a lot of the time were playing games we both love it. I am disabled so he’s my everything. I hope I didn’t mess up. With the picture I think I might have sent two. I didn’t think the first one worked. I have never trained a dog but he’s so smart. He even brings me my shoes or slippers and knows the difference.brings his leash a d also dose some trick.
To me, success is measured by the wag of my dogs tail. My number one priority is that both me and my dog are having fun. When I am showing someone my dog’s tricks, and they comment about how much fun she looks like she is having, I know we have been successful! Because our main priority is not the cool tricks, but that we have fun doing them!
I love that saying “Success is measured by the wag of my dog’s tail”. 🙂
Sucesses is a well balanced dog. Where she understands the boundaries of the household, and we provide her with her family, her pack, and lots of love and affection.
With my sibe husky (rescue dog), having us understand eachother is so important.
Sry photo will not upload 🙁
It might be too big, there’s a file size limit of 2MB. Can you try again?
For me success in training my dogs is how happy they are when they “get” whatever it is I am trying to teach them. They love learning new things . The time spent training depeens our bond.
The dog on the left is Sydney. The dog on the right is Boomer. They sre super smart Aussies.
Success is when we are clearly communicating with each other during training or a competitions . . . everything works when this happens.
Tug toy contest entry
She is a 10 week old GSD training to be my PTSD service dog.
Thank you for entering Mike, but you didn’t say what success means to you. 🙂
Success to me means being able to transfer the drive, enthusiasm and fun we have with training/practice sessions into our performances at shows, trials and tournaments.
Rufus is my 2 year old Labrador mix and he is bundles of energy. I’m a night shift RN usually working from 7pm to 7 am. It has been difficult leaving him at all alone being as though he has some separation anxiety when I’m not around. When I leave he tends to get upset and roam the house for trouble. Success for me means being able to leave my dog in my house when I am away without fear of him getting into something (i.e. Christmas tree ornaments, closed trash cans, toilet, etc).
Success to me is having a true bond that includes mutual respect whether we are playing, training or resting.
Success means to me to fully understand your devoted companion for life. To make sure they are just as happy living in your life just as much as it is in theirs. To have equal love and understanding through positive behaviours
I am a dog trainer and my success comes when an owner tells me that they are keeping their dog after training and not putting him in a shelter. My older two dogs were rescues from puppy-mill raids and my last one was from someone taking her to the shelter. I view success as the pup learning, tail wagging and being playful while going through their obedience behaviors. The brightness in their eyes, the “smile” on their faces and the willingness to try anything as well as the bond created between us all.
Success for me is getting my dog Pia to accept people again. Since she was a rescue dog and I will never know why she hates people. I suspect that when she was sent to the kennel she felt abandon and therefore does not trust people anymore. She has adored me from day one and will go to the end of the world to protect me. I have had her for 15 months and she is accepting more and more people every day. She loves to please and is very obedient.
This is Contessa. She is so eager to please and loves to play. Although she is only 3 lbs. her favorite past time is running the lure course and watching her Italian Greyhound and Saluki friends competing. So don’t let her diva-ness deceive you.
Success means having a polite companion who shares your fun and experiences in life.
Lucy is becoming that dog with your help.
We call her our “Shippet” (but i’m not sure if that is even a breed) because she is a year old Shepherd/Whippet cross. She gets a few “double takes” from others alright.
Hi Jean, I love the tug toy!! I have never seen anything like that before I’m sure Dulcie would love it!! She’s a 4 year-old parson russell terrier and besides what all the books say, she is the sweetest and most cuddling thing and she never barks which we love!!
Success while training my dog means that for her and me it does not have to look like we are “working” and it does not have to be a shore. Secondly success also means that I can have the confidence that I can let her off leach and not have to worry about cars or other dogs, that she’ll comme back to me when prompted. It’s the freedom to know that I can bring her anywhere I want with me without risking her safety.
Love the video Jean 🙂
Nathalie
Your dog looks a lot like Milo from the movie The Mask. 🙂 The tug toy is made here in Canada (although the ball itself is from the U.S.)
Success with my dogs is revealed through daily spoken and unspoken communication. Through training and time spent together, I am amazed at how they understand and respond to the simplest of commands. I can talk to them as if they are people and they respond appropriately. I would like to see research on dogs’ level of intelligence as related to the bond they have with their owners.
For me success means that when I pick up my dog’s training toy (duck) he gets so excited for the chance to show off. Whether we are practising tricks he has learned or trying something new he is completely focussed! This is a photo of when he learned ‘Yawn’ He’s really rather good at it don’t you think? 🙂
Success in training, for me, means a solid bond with my dogs that results in them being happy and confident. Over the years we have done a variety of training in obedience, rally, agility and even the occasional herding but it’s the small training exercises we do at home, on walks, in pet stores and just in everyday life have resulted in Ajax and Fergie being confident and happy to try whatever they are presented with. Not to mention all the things they have taught me. They have such a joy of life that really makes my heart happy.
First I want to say thank you for putting out some Real and Positive advice for us! I truly appreciate your time and dedication to help animals. Ok to the question “what does success mean to me” . Well it means that my dog and I have built a mutual team around respect, trust, and love. That we both can read each other and anticipate each others needs and requests. That each day we go out or even “work” indoors that we both learn a little more. That’s what success means to me with regards to my pet partner, for if we do this, then each day is fun and we are always growing our bond. The end result will be a great dog, but more importantly a even better owner and leader.
You are very welcome. Thank you for participating in the discussion. 🙂
To me, success means a happy, confident dog who trusts me to give him/her guidance. When I see my dogs’ faces looking to me to show them what to do, I know we’re where we need to be. Success is not the end product, it’s the process.
Success in dog training is being able to communicate with your dog and your dog understanding and responding to you. This is a bond that is forever. They want to please they just need to understand what you want. Success is making both lives more fun!
Success for me is having good communication with the animals in a quiet and peaceful way, building up trust and respect on all sides. Training has resulted in this picture of the cat, Fatcat, and dog, Piper, being able to lie together in friendship. A year ago, Fatcat used to sneak in to the house to get his food and then disappeared quickly into the neighbour’s garden, his extended home. He had been attacked by Piper on several occasions and was terrified. Now Piper, an extremely excitable and energetic dog, has responded to training, is calmer, and obeys most of the time. Still a way to go, but progress is being made as he matures
The correct photo of peace and tranquility
I think you uploaded the same picture twice. 🙂
Too right! Is this better (I hope)
Photo needs to be opened up to appreciate it
Success for me is when my dogs are having fun in training. This goes for all my dogs, terrier and border collies alike. Understanding when I need to take a step back when things become frustrating for my dog is key to being successful. Training is fun!
Success in training my dogs equates to developing a relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and the love of a dog. It’s that simple.
Training success to me is what I call the “light bulb” moment when the dog really starts to think for itself and demonstrates that it is making the right choices without my interference. A pup thinking about jumping up and correcting itself in half jump is really good to see! Power of positive training!
I count success as being able to communicate effectively with Koopah and being able to understand him and his communications. As long as we can understand each other I feel we are succeeding.
Having a happy dog who is looking to interact with me is what I consider successful. Leave them wanting more is my goal. Tag is my agility partner as well as rally and hopefully soon we’ll be in the obedience ring. I want the same attitude in each venue.
A successful training session is one in which I am able to use positive reinforcement techniques to communicate clearly. Once clear communication is established we can work together as a team to achieve our goals.
Success of training my dogs means I build a brilliant relationship with them so we can have hours of fun together
To me, success is achieving what you set out to accomplish with your dog. Exercise is the utmost importance, and having a big energetic dog in my care all day while his master is away I start with this tool. Play is first thing in the day, vents excess energy and then we master the walk to complete his exercise before we begin any training. We always succeed when we practice in this way!
Success in dog training to me is for my dogs and I to have fun with the training process. I don’t set my goals too high and take little steps. each of my dogs are very different so I also train according to my dogs temperament and personality. We enjoy doing tricks in between obedience training. I do short lessons a few times a day. This makes my dogs eager to learn and wanting to please me. I make training part of the bonding process and we learn how to communicate with one another. This type of positive and motivating training is less stressful and more productive for all of us.
Success to me is FUN! I see it in my dogs and I feel it in myself. My dogs can’t wait to train, as we consider it play! They know they will get their favorite toy or treat for showing the great things they can do! We all feel great after a “play” session and I am so proud of what they can do at home, in public, at a trail or wherever we decide to ” show off” the fun we have!
Oops, did you forget to attach the photo of your dog?
here’s one with all of them in it… it’s their first family group sit 🙂
Dogs, like people, need guidelines and structure to feel SAFE. That about sums it up for me. This is a pic of our latest rescue, Bingo. We have 5 small dogs that need less training and we now have this big guy who has to have structure or he will go wild. Dogs that have no training or structure are the dogs that no one wants. These are the dogs that we get – all the throw-a-ways. They need love, caring, attention and structure.
Success is the moment the light goes on for my dog and I see her understand what I have asked, knowing I got there with patience, a clicker and a plan. Great training creates great connection so that my dogs (Mia & Quigley – Mini Aussies, and Rukkah – Border Collie) and I can play fun games together like agility, freestyle & sheep herding. And sometimes we even win with a Q and those moments of success and connection is a feeling like no other – to me, that is ultimate success.
Hi jean,
I love love love your tips and tricks. I share my heart and home with three dogs. Two old English sheepdogs and a morky. Success to me is harmony which is when my dogs understand my needs and want and they understand mine. We work very hard on understanding each other. One of the most valuable tips you have given me is… The reward must hold the highest value to make it worth it to them! Thank you !!
Sandi, Jack, Lily and Oliver
Success to me is when Oreo&I work well together, accomplish what we planned on doing & she is excited & happy to be working with me.
Successful training to me (and Snoopy) is complete love, trust and simply enjoying one another’s company!
Success for me and my dogs is of course a loving and trusting relationship, but also the ability to feel comfortable taking my dogs anywhere and know that they will be respectful of each individual and every situation that may come up. For the people we meet and the different atmospheres I want my dogs to trust that I will protect them and that they don’t need to fear unknown situations even though I try to plan every possible un expected event and train for it. I feel my dogs are trained to go unknoticed by others so that they can’t complain about them being in there vicinity, even though they deserve all the praise and respect that they give to their surroundings.
Success with my dogs is having well behaved companions that are a joy to be around and the ability to go with me on my daily activities.
Success is a happy dog and a happy house where visitors are happy too
Success to me means enjoyment for Bella and for me, she loves new things and that moment when she suddenly clicks and feels confident in what she is doing is magic no feeling like that for both of us !
Hi Jean,
Success is all about the relationship you build with your dog through training. Success is having a dog that is a joy to live with! Success is being able to train with fun and games : )
LOL, That’s a funny picture. 🙂
Success to me means training my dog new behaviors in a way that makes It simple for him to understand so that he will succeed and fun for both of us as well as keeping him engaged so that he wants to work some more 🙂
Love the photo Lisa, very creative! 🙂
I think success is mainly about HOW it’s done rather than what you achieve. There is no success for me in training a dog to heel by checking him until he is afraid of getting checked again. Success is when your dogs WANT to heel for you. It’s when they are so confident in showing new and interesting behaviours that they like free-shaping lessons. It’s about knowing your limits and knowing when to push a little bit harder.
I want to bond with my dog Nell and training is a great
way to do that . It gives my dog a job, it encourages
confidence and gains their trust that is what successful
traing means to me and Nell x
Success to me is teaching my dog new behaviors in the simplest way so that he can understand and succeed making training fun for both of us leaving my dog wanting to learn more.
Success in training means the dogs and I have loads of fun and end up not only being well behaved but have some cute tricks too!!!1 Its just great having the dogs around me all the time wanting to do stuff. I’m so proud of them all.
Sorry wanted to show all of the dogs so hoping this pic comes with them all on.
We can see them all when we click on it to enlarge. I’m impressed by the strong stays!
Sucess to Prince and I means setting a goal, and knowing we we did our best to achieve it. Sucess is very motivating, so it pushes us, in a good way, to go out and seek our full potential. I try to end our training sessions on a positive note, and since sucess is a rather abstract term, and can mean different things to different dog owners, I can only say that Prince is being sucessful everyday when I see him using the skills and tricks we have been learning out in public when we are on walks, or just in everyday life situations where I dont have to ask him or command him to do something, he just does it. We have a loving, trusting, respectful and sucessful relationship,which = SUCESS!
MelODDic & Prince
Wow I spelled success wronh in my whole comment…embqrassed x{
Dog Success is:
Enjoy with me, of course !
I rescued Stellita. She was beat at the tender age of 6 months. When she adopted me, she was 1 1/2 years old and had no training because no one could get close to her. Success in training to me is the ability to give her confidence in herself. I see the confidence in her each and every day as we go through training sessions. She is learning to play with toys; is learning to trust some people; is more relaxed; and most importantly has much more confidence in herself. I have had Stellita 4 1/2 years now. She has come a long way, but has a long way to go yet. With training each and every day, she is happier and more comfortable with herself and those around her.
Jean, Success means to me that our Miss Little Lu is a happy content fur kid. Her poppa is very sick and she goes to visit him in the Nursing Home. She is a good girl when she is able to go and loves to jump on her poppa’a bed and give him kisses. She makes my life bearable. We work on training and she does well as I am handicapped. I would live for her to become my service dog but I do not know how to go about it. She is 3 years old and just a precious baby.
My little Greek rescue dog loves toys and it is a joy to see her knowing what a hard start to life she has had.
Lain from the UK
Hi Jean, I hope this submits. I tried before but I don’t see it. This our Miss Little Lu Too!! She is a beautiful Border Collie/Black Lab. Success means to me that she is able to visit her poppa who is very ill and be well behaved. She is doing quite well and loves to jump on his bed in the nursing home and smother him with kisses. He loves her very much. She has been my savior thru out this very difficult time. I would like to see her become a companion dog as I am disabled as well. She chose us and I’m so glad she did. I want her to know I will always protect her and do the very best I can for her.
I could write a book but briefly, success is when my dog learns something new (whether it be for fun, increased safety or socialization) through positive methods & is happy about it.
Success is when all four stop what they are doing and actually listen to me 🙂 Here they are….Champ, Lucy, Rue and Yogi
I define success as having my dog be the best K9 citizen she can be. Through lots of exercise we are able to provide her with stimulation and family time. We love playing tug with her and she loves it too. She is a fantastic dog and she tolerates a lot from our 7 year old.
Success for me is bonding with my new friend and having a happy well balanced companion for the rest of his life.
I’ve felt successful in training my Boston terrier, Emma, when I’ve understood her in the same way I understood the individuality of my own children. There’s a lot of terrier in Emma: she needs clear boundaries. There’s a big motor in Emma: she needs a high level of activity (like our winter snowshoeing in the attached photo or flying high over an agility jump). There’s a deep need to please: she snaps to attention when asked to stay. There’s a lovely need to be loyal: she sleeps nearby as I write. For Emma and me, our understanding of one another has succeeded in tying us together.
Purchased from a breeder when he was 14 months old, because his teeth had come I crooked, Napoli had been living in the garage/kennel He made a long flight to Michigan to come and live with me. It was immediately apparent that the only training he had was to stack and trot. He was a beautiful dog with little to no socialization or training. His hypervigilance and fear of people and dogs was immediately apparent. It was also immediately apparent that Napoli was (is) brilliant. By using a clicker and positive motivation there has been nothing he couldn’t (cannot) learn except not to be afraid. He loves to “work” and play. He is also, slowly beginning to trust people (as long as they don’t try to touch him) He has discovered that most people will give him cookies. He loves treats! So what is success? The definition when it comes to this intelligent, sensitive dog is not the same as the one I would have for my other dog. Success for Napoli and I will come when he is comfortable and confident meeting new people, seeing other dogs and experiencing all the joys of a dog’s life. I know he came into my life to make me a better trainer. And, I came into his life to make it better. Giving him the best life I can has already brought us a bit of success. Being successful will take more time.
Successful communication:)
Success for me is watching my dog learn with a wagging tail and a smile. She is super intelligent and needs a lot of stimulation and nothing is more rewarding than seeing her focus and determination to succeed at everything she does.
Success for Indie and I is a healthy, responsive yet respectful relationship where I can train and help to develop my dog to be an awesome pal all the time and give Indie a healthy and rewarding life.
Hi Jean,
Love all the information you share with us dog lovers …it has made such a difference in our lives. Success to me means that through play and training….I have deepened the bond between myself and my three dogs…..now they look to me for companionship, fun and not just the other stuff like food etc…… we train every day, there is always something new to learn or improve upon and gives my dogs and myself something to look forward to.
Thanks, Julie, Annie, Isaiah and Muddy Waters.
These are my 3 boys Cain (black & white), Frankie (red & white) and Tsar (white) and they are Siberian huskies. Success to me means having a mutual admiration and trust between me and my boys. Huskies have been stereotyped for years as not being able to be trained, that they are runners and could never be off leash and if left alone they will destroy things or if put outside they will dig holes. They are supposed to have a very strong prey drive and are not meant to be around small animals like cats. My 3 boys have proved that is not necessarily true as it depends on the dogs personality as well as whether you provide them with a lot of love, patience and persistence. All 3 of my boys are trained to be off leash and will not run away. They do not dig because they know they are not allowed to. I know that I can take my boys out into public and they will be so well behaved. We get compliments on them all the time on what terrific huskies our boys are and people ask us all the time how we were able to train them to do the things they do. The boys have grown up with 3 cats and will not harm them or chase them. My middle boy Frankie does agility and is quite good at it. Not only do we enjoy being around our boys, but so does everyone else who meets them. My boys are gentle with children and love people. They make me proud everyday to be called their Hu-mom. To have 3 so beautiful, intelligent, well behaved, well trained huskies is definitely the definition of successful training.
This is Misty my ten month old yellow lab. I’m teaching her to suck her thumb. Success to me is when she starts moving in the right direction towards a goal. Once she starts doing this I know it is only a matter of time until she masters the command. Thanks for all the hard work that you put in. Keep up the good work.
Success with training to me means that LoLa is less pushy and more obedient, especially when with others – she loves people and knows she is cute, so of course they want to pet her and don’t mind her jumping on them. They may not care, but I want her better behaved.
Hi Jean,
As I mentioned before in an email, I truly enjoy reading all your posts and have obtained lots of useful tips for training. “Success” for me is for my dog and I to establish mutual trust and respect and to have fun doing it! My current dog Sadie is only a year old, so we are still working on building our relationship and improving some basic behaviours (ie. healing without a leash), before we really dive into learning too many tricks. (although I have been successful in teaching her a few…ringing a bell when she wants out, catching treats and taking off my coat). She is a husky/lab mix and is very smart (too smart for her own good sometimes), but also has been a bit of a challenge at times. I constantly praise and reward her for each of our small successes and know that one day we will have mastered the basics and will be able to focus on more “fun stuff”.
PS – My Sadie LOVES to play tug and it is really difficult to find good tug toys, so I’m sure she would be THRILLED if she were chosen as one of your lucky recipients. 🙂
Sadie and I look forward to your future posts. Cheryl
That’s awesome that you are so committed to training Sadie, she sounds like a lovely dog. Finding a good tug toy is definitely challenging with most pet stores, especially if your dog is a strong tugger which she looks like she is. 🙂
Yes she is a strong tugger…which in turn gives us both a great workout! Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Success to me means teaching my dogs to be well behaved and showing off all the tricks they have learned to friends and family. Also having fun teaching the tricks while my dogs have fun learning the tricks and getting treats.
Success to me in training my dog is to have a happy healthy dog that I don’t have to worry about taking anywhere with me.he keeps me alive, he makes me smile and he challenges me every day success to me is learning every day
The meaning of success for both myself and my dog is for both of us at the end of the day to feel good about ourselves, tired but good.
Before any training, exercise or search I always bend down and ask Moxxii to be my partner and that I promise to listen and trust her.
When the listening and trust come together with partnership, whether the day go that way it was planned or a totally different out come, to me this is success for us as a team.
Angie and Moxxii
Success to me is knowing that both Huntyr and I are having fun no matter what we are doing or where we are at.
Success for me is having dogs that I can share my life with. Dogs that are calm and confident, and have the skills to self manage their behaviours.
To me training success is when you can see the dog get the “a-ha” moment and accomplish what you were trying to do. And then seeing the enjoyment of accomplishment in the dogs behavior, and the eagerness to repeat the behavior.
In the picture are from front to back:Misty Blue II aka “Misty”; Snofire’N’Muller Radinoka Shark Bait aka “Radi”; Muller’s Legacy O’Draig aka “Draig” and Lady Sadiemae aka “Lady” They are pedigree Border Collies
I love those “Ah Ah” moments where everything just clicks. 🙂
Thanks for agreeing
Success to me would mean communicating with my dogs and training them to live happy healthy lives. If I have happy dogs then I will feel like I have succeded at something pretty special.
Success is training that leaves both my dog and me feeling confident that we have had fun and learned something new.
Forgot to add a pic taken during today’s service dog training.
RE tug — One of this week’s lesson is to have dog tug and we teach “pull” that will eventually turn into opening the door, cupboard, or refrigerator.
Success to me is about building a strong relationship. With that, you can learn with enjoyment, explore boundaries and be there for each other.
This is my Razz my sun my moon success to me is having a loving best friend that will be the sun and moon with me we love doing everything together be it in a show ring or playing with the grand kids all the games we have played has helped is bond and she can be allowed everywhere I go because she is a happy and fun loving and she love to show off all her wonderful tricks she has learned
Success is a happy dog and a happy owner working together as a team toward mutual benefit.
This is Dutchess 🙂
Success to me is both my dog and I enjoying ourselves while we work together. Extra success is the satisfaction I derive from succeeding in the various activities we try, be it freestyle, obedience or earthdog.
The photo is of my Border terriers Archie and Jill (dreaming of spring).
Success is being able to enjoy my dogs in anyway. Knowing that they will listen and react to my commands at anytimes. Buddha, the brindle Amstaff mixed, and Taffy, the pittbull, are two dogs that mostly people are scared of. And my goal is to show them that these breeds are as nice as any other breed.
Success means that we are both having fun and can trust each other. Peaches doing her ‘trick’ on the lounge…
Successful training for me is to be able to train all behaviors using only positive rewards methods. My 5 smart Malinois make it easy!!!
Simba Zoya Meaka Bobby Zena
I think you’re going to need more than one toy. 🙂 Great photo!
Your dogs are absolutely gorgeous….just had to let u kno 🙂 but I am sure u already kno that
Success to me is when we know each other well enough that regular life is very harmonious, then everything else is super-success!
Success means to me the ability to train, communicate and work as a team with Rubie our Australian Koolie. At present she is 2 and is highly distracted by everything in life and focusing is a major issue. With a lot of hard work we are getting there and hope to one day get out on the Agility course to demonstrate our team work together.
Success for me is having two happy, healthy dogs that work for sheer pleasure and having cushions that don’t explode all by themselves.
Success is…….when Solas will choose to ignore distractions in the environment on order to interact with me. We’re still working on it! 🙂
For me success in dog training is having a dog that you enjoy day in-day out. My dachshund Prana (pictured on the right) can do a handstand on a wall or some other more or less vertical support (cant imagine a well proportioned dachshund doing it without support anyway though I have never strived for it) and weave backward between my legs but when it comes to everyday life, this couldnt matter less. What I enjoy with her most is how easily she engages with me, how tirelessly she will work and the obvious enjoyment she oozes ever moment of it. I can walk her off leash in parks, take her to a cafes with me, do demos in hospitals or kindergardens and still she will hunt a beaver for me or track a wounded animal if the need be. Her attitude when working together has won us conformation shows and agility trials but while the rosettes and cups collect dust, I have a dog who is a joy every day and this is what I call success.
Pictured on the left is Max from my breeding who is living with his own awesome family now 🙂
Success for me is a happy dog in whatever we do and overcoming challenges as they arise, as you can see from the photo Tigger is blind but very happy 🙂
Success in training to me means that my dog and I are both having fun and learning. My dog teaches me as much as I teach him and the more fun you can have the more the dog learns. We have had incredible struggles and also some real magic moments.
I am not good at computers so I have been unable to upload a picture of my beautiful dogs. I have a 12 year old Golden and a 1 year old Springer. I am very interested in this tug toy. Can you please give me the name of it? Thank you for your videos, they have helped me with my puppy.
Hello Jean. For me & my three dogs, success starts & finishes with a kind, trustful & mutually respectful partnership. Through a motivating, playful, rewarding & positive relationship, I gain immense pleasure watching them enjoy life to the full & in the knowledge that they actually want to spend their lives with me – that is my biggest measure of success & gives me an amazing sense of fullfillment & joy. 🙂
Success in training to me is that my dogs have enjoyed themselves and a good response from each and every one of them plus mutual understsnding and respect. Photo is of my rescue akita who has somewhere along the line been in fights and now lives harmoniously with my pack, this is the success that training and mutual respect give and shows what is possible
Success to me is being able to communicate to my teammate who doesn’t speak the same language and having my dogs love to train as much as I do
Success for me would be a connection between me and my dog and an ability to create complete trust. This pic is one of Loki being the test subject for my new camera flash while playing with his toys.
Success to me is creating a bond as well as a healthy relationship with my dog. It amazes me how quickly my dog can learn through the use of positive reinforcement.
That dog looks familiar. 🙂 Glad that you entered Maya, good luck!
Success in training with my dog is when both my dog and I have fun learning something and/or working thru a problem area. We train for agility and obedience. Sometimes we struggle since she is not a very high drive dog and is not treat/food motivated. We have to find other things to make her want to do the tasks–like tug toys and balls.
As you can tell by the pic Bentley loves toys! Bentley loves to tug but he ruins everything!! Toughest chewer I’ve ever seen. He could eat a desk lol when we bought him we we’re told he’d be 30lbs total. He is well over 70 at 14months!! He could use a new toy and would love one as well thank you!!
Hello, this is marlee. She is a mini goldendoodle. She is about 24 Lbs. Her birthday is January 25th. She will be 1 years old. Success to me is having a strong relationship built with trust, having lots of fun, playing and training, teaching her new tricks, and working on building what we started. Marlee is very social and loves everyone. She loves being praised and rewarded with treats too.
Success in training my dog is when we have worked long and hard at something and the day comes that what once seemed so difficult and at times not ever going to happen suddenly all comes together and we move on to the next challenge
These are a few of my dogs :-). Success to me means well-rounded, socialized, respectful and happy, happy dogs!
Success in training my dog Skye for me, is encouraging her to be all that she can, to love her life, live it to the max, to know that she is loved and cared for by someone who thinks every minute spent with her playing, training or relaxing in front of the tv is a gift and a pleasure and every trick she learns or problem we solve together feels like a wonderful accomplishment Every day she amazes me with her intelligence, beauty and humour oh and her naughtiness too.
Success with training my dog involves having a clear line of communication between the two of us. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing that lightbulb go off in the dog and the behaviour repeated!!
This is Roxz in her relaxed position. She loves to learn and wants to learn. I get a sense of accomplishment and feel as great as she does. She knows may tricks but we want to continue on. (My husband said this would work. I kinda have doubts.)
Success is having a healthy, happy dog that you have built a good relationship with. One that you can enjoy some activity with whether it be agility, walking in the park, or just snuggling on the couch.
For me success is having a stable happy dog that can enjoy his life with it’s owner. Success is when ust your dog, walk the dog without your arm falling off, not having the furniture peed or chewd on… Just having a great companion, all the revards all the competitions etc. are just icing on the cake.
Just having fun with our catahoula !
Success to me means being able to clearly communicate with my dog and to be able to trust him in any situation. This is Lucky, we rescued him from the shelter and we were so lucky to get such a sweet loving dog. He is so eager to learn. I can’t wait to teach him more!
Success to me is training an older dog… My foster, now officially adopted boy, to use his anxiety spot ( as pictured ) between my legs as a “spot” for a start position for tricks and playing catch. Also, I have found when it looks like he’s about to break concentration and run after a rabbit… I say spot and his focus is back on me. This is Kane. He is approximately 6-8 years old Rottweiler mix. I’ve had him as a foster for 1 year before officially adopting him but he was part of the family the moment I set eyes on him! My 11 year old red nose pit bull just adores him! Like I do. I’ve had Ziggy since she was 5.5 weeks old. Someone dumped her on the side of the road. I can’t believe it’s been 11 years! And they both love to play tug ! They play with each other too! Keep away plus tug. It’s so cute! Training with positive reinforcement is the best way to go. A gentle voice ( and hand as they say ) is the best approach ! 🙂
Thanks for your videos… I always love watching what you can do with your dogs !
Success to me means a healthy, happy, social dog with a willingness to learn. No matter what you are trying to teach your dog, if you’ve succeeded in creating a social bond between you and your dog in a happy and positive manner, your dog will look to you for guidance with their tail wagging because they want to learn and see what they can do with you next.
Success to me is when the dog has the same enthusiasm and drive for everything s/he does, whether it be a romp in the yard with the other dogs, working on tricks, or obedience skills. Mach,Newman,Bailey, Toffee,Rowdie and their buddy Gus the Beagle wish you all a Happy and successful New Year!
Success while training Tater means that his confidence has grown and our bond has strengthened!! We always have a fantastic time together! This is a picture taken last night for his 2nd birthday! He’s such a good boy and we are so happy to have adopted him!!!
Success to me means being able to communicate with my dogs in a clear and calm way. Having absolute trust between my dog and I is part of being successful with my dog.
This is my dog Bruce. He is two years old. We named him after the shark on finding nemo.
Success is when I know my dog gets it. when it just “clicks” with him and he’s not just doing it for the treat!
Hi jean,
Success for Sooty and I is that every training session is a fun and positive one. Success is training to a level where she can partake in every aspect of my life whether it be riding the motorbike or sitting calmly on the front lawn next to the main road unleashed. Success is when Sooty is happy and content and rejoices in spending every moment possible with me because we have fun
Success is when she lets me win tug of war and still wants to keep playing 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Nikki and Nick and Sooty
Success is when I read your training tips and try them with Bear and he catches on fast and I can tell he is enjoying it. Bear is very smart, I am trying to train him to be a therapy dog. He is very compassion it and loving. I tried tugging with him, but he is 75 pounds and I am 100 pounds 5 ft he pulls to hard and I just have to let go. He bring me toys all day and wants to play. I feel real bad when the weather is bad and I can’t take him outside and throw the ball for him. He is just a year and a half, still puppy like.
Chompsky and I are successful when the pouring rain holds off and he gets to go to his agility lesson. He LOVES it and he adores his instructor.
Success to me is having a partnership with both my girls, trusting them to behave in any situation, being able to take them anywhere & enjoy their company without having to worry about how they are going to react because they are both supremely confident & look to me for guidance on how to react. Mum’s not worried so nor are we. Success is just enjoying them at home, at competitions & out anywhere. Success is just loving them & providing them with what they need to be happy.
I would like to introduce to you Bella, my Golden Cocker Spaniel, with my grandson Aidan. I rescued her 2 yrs. ago, from a humane society. Apparently she was rescued from Quebec, which I wasn’t aware of initially. I found this out when I realized she understood my friend speaking French, not me speaking English. So, with that said, training her has been a big challenge to say the least. She is a high energy dog constantly sniffing. So keeping her attention is a huge challenge when I am trying to keep her focused. Success to me was the first day she responded to me calling her by her “new” name!!
Success for me is clear communication, fun and consistency….I am still working on the latter ! Mais je ne démissionne pas!!
This is one of my dogs(Joey), he was rescued from a very abusive situation. He has a lot of anxiety and likes to be bossy but he has come such a long way, lots of hope for that little guy!!
This is my other dog (Lucie). She was rescued from Natuashish. She has lived the first four years of her life homeless and had to fend for herself by hunting and scavenging…she had to learn everything about life in a home and in the city but she she is a very sweet soul…but since Joey has joined our family, I now can see a cute little devil in there too! They sure entertain the cats!
Success to me is when I finally discover the correct steps to teach a new behaviour, some of my dogs need 10 steps to build up to a behaviour and one of the dogs needs only a few. Being able to read your dog and learn together how to accomplish a goal is success in my book.
Pictured are my 3 Italian Greyhounds, Joey, Jake and Maggie May.
Each of my dogs thinks differently and learning which steps to use for each has been so rewarding and has honed my teaching skills
The most important thing for me is having a great relationship with mine dog. The feeling of succes will be a naturel result of that relationship with joy and understanding. Which will be showed in a well trained dog.
This is my puppy Hirschy!!!
Success for us would be communication… Not only me communicating to him but for him to be able to communicate his needs with me. Success is also a happy, playful, loving dog that is good with people!!!
Success for me is a happy, healthy, well mannered pup. My dog came to me as a very unhealthy rescue pup. He is now a very healthy happy well mannered boy. Last month we walked in our local parade for a Dog Rescue organization, and he was the best behaved large dog there. So proud of him.
This is Andy. Success to us is trust: mine for him, his for me. We can meet any new situation and he will feel comfortable and I will know he will behave. We are getting there and having lots of fun while doing it!
Meet my two Golden girls, Shatzee & Mystic!
As a “new-bee” to dog training, I have learned a lot about dog training with my oldest (5yr), Shatzee. We entered the world of Agility 3 years ago and began our awesome journey! Over those 3 years l learned that being able to communicate with her is the most awesome reward. To see her get excited when I say “let’s play” on our way out to practice on the field is the best ever! I have had so much fun training her that I have recently gotten another golden, Mystic. This time around I have been much more aware of my training. My thrill with (1yr) Mystic is seeing my training pay off, watching her learn new tricks and mastering the skills she will need, to follow her sister on the Agility field. I love watching my girls have fun, but the bond we have developed is the best dog training gift ever!!!
Success is building a strong relationship that lasts a lifetime with your dog, along with learning and growing together.
Abbys’ idea of “with me”, or heel, is following about 10 feet behind. Training success for me was watching my very independent minded great Pyrenees walk away from a treed bear when I gave her the sign for “with me”. Yes, she was grumbling the entire time, but she was moving toward me. It takes a lot of trust to ignore your instincts. Abby has her CGC certificate and is going to be a therapy dog.
Success to me is having that bond between us that is loving, trusting, and secure. I love my girls and have watched them develop so much… I believe I need to put more time in to our relationship to have it develop to what I desire!
I have three dogs Piper 9 months, Chase 15 years and Missy 7 years. For success for Missy is her choosing not to bark and pull toward a dog when walking past. Piper would be her not jumping on someone when they come home. Chase, well he can do what he wants because he’s deteriorating fast. Also success is the dogs enjoying time spent training as in they should be happy doing it, so I do my best to make it positive and fun.
This is my baby Boe at just 2 weeks old! I’ve been preparing and getting a jump start for when it comes time to actually start training him. This way, I can understand what has proven to work the best and what will make him feel the most comfortable.
Successful training to me, means building a trust with your pup and finally finding something that works for the both of us. I want us to both have the trust in each other and confidence that is needed for me to take him with me everywhere in my life. Most importantly, I need to know that he gets to a level in his training that will encourage safety. Fortunately I don’t live near any major roads, but success is being certain that he will come when called so that he doesn’t dart into any road or chase cars or anything else that can jeopardize his safety!
Success is seeing my dog smiling at me after our walks and when he will actually brings the ball back instead of dropping it on the ground because hes looking for the next thing he can chase! Its also knowing that I am interacting in positive ways to train my dog and do whats best for him.
Success to me means a happy, relaxed dog and human. My baby developed some separation anxiety issues, which resulted in urinating in the house when left alone. This had never been an issue until Bosley (my dog) started taking a second anti-convulsant for epilepsy. He is now almost weaned off Phenobarbital bc he is doing so well but the anxiety has persisted. I would love for Bosley to be relaxed again when I need to leave him bc I am afraid to bc it causes me anxiety that he is so upset when I am gone. Success would be if he were comfortable being left alone and I knew that everything would be ok bc he was relaxed!
I hope Bosley gets better & everything works out for u two…hes adorable, my pup Prince also has pretty bad seperation anxiety, I had been told by a Petsmart trainer to crate him at night, & not to give in n let him sleep anywhere else, even when I would get up to go to the washroom during the night Prince thought I was never coming back. It didnt work crating him, I live with other people n they couldnt deal with noise & lack of sleep. My vet said hes not bad enuff 4 meds…
When did u realize Bosley needed them, & what tips have worked for u & him?
Hi Melissa, Thanks! Prince is adorable too! Bosley isn’t taking medication for his separation anxiety but for his well-controlled epilepsy. Once he went on two meds, he developed separation anxiety. I honestly don’t know if it developed though because of the meds or bc, between me and my parents, Bosley was never left alone for more than 6 months after he had a cluster of seizures. We wanted to watch him to make sure he was seizure-free. I don’t know if he became so used to being with someone that when he was alone, he had anxiety? I haven’t tried meds bc he is already on two meds so I hate to give him more. I have also been told about crating but Bosley has never liked the crate. I have tried different kong products bc supposedly, the first 30 minutes that you are gone are the most important (from what I have read). That obviously doesn’t apply though for Bosley bc sometimes I will be gone an hour or more and when I get home, he has urinated ad it is warm (meaning he didn’t urinate when I first left). I really don’t know what to do. I’m afraid to leave him bc I don’t want him to be upset the whole time I am gone. My parents watch him while I’m at work and I haven’t left him at all lately once I am home. Has anything worked for you at all?? Sarah
That is crazy, ur situation sounds EXACTLY like mine. Sorry about the mix up with me thinking he was on them for seperation anx. But seriously, Prince is almost never alone, my parents are here also when I work, or I usually take him with me in the car and into stores, but now its too cold. I heard about leaving him kong toys filled with treats if im going to be out too. I just feel so bad for them, & you must not want to leave ur lilguy alone too because u dont kno what the cause is..its a catch 22 almost, I wish I had help for u but I am going thru the same thing still & prince is almost 2. I wonder if Jean knows what we could do. How old is Bosley?
Hi Melissa! Bosley is about 7. It’s weird too bc, like I said, before he had a cluster of seizures, I used to leave him for more than 10 hours bc I have a long work day. I still don’t know if the meds caused the problem or if it became a habit for him to not be alone after he got sick and we always made sure he was being watched. I am starting to think that it is habit bc I have greatly decreased his meds over the past year since he has been completely stable for almost two years! I can tell you one of the things that I read that did help a little. If you start out leaving Prince for very small amounts of time and slowly increase the amount of time that you leave him, it does help. At the beginning, as soon as I left Bosley, he would start barking anxiously and pacing and I would wait outside even though it killed me. Eventually I was able to leave him for a few hours and although he wasnt barking and didn’t appear to be anxious, he would sill urinate most times. But leaving Prince for short amounts of time and slowly increasing the time you spend away might help. Has Prince always been like this or is it something he developed? Thank God for our parents! 🙂 Sarah
Hi Jean,
This is Boots my Australian Cattle dog he is two and half years old now. We have both had our challenges along the way and being my first dog I wanted it to fun and give my dog a purpose. I wanted to have a dog I could do stuff with, teach tricks and be my buddy. I was gotten all of this with Boots. He is a wonderful companion and I wouldn’t change that for anything. We still have our struggles sometimes buts that’s all part up keeping up the training and he’s getting better every day. Success for me is seeing the baby step achievements along the way. I am so proud of Boots for how far he’s come and how far I know he can go.
Thanks,
Success is the unconditional love that a dog (or puppy/cat, etc) always gives you! There is nothing better than a kiss from a golden! Thank you for all the great tips you have sent me….MollieMae is my 7 month old golden. Her favorite game is being a “swiffer.” She slides after one of her stuffed animals, brings it back, and then wants you to pull her up and down our hallway….beating her tail and grinning from ear to ear! Since our last name is “Broome,” we have laughed and made our own commercial….who needs a swiffer when you have”MollieMae?…Mollie takes a “Broome” to a whole new level! Needless to say, we have gone through a lot of tug toys
Max it 5 months older her Bianca. Max was trained paper trained later outside. When I put the old paper not haven’t new paper yet. Max looking around for paper I didn’t know. He found paper was so small maybe inch long. Its paper and he pissed on that. I had to laugh, I take on the ocean and walk and play the balls. Train with other dogs. Your train works great. Thanks Bruce
This is Tilley and Flynn, Success for us in training leads to happy, confident and contented furry friends and a happy handler. 🙂
Maya (left) and Maxine enjoying camping in the forest. Success is having confidence that your dog does what you ask and has a great time doing it.
Hi Jean,
This is my dog Ramona. And success to me is being able to work with her and change her fearfulness into a happy, healthy and confident dog. She knows a lot of treats, well behaved and thinks all this is fun to do!
thanks for your tips and website!
Success in dog training to me, is having to go thru the motions of Hard times, when they don’t want to listen, to the fun times, do the trick and get that treat, and they are so excited and I am so happy for her that I get excited! Then being able to have confidence that I can confidence, control and I know my girl is safe!