Dancing with Dani

We finished up our first series of classes… we have learned the rudiments of spins, twists, circles, backing up, coming forward, jumping through a hoop.
We will be starting our next class March 15th… stay tuned for more interesting stuff.
At the present, I need to figure out how to keep all four of Dani’s paws on the floor… she is so happy and excited.
Now, everytime I listen to music I am thinking I wonder if this will work for a routine.

Dancing with My Dog Dani Joy

Last Tuesday evening a few of us with our dogs met at Shasta Dog Training to begin our class learning “Canine Freestyle” also known as “Doggie Dancing”. This is actually a competitive dog sport in which dog and handler work together as a team doing tricks and fancy maneuvers all choreographed to music.
However, Dani Joy and I are just learning so we can have some shared fun times. Last week we went over basic training skills: using a clicker, positive reinforcement and using a target/touch stick. We also learned how to do some spins and having the dog walk towards me in a straight line in front of me.
This week we have added having the dog backing up in front of us in a straight line and circling around us. We also reviewed the “wait” command and how to use it with other commands.
There are five dogs in the class: Toy Aussie, McNab, Scottish Deerhound, Kerry Blue Terrier and my Sheltie.
It is so fun to watch the different personalities of each of these dogs and their own individual learning styles, flares, temperament as well as the varying sizes.
It is so nice to be a student and not be the dog trainer once in awhile, especially when you have a great teacher!
So far, Dani Joy and I are doing quite well. I wouldn’t say we are proficient in any way. We are still learning, but we are having lots of fun. Who knows maybe someday we may do a demo 🙂
In the meantime, in your own community look into signing up for a Canine Freestyle class and learn to dance with your dog too!

Dog News…

Here it is already December. Time flies when you are having fun.
I am busy as ever enjoying my new dog training jobs. Yes, I am still working for Cari Bowe at Shasta Dog Training and I am also working for Pro K9 Academy and the National Institute of Diabetic Alert Dogs.
Cari and I just finished up another AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class with 10 playful puppies. What a blast! We ran a new format of twice-a-week classes for a total of 6 classes. It was great to see those puppies progress to walking on a loose leash, doing sits, downs, coming when called, not jumping, leaving forbidden objects alone and all around good manners. We look forward to offering more classes in January.
Since I began working for Pro K9/Ntl Inst. of Diabetic Alert Dogs, we have placed 4 dogs already and several more will be going out hopefully by Christmas. These dogs are awesome! They are consistently alerting when a diabetic person has low and/or high blood sugar, including going with kids to school, riding in the backseat of a car, waking up owners in the middle of the night and more!
On a sad note… my much loved Sheltie, Patrick Ryan, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge at the end of November. I miss him terribly. Some days are sadder than others, especially when I got the email from Petco of a birthday reminder for him. He would have been 11 years old. I still have my Sheltie, Dani Joy and my Italian Greyhound, Skippy. They both are still as spunky and spoiled as ever.
On a more upbeat note, I finally got my graduation certificate from the Animal Behavior College and I graduated with honors and “officially” I am a Certified Dog Trainer.

A Year in Review with K9 Kelts and Dog Trainer Kathy Dunn

I had my third year anniversary with Petco as a Dog Trainer this past October. I am the only Dog Trainer at our Petco facility and I can honestly say I get to go to work and play with dogs and meet all kinds of new people!
In March, the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation authorized retraining and education for me to attend the Animal Behavior College to become a Professional Dog Trainer (technically that is what I am at Petco). This will in the future open doors of opportunity for having either potential growth via Petco or branch out on my own a bit more. I finished the online and book learning in August
I began my externship with a Dog Training Mentor, Cari Bowe, in September. I finished phase one of three before the rains and the weather permitted anymore. I hope to finish the last two phases early spring.
I also hope to begin my volunteer requirements with the Shasta County Animal Control after the first of the year.
When my externship and volunteer phases are completed, I will then take my final exam.
I hope to continue with my dog training education in working with Shelter dogs and rehabilitating problem behavior dogs and dogs whom have aggression issues.
During the Spring/Summer of this past year I taught Agility classes for the Nor Cal Dog Training Club and had a great time. Also with the Nor Cal Dog Club and through my own dog training business, a few friends and I did some demonstrations at some local elementary schools in April and June. We did Obedience, Agility, Flyball and Tracking demos. It was lots of fun for the dogs, the kids and us!
I have also been busy doing demos or having informational booths at various “animal/dog” events in and around my community.
In April, I had an info booth and offered the AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) testing for the annual “Love Your Pet Expo” a benefit for local animal rescue groups. My Shetland Sheepdog, Dani Joy, did some Agility and Flyball demos at this event and had a great time.
In May, I participated in the Haven Humane Society’s Dog-a-thon.
In August, I did some demos with 2 other dog trainers in the area, Lyn of River Dog Agility and Chere McMillan of the Capable Canine, at the Open House for the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Manton (near Shingletown east of Redding). Unfortunately, Dani Joy ended up with a foxtail embedded in her chest wall and had to have surgery as it was headed to the heart/lung cavity. Thankfully, she is doing great now.
Also in August, I had an informational booth with Petco at a fundraising event called “Woofstock” a benefit for a local animal rescue group.
In September, I coordinated a demo event for the Nor Cal Dog Training Club at the annual Honey Bee Festival in Palo Cedro where we did Agility, Rally Obedience, and Flyball demonstrations. My two Shelties, Patrick Ryan and Dani Joy, showed off their stuff in Flyball and Dani Joy got her picture in the Palo Cedro newspaper. My Italian Greyhound Skippy did some beginning Agility at the demo as well.
Also in September, I went to the 2nd Annual Chico Canine Carnival, a benefit for Animal rescues in Butte County. I offered the AKC CGC testing and my dogs did Flyball demos.
I was supposed to do some Flyball demos and some more AKC CGC testing for the Siskiyou Paws for Walk fundraising event that same month, but ended up coming down sick.
In October, I coordinated a dog-sport community event (sponsored by Nor Cal Dog Training Club) in Anderson called “Pawsibilities Unleashed” where we had numerous dog trainers, dog sporting activities and animal rescue groups putting on demonstrations, offering information and encouraging responsible dog ownership.
After that event ended, I resigned from the Nor Cal Dog Club. I am now also an inactive member with my flyball team the Gold Coast Flyers.
Still on the subject of dogs… over Memorial Day Weekend I traveled down to my dad’s home in El Dorado, CA and went to the “Hangtown Kennel Club’s Dog Show”. I had Patrick Ryan entered for 3 days in competition Rally Obedience (Rally “O” for short). He came home with 2 qualifying scores. He needed 3 to get a Rally Novice Title. Unfortunately, his owner (me) messed up – always “handler error” – and it was his best performance of the weekend. My dad and step-mom, Marti were there to cheer me on and take pictures.
In the second week of June, I went to a four day dog show in Gridley, CA and entered both Dani Joy and Patrick Ryan in Rally “O”. Dani Joy got her title in Rally Novice on the fourth day. Patrick Ryan got his Rally Novice on the first day and 2 qualifying scores on the 2nd and 3rd day, in Rally Advance. However, like the last show, Patrick did a “star” performance but once again – handler error! So we need another show to get his Title in Rally Advanced. I was still so very proud of them!
Patrick just turned 10 years old this past week. He is showing more of his age and he is losing a bit of his hearing. But he is still as smart as a whip. He is now learning new tricks and I am thinking of taking up the sport of Canine Freestyle (a.k.a. doggie dancing).
Dani Joy will be 7 years old in January and is still the jumping live wire as ever. Although she has mellowed just a touch, enough to focus more on commands and do her Rally “O” and a few tricks too!
Skippy got his AKC Canine Good Citizenship while we were at the Chico Canine Carnival in September, which is his first step in any kind of event. I hope next year to enter him into Rally “O”. By the way, he is finally potty-trained! Skippy will be 4 years old in March. He still has some behavioral issues to work through what other dog trainers like to call “resource guarding” he thinks EVERYTHING belongs to him, the living room, Dee, the cats, the toys, the yard, etc.
My private dog training business has been primarily focused on private lessons with one-on-one training with the dog and the dog owner. It has been challenging and very rewarding.
This year I created a new website and as you know this blog – just for my dog training business and all things dog… check out my website at:  www.k9keltsdogtraining.com