With all the cool videos available online of their athleticism, amazing abilities as police and military dogs, and high drive, Malinois puppies are gaining popularity as pets. The thing is, sometimes there's more work for the owners helping a dog with that kind of energy and work ethic live the life of the average pet. As I've noted before, a Ferrari is a great car, but it requires a better driver.
Oliver's shyness probably contributed to his over-reaction to things, whether answering the door, hearing things outside or seeing them out the window. That meant a combination of approaches to teach him both a job that gives him confidence when needed, and the ability to stop barking on cue when that's not enough.
Tooting my own horn a bit, but I can't resist, I'm so moved and proud. Last week at the AGM of Canadian Association of Professional Dog Trainers, on its 30th anniversary, I was very honoured to be named the Association's fourth Life Member, joining Dr. Ian Dunbar, Pat Renshaw and Gary Wilkes.
Our dog Theo had lots of issues with barking, jumping, counter surfing and many more behaviours we wanted to have more control over. Andrew... Read More
Goose has a bit of an obsession with Squirrels. I'm guessing that's what drew his attention away from the camera here. His excitement over them is spoiling (for his people) the enjoyment of walks, so he's going back to basics on learning to stay calm in the face of exciting things. The good news is he learns really fast!
