Bridge and Target Training

This lovely, happy dog has learned a new trick with Bridge and Target training. Can you hear the trainer saying, "ggggggggggg - Good"? Well, it may not seem like much, but it's an important communicator to this eager worker that he's on track.

This is a novel concept, using an intermediate bridge between the target and the reinforcement marker. Sort of a "you are on the right track-keep up the good work" communicator. It has proven very effective in communicating difficult concepts to animals.

I first ran across the "Bridge and Target" concept a few years ago while I was researching the sport of Canine Freestyle. I found Charlene Dunlap's site, which you can view, here http://www.caninehorizons.com/Training_Clips.html .

Next week, as a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Counselors, I will begin a course taught by Kayce Cover who developed the Bridge and Target concepts over years of working with many different animal species. You can view her video clips here: http://synalia.com/videos
I look forward to teaching my own dogs some new, fun things and adding this proficiency to my bag of tricks for clients and their pets.

Sensible Puppy January Field Trip

What do you get when you bring five puppies and three adult dogs to a nursing home? A whole lotta puppy love! I was very proud of all our puppies and their great owners. Everyone was relaxed and enjoyed greeting the residents and staff. A great socialization and training outing for the puppies-and a wonderful treat for all the people. A big Thank You to Hoosier Village Health Center for allowing us to visit! Hug those puppies - I bet they are sleeping well, tonight!

The Best Trick!

Whoever trained this dog has my complete admiration! What a fun trick! And, see how happy the dog is? I only wish I could understand what the announcer is saying!

AKC STAR Puppy Program

Sensible Puppy classes are the first in Indianapolis to offer the new AKC STAR Puppy program! After attending at least 6 weeks of class and by passing a 20-point evaluation, Sensible Puppy class participants will be eligible to receive a beautiful medal and frameable certificate from AKC!

As an approved AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, I am proud to be encouraging my clients to reach for the STAR with their purebred or mixed-breed puppies!

The test items are not going to be difficult because these are all things we are already working on, in Sensible Puppy Class. The curriculum of both programs mesh nicely together. For more details, please go to http://www.akc.org/starpuppy/.

I like the emphasis that AKC STAR Puppy puts on owner awareness and participation. The idea of responsible puppy ownership is not new, but now, there's a pretty medal and certificate to show for your hard work!

The date will soon be announced for our first Sensible Puppy AKC STAR Puppy Evaluation! Will your puppy be the first STAR in Indy?

Puppy Classes at Michigan Road Animal Hospital - Off to a Great Start!

Neither snow nor slush nor freezing winds kept four puppies and thirteen people from gathering last night at MRAH 96th Street for the first Sensible Puppy group class. We have a Labrador, a German Shepherd Dog, a Brittany Spaniel and a West Highland White Terrier. We had great puppy socialization with people wearing funny hats, puppy-to-puppy play, body language interpretation, and massage time. We worked on playing "Elevator", discussed great chewing toys and learned how to help a puppy overcome a fearful experience. Additionally, there were lots of potty breaks, personalized Q&A, and different surfaces to walk on. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The weather didn't deter us, and hopefully, four families are feeling better about reaching their puppy-training goals.

Talking Dogs!

This video clip was sent to me by a friend (Thanks, Becky!) and I just had to post it. Perhaps it's the power of suggestion, but these dogs seem to mean what they say! Don't take it too seriously, though. If you really want to know what your dog is saying, check out Brenda Aloff's book, Canine Body Language.

My Mom's a Dog Trainer

There are benefits to being the son of a dog trainer, not the least of which is that you get to meet a lot of puppies! Check out the new slide show and see the fun we are having with Mr. Phifer's Basenji puppies, now 4 weeks old.

More to come as the Basenji puppies grow.

The boys are also going to get to participate in socializing puppies at my Sensible Puppy class, which begins this week with the orientation, next week with puppies in attendance. We already have 5 puppies signed up!