I'm utterly amazed.

By two things. 1) I learned something useful from a TV show, and 2) The difference in our dog.


Elsa with Sam, a few days after we got him. He had just fallen off the dock into the water, hence the dejected look. P.S. He's lots bigger now.

Ever watched the show The Dog Whisperer? I randomly landed on it the other day while at work, and watched for a bit. I don't suppose it'd be incredibly interesting, other than the fact that our pooch has been in need of some training. So, since I liked the guy's style (treating the dog like a dog, not like a child) and that the system seemed to work consistently I took what I could from the show.

Having grown up with dogs that were trained by siblings at 4-H dog training, I got to enjoy well behaved dogs, but never put the time into training -or learned how to train- them myself. Our dog's been in need of a change, if he was gonna last around here.

Today, I gave the basics a try. Now, Sam is not out of control like some, just hyper and in need of learning how to listen. For example, he loves licking Elsa's face every moment he can, no matter what; he loves trying to grab gloves off your hands (and usually gets the hand too...). You know, those annoying things.

The basic premise of the Dog Whisperer is to teach the dog who's the dominant one in the pack. The first way to do this is by attaching a lead, and making them follow you; never letting them lead. Warning, eat your Wheaties if you're gonna give it a try. Boy, did I get an arm workout. Sam bounced around,twisted this way and that, tried everything he could to get away. I didn't scold or yell, just kept giving the lead (actually, a piece of rope...I picked up a leash today. High tech around here..) a firm yank. The whole time, you walk along, making him follow; keep your head up, look (and feel, the aura you give matters) important. Sounds so simple, doesn't it?

It worked. After about 5-10 minutes of fighting, he gave in and followed. His ears went back (a sign of submissiveness and listening,) and he got all attentive on me, and nothing else. It was amazing.

Just a minute ago, I was in the porch and stopped to pet him. Usually if I sit down, he immediately puts his nose in my face and gets all hyper. Tonight? Sam came over, calmly laid his head on my leg and let me pet him. Wow.

I know it'll take consistency and more training to get rid of all the bad habits, but I'm ecstatic at the progress in just one 20 minute session.