Southern K9 Institute, LLC

This little stinker has been having temper tantrums. A couple of furry friends arrived and now he’s forgotten how to do anything! And when asked, I get talked back to. It’s a good thing he’s CUTE! Hank is pretty much done with Basic Obedience except for the Down command is still not super strong, so we continue to work at it every single lesson. Some of it is maturity/impulsivity, but he does have a persistent headstrong personality during training, so Ms. Lauren is just having to be more headstrong than he is. :) We add more distractions tomorrow and then begin the transition to the remote collar, which we will just have to take day by day to see what we can accomplish at his age and with my time off for Winter Break. My hope is to get through every command with the remote collar, with the understanding that he’ll need some time and maturity to be fully trusted off the leash. More to come on Hankaroni!

Update on Hank!

Hank is moving along in his Basic Obedience. He is heeling, auto-sitting, holding a sit(stay) for short periods, and we’ve been working on the down command. He definitely shows his young age with this command so far because he gets up out of the down immediately even with correction. He just wants to be up and moving about rather than holding himself still. So, we are working hard to master the down command as well as the Implied Stay. Once we have accomplished that, it will be a big milestone in his training mindset.

Everyone, please welcome Hank to training! Hank is about 15 weeks old and is a Bernedoodle (Bernese Mountain Dog + Poodle mix). Does everyone remember Kevin, the migraine alert dog I trained who tragically passed away too soon just a couple of months ago? Well, Hank has big paws to fill. Hank will eventually be trained as a service dog to help my client with her ongoing needs. Isn’t he the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?!

While I’m on winter break from teaching (for those that don’t know, I’m back in the classroom as a Kindergarten teacher) I am training Hank in basic & advanced obedience. I won’t have time to start any service skills training during this school break, but we have plans for that in the summer.

For now, Hank has begun learning the basics! This morning he was fitted for his new shiny jewelry (training collar) and we began our first lessons this morning with learning heel-auto-sit and sit(stay). So far, so good. If anything, he’s preferring to sit rather than heel. He’s already learned when he auto-sits, that’s where all the physical and verbal praise happens. So I’m working with him on quickly leaving the sit when asked, such as when I say “heel” again, I need him to start moving with me rather than staying in that sit position. But overall, great start to the basic training week! He does already heel-auto-sit for me so we will just work on perfecting the enthusiasm and response time. More to come this week as we continue learning those basics!

Gracie checking in!

Gracie is moving right along with her basic obedience training. She has demonstrated full understanding of heel-auto-sit, sit, and down. Unlike most dogs, she (surprisingly) loves to do the down command! Now, the staying part is a different story but she’s catching on. We are still working to fully understand the Implied Stay with the sit and down commands.

Gracie’s heel has improved. She often starts our heeling session the same way, trying to predict what my feet are going to do, and thus being really clingy to my leg and foot area. But as we walk, she does seem to be relaxing and more confident, not needing to be as clingy.

Today was a super rainy day all day. So, we only worked indoors today. She came out to my dog training building and LOVED it! Her lessons were even better in my building, probably because there’s less distractions. She also got to play with her buddy, Rusty!

Tomorrow, I will introduce come-auto-sit and Place! More to come! (Gracie is holding a down(stay) in the picture)

Everyone, please welcome Gracie! Gracie is here for a week of intermediate obedience (basic + the Place command) taught on-leash. She will be learning heel-auto-sit, sit(stay), down(stay), come-auto-sit, and Place.

Gracie is a 7-month-old Golden Retriever pup with a happy-go-lucky personality with a little sprinkling of anxiety for good measure. She is curious, inquisitive, and sweet as pie. At the same time, she has low confidence and nervousness when introduced to new things and new expectations. She was under-socialized as a puppy, including people and environment. She lacks confidence on a leash, so I am working to build her confidence and obedience at the same time.

I’ve been working with her on heeling and she does this thing where she pulls ahead very strongly, but toward my feet. It appears she wants to predict where my feet are going and when I may stop. She has definitely tripped me up a few times because the foot-dive-pull maneuver goes very fast. I want her to feel confident to walk with her head held high, without the need to predict my movements by hugging my leg or feet closely. She has learned to auto-sit when I stop, which is great! But her posture is on the lower side, so again, I want her sitting with confidence ready for that praise. She enjoys her praise very much and I’m sure to encourage her chest and head upwards while praising her physically and verbally to encourage that confident posture.

Gracie has done great while boarding so far. She js a polite house guest (no major barking in her crate…yay!) and no accidents as of yet! Our obedience lessons tire her out and she usually takes a good nap afterwards. More to come on Gracie’s transformation this week!

Kevin’s owner, Janey, was so kind and thoughtful to make this for me 😭😭 I am so honored to get to keep his vest and training tab, plus a special paw print and his picture from when he stayed with me in my booth at Pawfest. Such an exceptional dog that can never be replaced. Thank you, Janey. We all love you! ❤️❤️❤️

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must share that the BEST BOY in the world has passed away. Kevin was one of a kind. Such a smart, gentle, intuitive, funny, and protective dog. Kevin was not just a dog that I trained; he was family. I worked with him a lot during his first couple of years during all of his obedience and service dog training. He taught me so much about training a service dog and he was very gracious and patient with me. Ultimately he served as a migraine alert dog for his owner and they have had a very special bond for the last 7 years. Kevin passed away from an obstruction between his stomach and intestines. He chewed up and ate something that he wasn’t supposed to, as many dogs will do in their lifetimes. His owner did everything she could to save him, but the surgical repairs were too much for his body. Please keep Janey, Beth, their kids, and also myself and my family in your prayers as we grieve this sudden and unexpected loss of such an incredible dog to all of us. 💔

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Did you know formal training can begin as early as 16 weeks? Help prevent unwanted behaviors and positive routines by starting your pup on the right foot. If you waited, no worries! Behavior modification is still very effective. Call/text me so I can evaluate your situation, get to know your dog, and recommend some solutions for you. 678-524-9991 🐾

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