Pets

My daughter was working with a trainer who approved the dog. Unfortunately, she didn't inform my daughter that she used prong collars (something my daughter is unwilling to use), and that it was non-negotiable, until after my daughter got the dog. So after she got the dog, she has had to switch trainers. The new trainer is decidedly unenthusiastic about the prior trainer - and was less enthusiastic about the dog until she worked with my daughter for about 15 minutes and was able to master "go to crate," "sit," and touch." in that time. I taught him paw yesterday, and he remembered it today.

I have some experience in obedience dog training (decades ago) - shelties. I've been surprised at how quickly he picks things up. Everyone with experience who has actually met him (vet, two trainers, groomer) think he at least has a good possibility of being the exception.

With single command things (go to crate, sit, down, stay, paw) that are easily completed the big challenge is that when he realizes you like something - he wants to do it all the time - even when he isn't being told to do it. I'm confident he'll get past that - the universal command he mostly knows is "think" - as in you've been told what to do and you're not doing it so search your memory banks you big doofus and do what I told you.

I sent him to his crate from across the room - he got halfway there and got distracted by a cat. I told him to think, and pointed to the crate, and he went there. While he was thinking, he did try a couple of other things to see if they would satisfy me (sit, and maybe down). When he didn't get rewarded, he went to his crate. Sat (when commanded from across the room), and Stayed (again commanded from across the room) while I went out of sight.

I'm not sure what the vet meant when she observed that he was aware of his size - but I suspect it's related to clumsiness.

If my daughter doesn't end up successfully training him as a service dog (with the help of her trainer), I'm probably going to end up on permanent dog-walking duty.