12 Months: Training - Day 1

Attitude checks out Jack as he rests at my feet.

Today I started working with Jack, a black Standard Poodle, who will become a service dog for my friend Ronda.  He will learn how to provide counter balance when she looses her balance, which happens on an average of 3 or 4 times a day currently, retrieval work for items she drops or needs picked up and forward momentum work for when she's climbing a hill or stairs and cannot get her legs to continue to work - which happens occasionally.

Today Jack was learning how my home worked while he was visiting for 2 hours.  He played with Emma, who he met for the first time today, and explored my home and my yard.  He learned to accept food from my hands and to trust he was safe with me.  We did very little actual training today.  Most of our day was spent in just becoming acquainted and learning to communicate with each other.

He's a soft dog with a sweet personality and boundless curiosity.  Though he's not had a lot of life experience outside of the home, he seems to take each new thing in his life in stride and is willing to sit back and watch from afar before diving in and joining the party.  I believe Jack will thrive with positive training and clear guidance into public access work.

Today Jack started the Levels Program with me.  He's eager to work for food and lit up when he realized I was asking him to think.  I believe Jack will have a quick journey.  He is already crate trained, leash trained (he has full loose leash walking on board), house broken and endless curiosity.

Today's Lessons:

Sit

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 1 Sit.  In this step Jack is asked to sit for a click.  No duration or distance from me is expected.  I worked on luring Jack into a sit today. He was willing to work for the treat, though at one point he nipped my fingers and recoiled when I yelped.  He did two sits before he was done with the lesson. Jack is not in the game yet, but is willing to play along until he learns what the game is.

Jack will continue working on this step until he sits with a hand cue.

Observations

Jack was re-homed with Ronda on Saturday and still hasn't found his center of gravity after his world turned upside down.  He's a bit tentative and worried about what is happening and still forging bonds with myself and Ronda.  He is very people oriented and gentle with all dogs, people and cats he's met.  He is a polite dog with sound manners and good temperament and I believe he just needs time to adjust and become comfortable with his new routine.

I will begin serious training with Jack tomorrow.  He was renamed after he came to live with Ronda and currently doesn't know his name.  I will work on the Name Game and Come Game with him and work on Sit, Down and Target this week to build his confidence.

I look forward to my lessons with Jack!

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	1	1	1	1	1