Jagger is now old enough to go to Puppy School, so I enrolled her with the local vet's supplier. Wow does this trainer know her stuff!!! I'm in awe of her knowledge of canine behaviour and amazed at how well she has trained her dogs. The ones we met were a beagle and a terrier cross of uncertain origin.
After seeing the trainer in action, my spirits rose and I filled with a hope that Jagger could be (maybe?) half as good.
Jagger is proving to be pretty easy to train. She was already sitting when I brought her home and was able to toilet in the right spot (sometimes). I feel vindicated that I did the research and stuck to my guns to get a Cavoodle female. Her Cavalier King Charles and Poodle genes give her the ideal traits and temperament for a family dog.
Happily, she is doing very well in class. At first Jagger was a little nervous and hid under my chair, but the other dogs were bigger than her, and her neighbour was a raucous (but totally adorable) kelpie cross, so I don't quite blame her! The trainer used barriers in the class and this helped enormously to keep the students calm and focused. By the end of the one hour lesson, she was positively relaxed - and prone to boot. I'm pretty sure she fell asleep at one point.
She was a lot braver at her second lesson and was OK to spend the second half of the lesson in full view of her boisterous neighbour, who had improved in calmness and focus considerably.
So far the only thing we had a little trouble with was the command "drop", but we got there in the end. I'm thrilled with how well she has taken to her "mat" (as seen in the photo, in class). This is her special place to sit during class and when I'm in our tiny kitchen or out and about.
The training tip sheets that the trainer has provided have been great and very helpful when I need a refresher. I'm looking forward to the next lesson to see what else I can teach my little rock star.
After seeing the trainer in action, my spirits rose and I filled with a hope that Jagger could be (maybe?) half as good.
Jagger is proving to be pretty easy to train. She was already sitting when I brought her home and was able to toilet in the right spot (sometimes). I feel vindicated that I did the research and stuck to my guns to get a Cavoodle female. Her Cavalier King Charles and Poodle genes give her the ideal traits and temperament for a family dog.
Happily, she is doing very well in class. At first Jagger was a little nervous and hid under my chair, but the other dogs were bigger than her, and her neighbour was a raucous (but totally adorable) kelpie cross, so I don't quite blame her! The trainer used barriers in the class and this helped enormously to keep the students calm and focused. By the end of the one hour lesson, she was positively relaxed - and prone to boot. I'm pretty sure she fell asleep at one point.
She was a lot braver at her second lesson and was OK to spend the second half of the lesson in full view of her boisterous neighbour, who had improved in calmness and focus considerably.
So far the only thing we had a little trouble with was the command "drop", but we got there in the end. I'm thrilled with how well she has taken to her "mat" (as seen in the photo, in class). This is her special place to sit during class and when I'm in our tiny kitchen or out and about.
The training tip sheets that the trainer has provided have been great and very helpful when I need a refresher. I'm looking forward to the next lesson to see what else I can teach my little rock star.