Thank you! I’m glad to be in the pack! And thanks for the kind words about James. He’s my pride and joy. He’s a year and a half now! People love the puppy pictures so much but I need to post more pictures of him currently. He’s such a beautiful boy!
Thank you, John! I’ve been working with your suggestions and for the most part am meeting w a lot of success. I hope Charlie would tell you he’s happier too.
That’s so great to hear Susanne! Would love to hear about any of the progress or what you’ve been using. I really appreciate you reading my stuff and hope you’re doing well! Remind me your pup’s name again if you have a chance (sorry, terrible memory right now).
I appreciate your response, John. And knowing that I’m not the only one with periodic memory issues. My pup is Charlie, a five year old bernadoodle. We did puppy training once Charlie got through the vaccination stages. This was during the pandemic and each pup and human was within a three sided portion. There was no social time. It was based on positive reinforcement. Charlie is a very exuberant pup, no social contact drove him to system overload. We did reinforce everything at home and approached each week w hope. Nope, it was super difficult for Charlie to focus. We kept attending, working at home, and managed to graduate. We persisted and signed up for the Basic Manners training. Same thing. Throughout the years I continued with positive reinforcement and he responds well. One day a week we send him to a dog daycare. They only take eight dogs a day and are very positive with all the dogs. Charlie has benefited from his experience with this group. They have many acres outside and the dogs have plenty of supervised play time and guidance. Very positive environment for Charlie. He still requires reinforcement and responds well if there are no distractions. I apologize for the long rant. Once I discovered your substack I added several of your recommended techniques and have read and saved many of your posts and referrals. I accept that Charlie will always be an exuberant pup. I also accept that it is me who needs the training. I say this because he is so responsive, intelligent, and a loving pup. The hand signals, rewarding with treats, continuing with the action and hand movement until he is ready to take it in. Thank you so much!
Oh thanks, Susanne! I remember you telling me about Charlie now. I’ve been hearing about so many people’s dogs that it’s hard to keep them straight :). I’m so glad to hear that he’s doing well. And I know what you mean – working in pods or the dogs are all separated could be frustrating for the social ones. My Lab James is the same way and we’re continuing to work on calm exposure. It sounds like you’ve done a lot of good work with Charlie! And it’s great to hear that you found a positive social outlet for him. And yes, he may always be an exuberant guy. But some of that translates into drive which is a positive thing for training because they work really hard to get the right answer. If he was a pandemic, but then he must be five or six now, right? It’s nice to be in the more mature years and I look forward to getting there with James, even though I cherish the cute puppy times. And like you said, it’s us humans that need to do most of the learning. I’m still learning for sure. It’s nice when it starts to feel like a cooperative process where James and I are learning together. Thanks again for the kind message. I probably did this last time but here’s a picture of my Charlie just for a good measure.
Such a fantastic post and an important reminder. I know I need a lot of processing time when I'm learning new information, so it makes sense my dogs do, too.
"And culturally our attention span has gotten shorter and shorter. We’re used to very quick results with a lot of our interactions in the world." This line really anchored in my takeaway: I am so grateful my dogs require time, patience, and intention from me because it's forcing me to continue practicing giving time, patient, and intention--commodities quickly disappearing.
What a wonderful comment to receive! Thank you so much for the kind feedback and for sharing your thoughts. It can be hard for all of us to slow down and take the time we need but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. 🐾
Very well stated. As a dog parent who has also been privileged to work with children, giving that ”wait” is critical for connection as well as for successful carryover of a task or request. It is a win/win for both sides!!! Thank for sharing your insightful information! 🐶😎
Thanks so much for the positive feedback! And cool to hear that you’ve had the same experience. It’s amazing How many things about the learning process apply to all species :)
I’m curious of your thoughts on seniors bringing in dog. We recently lost our rescue of almost 7 yr. Being in our mid 70s I feel it’s only fair to bring in an older dog that I would hope one of us would out live. As hard as it is to have to say good bye I would rather than them grieving our loss and having to be rehomed.
Thanks so much for reaching out about this! It’s so thoughtful of you to consider what’s best for the dog here. Not everyone does that and it shows that you have a kind heart.
I don’t have a strong view on this but fact that you’re being so thoughtful about it shows that you’re going to provide a great home for a dog. I’m going through raising a puppy right now and I’ve been reminded by how much it requires. But good management and good training can go a long way. There are also lot of really great dogs who for a variety of reasons need a new home.
I kind of like your idea of getting a dog who is already established and could use a good family. I suppose the tricky part is finding a dog who’s just the right match. I think considering its breed, size and background are all important. Some breeds are just built more for companionship (I hear that King Charles spaniels have sort of a labrador attitude in a smaller body). There are some organizations who foster dogs and that can be a nice way to do a trial run. (I also hear there can be kind of a honeymoon period with this so just be aware that you might not see all of the behaviors at first!)
Your question reminds me to that ideally, we should all have a plan for what happens to our dogs if something happens to us. I think that’s an area that needs more attention and consideration overall so I’m glad you brought it up. Does anyone else out there have helpful advice on this?
Overall, suppose I just think that if you want a dog in your life, you should have one. You’ll both bring each other a lot of joy and friendship :).
I had the same experience in school! And it continues in my adult life. Sometimes just a little extra time makes a huge difference for dogs and people :)
I needed this today! Thanks, John for always sharing such interesting info about the dogs we love (and about being human)!
Oh gosh, thank you so much! It’s great to hear positive feedback, Especially from another dog lover. I always enjoy seeing your posts too!
We're part of each other's pack now! And your boy James is getting so big! I love watching him grow....
Thank you! I’m glad to be in the pack! And thanks for the kind words about James. He’s my pride and joy. He’s a year and a half now! People love the puppy pictures so much but I need to post more pictures of him currently. He’s such a beautiful boy!
Thank you, John! I’ve been working with your suggestions and for the most part am meeting w a lot of success. I hope Charlie would tell you he’s happier too.
That’s so great to hear Susanne! Would love to hear about any of the progress or what you’ve been using. I really appreciate you reading my stuff and hope you’re doing well! Remind me your pup’s name again if you have a chance (sorry, terrible memory right now).
I appreciate your response, John. And knowing that I’m not the only one with periodic memory issues. My pup is Charlie, a five year old bernadoodle. We did puppy training once Charlie got through the vaccination stages. This was during the pandemic and each pup and human was within a three sided portion. There was no social time. It was based on positive reinforcement. Charlie is a very exuberant pup, no social contact drove him to system overload. We did reinforce everything at home and approached each week w hope. Nope, it was super difficult for Charlie to focus. We kept attending, working at home, and managed to graduate. We persisted and signed up for the Basic Manners training. Same thing. Throughout the years I continued with positive reinforcement and he responds well. One day a week we send him to a dog daycare. They only take eight dogs a day and are very positive with all the dogs. Charlie has benefited from his experience with this group. They have many acres outside and the dogs have plenty of supervised play time and guidance. Very positive environment for Charlie. He still requires reinforcement and responds well if there are no distractions. I apologize for the long rant. Once I discovered your substack I added several of your recommended techniques and have read and saved many of your posts and referrals. I accept that Charlie will always be an exuberant pup. I also accept that it is me who needs the training. I say this because he is so responsive, intelligent, and a loving pup. The hand signals, rewarding with treats, continuing with the action and hand movement until he is ready to take it in. Thank you so much!
Oh thanks, Susanne! I remember you telling me about Charlie now. I’ve been hearing about so many people’s dogs that it’s hard to keep them straight :). I’m so glad to hear that he’s doing well. And I know what you mean – working in pods or the dogs are all separated could be frustrating for the social ones. My Lab James is the same way and we’re continuing to work on calm exposure. It sounds like you’ve done a lot of good work with Charlie! And it’s great to hear that you found a positive social outlet for him. And yes, he may always be an exuberant guy. But some of that translates into drive which is a positive thing for training because they work really hard to get the right answer. If he was a pandemic, but then he must be five or six now, right? It’s nice to be in the more mature years and I look forward to getting there with James, even though I cherish the cute puppy times. And like you said, it’s us humans that need to do most of the learning. I’m still learning for sure. It’s nice when it starts to feel like a cooperative process where James and I are learning together. Thanks again for the kind message. I probably did this last time but here’s a picture of my Charlie just for a good measure.
Ahh, Charlie was such a handsome boy and a wonderful companion.
You picked a great name! 🐾
Such a fantastic post and an important reminder. I know I need a lot of processing time when I'm learning new information, so it makes sense my dogs do, too.
"And culturally our attention span has gotten shorter and shorter. We’re used to very quick results with a lot of our interactions in the world." This line really anchored in my takeaway: I am so grateful my dogs require time, patience, and intention from me because it's forcing me to continue practicing giving time, patient, and intention--commodities quickly disappearing.
What a wonderful comment to receive! Thank you so much for the kind feedback and for sharing your thoughts. It can be hard for all of us to slow down and take the time we need but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. 🐾
Everyone needs to read this! SLOW YOUR ROLL!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback Heather! Slowing down a little is good for all of us :)
Very well stated. As a dog parent who has also been privileged to work with children, giving that ”wait” is critical for connection as well as for successful carryover of a task or request. It is a win/win for both sides!!! Thank for sharing your insightful information! 🐶😎
Thanks so much for the positive feedback! And cool to hear that you’ve had the same experience. It’s amazing How many things about the learning process apply to all species :)
I’m curious of your thoughts on seniors bringing in dog. We recently lost our rescue of almost 7 yr. Being in our mid 70s I feel it’s only fair to bring in an older dog that I would hope one of us would out live. As hard as it is to have to say good bye I would rather than them grieving our loss and having to be rehomed.
It’s so darn hard being without one.
Thanks bunches for your valued response. Will give thorough thought with heart and mind. I look forward to your posts!
Thanks Denise!
Thanks so much for reaching out about this! It’s so thoughtful of you to consider what’s best for the dog here. Not everyone does that and it shows that you have a kind heart.
I don’t have a strong view on this but fact that you’re being so thoughtful about it shows that you’re going to provide a great home for a dog. I’m going through raising a puppy right now and I’ve been reminded by how much it requires. But good management and good training can go a long way. There are also lot of really great dogs who for a variety of reasons need a new home.
I kind of like your idea of getting a dog who is already established and could use a good family. I suppose the tricky part is finding a dog who’s just the right match. I think considering its breed, size and background are all important. Some breeds are just built more for companionship (I hear that King Charles spaniels have sort of a labrador attitude in a smaller body). There are some organizations who foster dogs and that can be a nice way to do a trial run. (I also hear there can be kind of a honeymoon period with this so just be aware that you might not see all of the behaviors at first!)
Your question reminds me to that ideally, we should all have a plan for what happens to our dogs if something happens to us. I think that’s an area that needs more attention and consideration overall so I’m glad you brought it up. Does anyone else out there have helpful advice on this?
Overall, suppose I just think that if you want a dog in your life, you should have one. You’ll both bring each other a lot of joy and friendship :).
I had the same experience in school! And it continues in my adult life. Sometimes just a little extra time makes a huge difference for dogs and people :)