Hanging Out in the City

 

Valentine loves Saturdays!  She gets the chance to leave the shelter and explore the city.  We are going to go to training until she gets adopted.  She learns a lot, has new experiences, and gets away from all the chaos of shelter life.  If you look closely you can see two of the owned dogs also training in the distance.  One of them looks like an overgrown boston terrier!  So cute!

 

Valentine has grown so much more comfortable with new people and things coming into her space.  These men walked right by and Vally looked at them and then looked at us, sitting.  That deserves a hot dog!

 

Look at the smile on that dog's face!  She deserves a chance at a real life in a loving home.  We are going to do everything possible to find one.

Going Off-Leash and then Going Hiking!

Took Valentine out to the off-leash area a couple times yesterday to work on her agility.  She did great.  In the above picture she is chomping on a milk bone after we quit working.

Valentine is always very eager to please, and she loves to run around the wooded trail.  We cuddled, we did training, we played with a rope toy, and she finished it all off with a milkbone.

I love this girl.  She is so sweet, and she really enjoys her time with her human friends.  Today, she went on a hike at Arabia Mountain with Charlotte.  She said she saw a lot and had a lot of fun.  She wasn't scared of the signs this time!  She overcomes her fears so quickly.  We did not get any pictures of the trail, but we got one of her greeting staff member, Heather, when she got back.

         Contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org if you would like to foster or adopt Valentine.

Class 2: Georgia Tech Campus

 

Here we are in the Canine PhD parking lot.  We had the dogs settle and then practice walking with each other before heading to campus.

 

There was a lot to see along the way!  Valentine's coat almost matched this outdoor scultpure .

 

 

Here we are in front of the gym.  There are a lot of people coming and going.  Vally was startled by two men who came out the door talking and wearing bookbags, but she handled it very well.  I was able to maintain her attention, and she kept working even though she knew they were there.

 

After working hard, we took "a break" by letting the dogs sniff around in a green area.  They really seemed thankful for the little bit of extra freedom and were more eager to work when it was time to go back to the city streets.

 

Valentine was startled by this water meter.  She had never seen one before.  We helped her overcome it.  Meredith acted like it was the most interesting thing in the world, which made her want to come over, and then Charlotte gave her treats.  Later in the walk, Valentine cautiously walked up to another one of her own volition, and we were so proud.

 

Can you see Tech in the background.  We are working on "placing" on a short ledge.  The little girl walking by on her way to swim lessons thought Vally was super cute!

 

 

Doesn't Vally look stunning on that green grass, relaxing in the sun?

 

 

This is Vally's role model.  This pup and his mom work so hard and have come so far.  They are truly an amazing team.

 

In class, owners are often given great information about things they can do in the home to help their dogs feel more secure and loved and, therefore, behave better.  This is always a little difficult for Charlotte and me to hear.  We wish we could offer these things to Valentine, but we know we can only do so much.  We dream of the day that Vally is in an adoptive or foster home where she can get the love she needs.  Contact Laura if you might be able to help with that! lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org

 

 

Valentine Loves to Learn and Play!

 

 

In the videos above Valentine is playing with staff member, Laura, in the offleash area.  Vally loves to run up and down the ramps and through the tunnels.

In the above picture Valentine is in her first Oudoor Training Class at Canine PhD, and she is doing great!  Charlotte and I were so proud of her.

Vally is watching another woman and her dog practice walking by.  She is excited, curious, and a little antsy about it.  There is a train going by.  Cars are curving through from time to time and a very reactive pomeranian just walked by with his owner.  There is so much going on, but she stayed on her best behavior!

Vally needs a foster home or an adoptive home.  Please contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org for details!

Body Language

I saw this online the other day, and I wished that everyone with a dog or who approached dogs had been able to study this chart.  They are so misunderstood by us! 

Last Day of Indoor Class

 

It was Valentine's last day of indoor classes.  She did an amazing job!  We had her out in the room walking parallel to the other dogs, and we taught her the new trick, "spin."  She loved it.  It was a fun way of getting more hotdog bits.

In the above photo, MarLee is helping another dog in the class.  This pup has a home and amazing owner who brings her to class.  We cannot wait until Valentine has an owner too!

Valentine has graduated and will start outdoor classes next Saturday.  These start at 8:30 in the morning much to staff member, Laura's, dismay! :)  For Valentine, it is no big thang.  She wakes up at 7:30 every morning and class is fun!

If you or someone you know might be interested in Valentine contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org

August 3, 2013

Valentine worked with two wonderful trainers this Saturday, Betty and MarLee.  They taught her to sit and lay down on her own, without being told.  She did it because she knew she would get a treat.  Valentine got a lot of treats and had a really fun day with Charlotte.  You can tell by the doggie smile she is giving in this picture!

Training on Means Street

Valentine was amazing in class this last Saturday.  She was very excited to leave the shelter and go downtown.  She patiently waited in the car while we got her stuff together and got her ready.

 She did a lot of work outside in the room.  In the above picture you can see one of her classmates on the other side of the room working with his mama.

When Valentine is getting overwhelmed she shows us by focusing less and trying to wander off from training more.  We then tell her that we are going to "take a break" and put her behind her barrier for a little while.  We have her settle on her bed back there and get her to relax before taking her back out.

Valentine needs regular breaks while working, but she is such a good girl.  She did not react vocally, aggressively, or in any other real negative way.  She just quits working.

We always make sure she gets plenty of water breaks.

Here she is resting on her side.  She is not all the way there yet, but a dog relaxing completely on their side is one of the most relaxed positions they can be in.

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                                    Here I am trying to get Valentine to relax on one of her breaks

This is a sign Charlotte got for any of the dogs we bring to training so they can work without people approaching them.  It is a great idea.  If you want one for your dog, there are plenty of places you can order them online!

Adopt Valentine.  She deserves a good home. lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org

Arabia Mountain Photos

Valentine hanging out on the Arabia Mountain Bike Trail with Charlotte.

These signs really alarmed Valentine when she first saw them.  She had never seen anything like it before.

Charlotte is helping Valentine to realize the sign is nothing to be afraid of and letting her safely gain information about it from a distance.

 

This is a picture of valentine feeling a little stressed.  Her ears are pinned back, and she has the sideways glance.  Her body is tense.  Over time, she got more comfortable.  Charlotte hung a sign on her collar saying not to approach her because she was in training.  It is important that when you teach your dog to be comfortable with someone, some place, or something new that you allow them to explore, sniff, and examine things at their own pace and do not force them into close, uncomfortable encounters.  If they have positive experiences over and over again their fear will begin to disapate.  Vally is always shy and nervous in new places, but once she has been there and done that she is her normal cocky, energetic, and playful self.

 

Yesterday, a wonderful couple took Valentine out for a walk around the trail at PAWS.  I talked to them, at length, about her story.  They were gentle with her but also firm.  She was smitten and was quickly walking well with them on a leash, sitting beside them when they stopped walking, and responding to her word cues when they asked her to.  They left without taking an application, but it was a great experience for everyone involved!

Arabia Mountain

Charlotte had the day off work so she came up to PAWS to get Valentine out for a field trip!  They went to Arabia Mountain.  Vally was very alarmed by the tall signs.  She had never seen anything like them before but as she walked on she got more and more use to everything around her.  Other dogs would walk by, and she would turn her head away from them and strut right past.  Valentine has been at the shelter since she was a baby and she can be nervous when doing new things for the first time.  This is not surprising considering her experience but what does surprise me is how quickly she can learn to be comfortable with things if her handler (aka her friends at the shelter) knows how to make her feel safe.

 

Yesterday, we just hung out in the offleash area at PAWS.  We worked on some agility and then hung out and "settled."  I love watching her run through that tube!

 

Hanging out With Her Classmates

Canine PhD is currently located in Atlanta off Means Street.  In the picture above,Valentine is leaving class with volunteer, Charlotte.  She had a good class and got out in the room with the other dogs who were also out from their corners.  The dogs are kept behind barriers where they cannot see the other dogs, though they can smell and hear them, while they settle down.  When they are in a relaxed state, they are brought from behind the barriers into the mainroom so they can work in each others company.

Valentine never fully relaxed, though she got close a couple times.  She was very aware of everything going on.  She gets so excited by treat rewards that we actually have to limit what kind and how many she can have.  We make sure to use a clicker, soothing pets, soft voices, and calming body language to show her that we want her to relax.

It was a rainy afternoon, and there was a lot happening in Atlanta this Saturday--protests, sports games, construction.  Given all of the unknowns, we are very proud of how well Valentine did.  We are going to continue working on relaxing and settling at the shelter so she gets better and better for her classes.  For a shelter dog, relaxing is not always easy.  They live uncertain lives but, if we can teach them how to soothe themselves, they will have tools that they can use the rest of their lives.  In the shelter and in their adoptive home.

Contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org if you or someone you know is interested in Valentine.

Valentine's First Class!

Valentine went to her first group class at Canine PhD this past Saturday.  We had the dogs relax in each other's presence.  This was just a basic introduction so we kept the dogs behind visual barriers and had them focus on laying down on their "places."  We then passed the "places" (little carpet squares) around so each dog could sniff the other dogs.  Dogs are less visual than we are and can get a lot of information through sniffing and listening.  They are able to "meet" each other in this way without being overwhelmed by too much new stimuli. 

 

While class was in session, Meredith and MarLee would drop in on the dogs to see how things were going and offer advice.  They would also throw treats to the pups to get them use to surprise visits or for following commands like "sit." 

 

Overall, Valentine did fantastic.  She was able to relax in a brand new facility with brand new dogs for brief periods.  And even when she was more alert than relaxed, she kept a positive attitude and listened well to commands.  She was constantly checking in with Charlotte, and we couldn't be more proud.  We are all looking forward to our next class!

 

We Are Ready to Attend Classes!

Valentine met with MarLee again today to cover some basics that will help her when she starts a multi-dog class.  We worked on relaxing and will soon be teaching the "settle" command.  Valentine was given a "spot" (a fluffy bed) to relax on.  We listened to relaxing music (http://throughadogsear.com/), used soft voices, and gentle/soothing touch to get her in the right mood for training.  MarLee explained that if she reaches "threshold," or gets too amped up, no learning will be able to occur so we try to set her up for success by getting her calm before introducing distractions.  At the end of class, we reviewed leash handling.  Valentine responded very well and now she is ready to begin her indoor training classes with other dogs and new people she has never met.  Charlotte and I will begin those at the end of the month!

Valentine is doing an amazing job, but she would do even better in a foster home.  If you or someone you know would be willing to foster her until she gets a home please contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org.

Valentine's Second Lesson

Valentine enjoyed working outside on her last visit to Canine PhD!  We worked on our leash training.  We focused on Auto Check-Ins.  This gets Valentine use to checking in with the person (looking at us) on the other end of the leash.  Then we worked with loose leash walking and orienting exercises.  These help her bond with the handler, learn to focus on the handler, and teaches her not to pull on the leash.  Orienting exercises help us refocus when something or someone nearby might seem scary to her.

The last thing we worked on was on-leash petting.  We want to teach Valentine to ask for attention in an appropriate manner.  Right now, she gets very excited when she sees people she loves and begins to wiggle and jump.  She should sit and wait to be greeted, calmly.  We only have her greet people she wants to greet.  We teach her that she has control of the situation and that she can express herself in a calm way.

Vally seems to do quite well with kitties.  Here we are, chillin' in the cat house with Stephan several months ago.

Please share Valentine's story with your friends and family.  Contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org for more details.