In Between Classes

Valentine loves working at the shelter.  We practice all the things MarLee showed us, and we grow increasingly adjusted to the head collar that Meredith suggested.  We are suppose to work on our training in areas where Valentine is slightly out of her element, where the place is new and/or there are new people walking by.  We want her to feel safe, but we also want her to know her commands in areas other than the shelter so that she responds to them all the time no matter what the circumstances are.  This is called fluency and it is when a dog can perform on cue in a variety or environments with assorted distractions.  When Valentine leaves the shelter, she only responds to cues she knows well at the shelter some of the time.  She is not fluent, but we are working on it!

Valentine is doing great.  Yesterday, we did our training in the parking lot, near (but not too near) the fence of the offleash area.  We practiced "touch," "sit," "watch me," and "down" and Valentine did a great job, even with the distractions of being able to see other dogs and new people in the distance.  A police officer even approached us and Valentine seemed more excited than scared.  We still kept our distance and continued with treats because I wanted Vally to know she was safe, and I did not want to rush her into anything.

As is the way of the shelter, we were on our way back from a wonderful training session when two dogs broke loose from the people walking them and started running towards us.  We were able to walk back to Valentine's kennel, but it got her very excited and we had to spend some time calming down. 

Later, we went out for some offleash time and Valentine ran up and down the agility ramp and all around the wooded trail.  She would return to me on command and sit, anxiously waiting for my praise.

Shelter life is insecure and it is all Valentine has ever known.  She would benefit strongly from being in a caring and dedicated foster home.  If you or anyone you know could be her hero, please contact Laura at lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org.

Valentine's First Lesson

Valentine and I met with MarLee at Canine PhD last week for our first lesson.  Valentine was far more relaxed on this visit than on our first one, but she still showed her anxiety.  She was aware of any change in environment as soon as it happened.  She was also less inclined to show of her training skills in a new place.  Even a sit in a new environment was uncomfortable.

MarLee was kind enough to give us a refresher course, reminding me to only cue once and to pay attention to hand signals.  It does no good to ask a dog to sit over and over and over again.  The goal is to have her listen the first time you ask and not the twentieth!  I also had to remember to mark her good behaviors with a "yes!" and offer her the release cue of "okay!"

We are now working on doing sit, down, watch, and touch in new environments.  We want to lengthen how long she will offer us these behaviors.  We also want to work on auto watch, meaning we are rewarding Valentine for checking in with us on her own.  So we reward her when she looks up and makes eye contact with us.  She is also learning to use a head collar again! 

There is a lot to do, but we are up for the challenge!  Wish us luck and please continue to help us find her a foster or adoptive home! lmckevey@pawsatlanta.org

A Rocky Start

Valentine was just a week old when she was thrown into a garbage can.  Luckily, someone saw it happen, was able to fetch her out, and get her to PAWS Atlanta.  She was then bottle fed and raised by a previous staff member in her home.

She was spoiled rotten until it was time for her to go up for adoption, around 4 months old.

A lot of people showed interest in her but she never found a home of her own.  

 Poor Valentine grew up at the shelter.  She had a lot of dog friends here, though now she does not play well with others.  She went into a home once but was not there for more than a couple weeks before being picked up by a local animal control as a stray.  The stress and the insecurity of shelter life have left her anxious, and she did not learn how to act socially with others.  She is very bonded with the volunteers and staff at PAWS Atlanta, and we are to her.  We cannot bare to think of her spending another year here. She is playful, energetic, and sweet.  She is smart, though stubborn, and we are excited to get her started on training at Canine Phd.

Valentine has already been through basic obedience training at the shelter, and there is a lovely volunteer trainer that works with her three times a week, but we know she will benefit from the more specialized training offered by Meredith and crew at Canine PhD.

She went in last week for a consultation, and we start her private sessions this week.  Wish us luck and help us find this beautiful 3 year old girl the loving home she has always deserved!

Valentine is available for fostering or adopting.

lmckelvey@pawsatlanta.org

We are looking for a home where she can be the only pup.  It would be great if she could go to someone who is active and dog experienced.  She would be a great candidate for nose work, but she would also be quite content with a runner!