Tuesday
Apr052016
Last Class: Videos Added
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 4:58PM 
Diplomas and all and this is the 2nd one for Radar!
Here's the gallery. Videos will have to come when I get a chance to split them up. Youtube only allows 15 minutes max a video unless you are a commercial entity.
Next in classes will be Trouble and Havoc at the end of this month. We are also looking at continuing Stone and River's classes.
The class was a blast. We missed having Keiki and River there. Now as soon as it gets warm we will have to setup a playdate.
That's it! To the next class!
Reader Comments (19)
Are planning another class other than puppy or family? If so is it just for puppies? Wouldn't mind doing another with clarity before the new puppy comestibles home. Please let me know.
Why
why what? With stone we will do another level but we will do it in Ajax. With the puppy it will be a puppy class. Never did one so want to see what its about.
Why was an error.
Thanks Darlah, blast is right, we had a great time and so did the kids,hahaha!
We did Practical Living (Intermediate) with Patches. Patches has done 4 classes (Family Dog twice for Radar support and as a refresher for Patches). If you noticed, when we did the musical mats game, I gave Patches the 'mat' command when we were supposed to make them 'down' to stay in the game. That was the most important command I thought we learned in Practical Living. Patches will lie down on any mat if I give her that command. I deliberately backed out of that game since I thought it unfair since Patches has done the next level and knew that command so well. I wanted a pup to win!!
I did Puppy PreSchool with both Patches and Radar, a four week course, and highly recommend it.
We've done all the classes except puppy with various dogs. But what I didn't say in this class was I used to like the hand signals we used to learn. We continue to use them at home. Shoshi I can put my hand up and she still goes into an immediate down even in a crowd. She has not been to classes for years and neither has Kat but they know it so well. Kat still tries to get up quickly if allowed. You stand there and not give a treat and he resigns himself to holding the down. Practical Living used to be called something else. We did it before and after the name change. We have also done the agility, tricks etc but no dance as that is new. There is a ton of value in continuing classes as you will get a dog with lasting useful focus and can also save your dog in certain situations. The bond it creates is like no other.
Paula has in her contract that she requires you to take at least one obedience class. As I have seen dogs that do not know commands and are not as social, I think it's a bonus at any age. Total Recall is another very fun class.
Ah yes, Practical Living is the one with the 'down' hand signal. Patches knows that one too.
I agree Darlah, I like the hand signal commands. I still practice these with Kona before I feed him his dinner every day. I also use it when someone comes to the door or enters the house. It is harder for him to remain down on those occasions.
Havanese want to greet everyone.
Angela:
We used to learn the hand signals from Family dog on. We always did both. I actually wrote to Gillian as I think it is so necessary to have them. If a dog goes deaf or you need to give a signal across a field, it's a bonus. It's too bad that they are waiting till Practical living till they do it. I wonder if it was too confusing for some. Gillian is amazing so there must be a reason. I just miss it. I think its way too valuable and even as humans if we learn it from the beginning, it sticks.
I just realized we have gone to Gillian (tried others too) for over 25 years when she first was in the Beaches. Then we followed her to Ajax when she opened up there. Time goes by way too quickly. One of my fave instructors now has her own classes in Blackstock and we followed her there at times. Blackstock is just too far and none of our puppy people would go.
Darlah:
I think you must mean Teddy Green, she taught Rudy when I took him for classes at Who's Walking Who 12 years ago. She also gave me individual consulting to help me try to curtail my Sheltie Sally's barking at the squirrels. She is terrific but, I agree, Blackstock is a long way to go.
Yeah love Teddy. Love her hubby Lane too. Didn't realize we have been seeing Gillian for so long. Time goes by like a blip - too fast.
Ask, what level are you doing with stone I. Ajax ... Perhaps there is room for clarity in that class.
Congratulations and BRAVO to the little ones and their leaders for graduating the Family Dog classes! Well Done!
Radar's new hair cut shows off his pretty eyes. He looks proud of himself.
Thanks Kathy, he does have pretty eyes. And, I didn't put his paws on the diploma, he did that himself , so he must have been proud. :-)
Watching Radar in the class videos showed me that Radar was very engaged with his lessons.