'Ello

[charmedwolf]

Hello Everybody! I'm a highschool student that loves training her dogs to do new things even though I might have no clue what I'm doing. I have 2 dogs soon to be 3. 16 month old English mastiff named Kratos, A 5 year old Bull mastiff named Moose and hopefully we will be adding another bull mastiff.

 

[brody_smom]

Hello Everybody! I'm a highschool student that loves training her dogs to do new things even though I might have no clue what I'm doing. I have 2 dogs soon to be 3. 16 month old English mastiff named Kratos, A 5 year old Bull mastiff named Moose and hopefully we will be adding another bull mastiff.

I was just scrolling through all the old intro posts and found yours. This was almost six years ago, so you must be all finished with high school. What did you decide to do after graduation? Have you been to college at all? I see you still have Kratos, but no Moose, and did you end up getting a couple of Boxers instead of another Mastiff?

 

[charmedwolf]

God, I sound so young and innocent.

I was 15-16? when I joined. I've been out of high school for 3 years now. Around graduation time I started working for a dog show handler, a boarding kennel and a grooming salon, all at the same time Why I decided that was a good idea I'll never know. I have however gotten a little more sense and I don't work 3 jobs. lol I just work in retail which is almost as bad!

I was in college for about 3 semesters before a couple of family emergencies had me hopping all over the east coast of the US. I was going for a degree in Animal Science then onto Vet School. I have almost all my requirements done so maybe within the next few years I'll go back and finish my degree.

Moose passed away my senior year of high school from intestinal cancer. I still have Kratos. He just turned 7 last month. I didn't really intend to get Jinx and Isis, or their angelic siblings but sometimes things just happen. We thought we were adopting two Boxers after the mother was abandoned on the street then we some how got suckered into taking all 4 pups as the people that had them weren't getting others to adopt. Maserati and Axle were the two we were originally going to get then Isis and Jinx somehow slide their way in. After I put the training in, Maserati was actually adopted out to another family instead.

I didn't ever get my other Mastiff. Jinx and Isis have made it harder to get another dog so I think when they pass I'll look into it. But Moose's death, even though it was 3 years ago, has been a hole in my heart that hasn't healed. I may love Jinx, Isis and Kratos but they're not Moose.

It's amazing what can happen in just 6 years, huh?

 

[running_dog]

Thank you for the update you HAVE had a lot going on in 6 years. I'm glad that through everything that has changed you have kept your focus on where you want to get to .

Do you still help out with Schutzhund? And do you still use the Sue Ailsby training levels? (I was thinking I'd have to look at them again when yesterday Zac decided to melt down and forget what sit means )

 

[brody_smom]

God, I sound so young and innocent.

I was 15-16? when I joined. I've been out of high school for 3 years now. Around graduation time I started working for a dog show handler, a boarding kennel and a grooming salon, all at the same time Why I decided that was a good idea I'll never know. I have however gotten a little more sense and I don't work 3 jobs. lol I just work in retail which is almost as bad!

I was in college for about 3 semesters before a couple of family emergencies had me hopping all over the east coast of the US. I was going for a degree in Animal Science then onto Vet School. I have almost all my requirements done so maybe within the next few years I'll go back and finish my degree.

Moose passed away my senior year of high school from intestinal cancer. I still have Kratos. He just turned 7 last month. I didn't really intend to get Jinx and Isis, or their angelic siblings but sometimes things just happen. We thought we were adopting two Boxers after the mother was abandoned on the street then we some how got suckered into taking all 4 pups as the people that had them weren't getting others to adopt. Maserati and Axle were the two we were originally going to get then Isis and Jinx somehow slide their way in. After I put the training in, Maserati was actually adopted out to another family instead.

I didn't ever get my other Mastiff. Jinx and Isis have made it harder to get another dog so I think when they pass I'll look into it. But Moose's death, even though it was 3 years ago, has been a hole in my heart that hasn't healed. I may love Jinx, Isis and Kratos but they're not Moose.

It's amazing what can happen in just 6 years, huh?

I guess the younger you are, the more your life can change over a short period of time! So sorry about Moose. Someone has used the term "heart dog", and I guess Moose was that for you. I don't know if I have ever had one, as I have felt a deep loss of every dog I've ever owned, but none more profound than the other. If it gets worse than what I have already experienced, I don't know how I will handle it!

 

[charmedwolf]

I just realized I've moved to 5 different states in 6 years. I'm sure the dogs don't mind it but I'd like to stop having family emergencies now.

Thank you for the update you HAVE had a lot going on in 6 years. I'm glad that through everything that has changed you have kept your focus on where you want to get to .

Do you still help out with Schutzhund? And do you still use the Sue Ailsby training levels? (I was thinking I'd have to look at them again when yesterday Zac decided to melt down and forget what sit means )

I don't help out in Schutzhund anymore but only because I need to to buy a new suit. And that's gonna cost me up to $1550 . I do however still hang out with my IPO buddies and have gotten a couple of friends that are going into Protection Sports Association (PSA) now. It's a blast and I can't wait til I can jump back in.

I do still use Sue's training levels though I will admit I really like the old levels more than the new ones. The old ones seem more based on sports and competition while the new ones are just a good pet it seems. Even though I don't compete, I feel it helps me stay on track because if I wanted to I could compete.

I guess the younger you are, the more your life can change over a short period of time! So sorry about Moose. Someone has used the term "heart dog", and I guess Moose was that for you. I don't know if I have ever had one, as I have felt a deep loss of every dog I've ever owned, but none more profound than the other. If it gets worse than what I have already experienced, I don't know how I will handle it!

Life changed really quickly. I wasn't expecting it to.

I believe that Moose was probably my heart dog. My family keeps telling me Moose was just myself as a dog and I couldn't agree more. On one hand I hope you get to experience a heart dog (Maybe it's Brody and you just haven't notice yet ) but on the other hand I don't want you to feel the lose of one.

 

[running_dog]

You can still get the old levels off the website though can't you? The old ones WERE really channelled towards doing sport and competition. I remember that. Really I should work them with Gus, how long would you say it took you to work the first two levels? - I know it is different for each dog but I'd be interested to have an idea of how long it would take for a particular dog.

Zac is me as a dog too but I'm not sure he's my heart dog. I met a Staffordshire bull terrier yesterday and though I don't even much like the breed he had something that Zac and Gus haven't got, something I didn't know I was missing until then. I sure hope he wasn't my heart dog though because Mum made me take him to the pound! I hope to get him back and re-home him myself if he's not claimed and not being moved to the no kill shelter.

 

[charmedwolf]

Yep, you can still get the old levels off the website. I even have them saved in a folder on my computer just in case. I would suggest working to at least level 3. I think that's the perfect level for a great pet. Kratos took about a week to do just level 1. Level 2 took about 3 weeks but I was in school then so it could go faster. Level 3 took a month. Kratos took to it very fast. The only thing that took a long time was the Zen stuff because Kratos is the most food motivated dog I've ever met.

 

[brody_smom]

Zac is me as a dog too but I'm not sure he's my heart dog. I met a Staffordshire bull terrier yesterday and though I don't even much like the breed he had something that Zac and Gus haven't got, something I didn't know I was missing until then. I sure hope he wasn't my heart dog though because Mum made me take him to the pound! I hope to get him back and re-home him myself if he's not claimed and not being moved to the no kill shelter.

That is an interesting idea, "me as a dog"! I was a very shy child! As an adult, I'm not so much shy as selective. I can be quite friendly with strangers, but have very few close friends. Classic introvert.

I would never think of owning a Staffie either, but there is something about them that draws me in. Every one I have ever met has had that certain something that I think is unique to the breed.

 

[running_dog]

Yep, you can still get the old levels off the website. I even have them saved in a folder on my computer just in case. I would suggest working to at least level 3. I think that's the perfect level for a great pet. Kratos took about a week to do just level 1. Level 2 took about 3 weeks but I was in school then so it could go faster. Level 3 took a month. Kratos took to it very fast. The only thing that took a long time was the Zen stuff because Kratos is the most food motivated dog I've ever met.

That is really helpful, thank you.

The only part of the levels that I ever really began to work was the Zen stuff. Puppy Gus's character seemed very similar to that of another dog I know who dives after food and tennis balls and won't give them up, because of that I really worked on Zen and Gus is brilliant with all that. The problem is of course that even though he doesn't try to steal the food off the coffee table his tail will accidentally swipe it all to the floor anyway and though he doesn't dive for it we mostly don't want to eat it either!

It always seemed to me that the levels would take a really long time to work but a few months seems quite reasonable. Did you manage to set up the training games that involved other people? I really struggle to get people to help. Mostly my family say Gus is fine as he is so why bother .

Also goes to download the old levels... just in case .

 

[charmedwolf]

Did you manage to set up the training games that involved other people? I really struggle to get people to help. Mostly my family say Gus is fine as he is so why bother .

Most of the time my family didn't help out. My room mate did once or twice in exchange for food but other wise I was on my own. I've played a lot of recall games by myself with just treat throwing. Once I got further and further into the levels and needed more people I went to my local training club and used them lol . And now since he only listens to me reliably, they are more likely to partake in our training games. Just a little bit of manipulation and they never saw it coming.

 

[running_dog]

Most of the time my family didn't help out. My room mate did once or twice in exchange for food but other wise I was on my own. I've played a lot of recall games by myself with just treat throwing. Once I got further and further into the levels and needed more people I went to my local training club and used them lol . And now since he only listens to me reliably, they are more likely to partake in our training games. Just a little bit of manipulation and they never saw it coming.

I guess I should just start and then work out how to involve people as I go along - no point letting what I can't do stop me doing what I can