bighoneydog
New Member
Hi Everyone,
I am absolutely delighted to have found Dog Tricks Academy and this forum. I have been a member of several dog forums for a while but have always been frustrated because very few people seem to be interested in discussing training - mostly people want help with basic things with their puppies or major behavioural problems they should really see a professional about (!) but nobody seems really interested in training as an "activity" to enjoy with your dog and to discuss the ins & outs of it.
So when I found this place, it was like finding paradise!!![Smile :) :)](/members/forums/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png)
Anyway, a bit about me: my husband and I live in Auckland, NZ and we have a 5yr old Great Dane called Honey who is our first dog. Despite lots of people telling me that Great Danes are a "difficult-to-train" breed and not to waste my time...I have never let that stop me from doing things with her. I love training with her - although I'd be the first to admit that it takes a LOT of patience, repetition and persistence!!! :dogrolleyes:
We do a lot of clicker training and compete quite succesfully in Canine Freestyle, as well as dabbling in a bit of Obedience and Agility. Basically, we're game to try anything! Although Honey's size can be a bit of a limiting factor, eg. there is no giant breeds agility here so the equipment is often too small...Honey has achieved her KC Canine Good Citizen GOLD award and we are working towards the CDX title; she is also a registered Therapy Dog.
Here is a video montage of us doing Canine Freestyle:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHHeJZAuJo[/media]
I love teaching Honey tricks and am always trying to come up with new ones to train her, although being a Dane, she definitely does not have the attention span, concentration or drive of the working breeds! I have to keep training sessions REALLY short and be really exciting to motivate her, otherwise she is quite happy to just lie down and take a nap instead! :dogtongue2: Also, her brain can't take much in at one time - she is really quite dopey. But very sweet natured and placid and mellow (which is probably part of the problem - you probably want a more hyper dog to get better results!).
I won't deny that it is awfully hard work training a Dane but I'd rather do things with the breed I love than with an "easier" breed just to succeed. When I first started, I got mocked a lot and people laughing at me and telling me to "get a real dog, like a Border Collie" - and sometimes, I still get nasty comments now but most people have been impressed by what we have achieved. In fact, we shocked everyone by beating all the Border Collies to walk away with the trophy for Best Routine in Canine Freestyle at the NZ National Dog Training Assembly in 2007! So it just goes to show that anything is possible if you believe and you're willing to put in the hard work!
Anyway, I can't wait to get to know everyone and take part in the challenges! We're practising really hard at the moment for a dance performance coming up in a week's time but once that's over, I'll be getting my clicker out for some new tricks!! :dogsmile:
Hsin-Yi (& Honey)
I am absolutely delighted to have found Dog Tricks Academy and this forum. I have been a member of several dog forums for a while but have always been frustrated because very few people seem to be interested in discussing training - mostly people want help with basic things with their puppies or major behavioural problems they should really see a professional about (!) but nobody seems really interested in training as an "activity" to enjoy with your dog and to discuss the ins & outs of it.
So when I found this place, it was like finding paradise!!
![Smile :) :)](/members/forums/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png)
Anyway, a bit about me: my husband and I live in Auckland, NZ and we have a 5yr old Great Dane called Honey who is our first dog. Despite lots of people telling me that Great Danes are a "difficult-to-train" breed and not to waste my time...I have never let that stop me from doing things with her. I love training with her - although I'd be the first to admit that it takes a LOT of patience, repetition and persistence!!! :dogrolleyes:
We do a lot of clicker training and compete quite succesfully in Canine Freestyle, as well as dabbling in a bit of Obedience and Agility. Basically, we're game to try anything! Although Honey's size can be a bit of a limiting factor, eg. there is no giant breeds agility here so the equipment is often too small...Honey has achieved her KC Canine Good Citizen GOLD award and we are working towards the CDX title; she is also a registered Therapy Dog.
Here is a video montage of us doing Canine Freestyle:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHHeJZAuJo[/media]
I love teaching Honey tricks and am always trying to come up with new ones to train her, although being a Dane, she definitely does not have the attention span, concentration or drive of the working breeds! I have to keep training sessions REALLY short and be really exciting to motivate her, otherwise she is quite happy to just lie down and take a nap instead! :dogtongue2: Also, her brain can't take much in at one time - she is really quite dopey. But very sweet natured and placid and mellow (which is probably part of the problem - you probably want a more hyper dog to get better results!).
I won't deny that it is awfully hard work training a Dane but I'd rather do things with the breed I love than with an "easier" breed just to succeed. When I first started, I got mocked a lot and people laughing at me and telling me to "get a real dog, like a Border Collie" - and sometimes, I still get nasty comments now but most people have been impressed by what we have achieved. In fact, we shocked everyone by beating all the Border Collies to walk away with the trophy for Best Routine in Canine Freestyle at the NZ National Dog Training Assembly in 2007! So it just goes to show that anything is possible if you believe and you're willing to put in the hard work!
Anyway, I can't wait to get to know everyone and take part in the challenges! We're practising really hard at the moment for a dance performance coming up in a week's time but once that's over, I'll be getting my clicker out for some new tricks!! :dogsmile:
Hsin-Yi (& Honey)
![](http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j78/hsinyicohen/BigSpender-bow.jpg)
![](http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j78/hsinyicohen/HYHoney-fernCROP-BIG.jpg)