LeviTheOutlaw
Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone...
I'm happy I found this website. I've been looking for a place to get training advice and this forum seems great for that.
I love animals and seem to have a zoo at home. I started out with my cat, Ripley. Then rescued a Boston Terrier named Xena. She was not treated well at her old home but now that I have her, she is definitely spoiled rotten. She is sweet as pie and right from the started she has hardly needed any training. She just seems to know what I want her to do. She has no interest in learning tricks for treats.... every time I try she puts her nose up and walks away like "Pfft...I'm not doin that."
I decided to get another dog for a number of reasons: 1) Xena stays home alone all day while I am at work and I thought it must be lonely for her. 2) I'm a very active person and I wanted a dog that would run and hike longer distances with me then Xena had been willing to do. and 3) All my life I have always rescued full grown dogs. I've never had the experience of having a puppy in the house. So, along came the cutest puppy I ever seen... Levi. Levi is a year and 4 months now. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and was told he is a mix of australian shepard and blue heeler. He is the most high energy, fur flyin, ball chasin, practical jokin, hungry and lovable outlaw there ever was...
I knew having a puppy was going to be a big challenge. I knew it was going to require a lot of training and patience... but OH My!!! Levi is something else. I started taking him to manners class when he was 4 months. After repeating the class 3 times and lots of hard work on both our parts he finally graduated. At this point he knows how to behave and does it 85% of the time. He has even learned a few tricks. He shakes paws, spins around, sits, lays down, fetchs the ball (which is his all time favorite game), when I put his food down he sits and won't touch it till I tell him ok. We have other tricks we are working on but those are the ones he has mastered.
Xena and Levi are best buddies. Before Levi, Xena had no interest in chewing on any toys. She still doesn't but She loves to get something and pretend to chew it so Levi will chase her and try to get it. If Levi is chewing a bone or toy she loves to hop around trying to get it from him and when she succeeds, she takes off running. It's so funny to watch them play. They are both constant comedy.
I'm happy I found this website. I've been looking for a place to get training advice and this forum seems great for that.
I love animals and seem to have a zoo at home. I started out with my cat, Ripley. Then rescued a Boston Terrier named Xena. She was not treated well at her old home but now that I have her, she is definitely spoiled rotten. She is sweet as pie and right from the started she has hardly needed any training. She just seems to know what I want her to do. She has no interest in learning tricks for treats.... every time I try she puts her nose up and walks away like "Pfft...I'm not doin that."
I decided to get another dog for a number of reasons: 1) Xena stays home alone all day while I am at work and I thought it must be lonely for her. 2) I'm a very active person and I wanted a dog that would run and hike longer distances with me then Xena had been willing to do. and 3) All my life I have always rescued full grown dogs. I've never had the experience of having a puppy in the house. So, along came the cutest puppy I ever seen... Levi. Levi is a year and 4 months now. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and was told he is a mix of australian shepard and blue heeler. He is the most high energy, fur flyin, ball chasin, practical jokin, hungry and lovable outlaw there ever was...
I knew having a puppy was going to be a big challenge. I knew it was going to require a lot of training and patience... but OH My!!! Levi is something else. I started taking him to manners class when he was 4 months. After repeating the class 3 times and lots of hard work on both our parts he finally graduated. At this point he knows how to behave and does it 85% of the time. He has even learned a few tricks. He shakes paws, spins around, sits, lays down, fetchs the ball (which is his all time favorite game), when I put his food down he sits and won't touch it till I tell him ok. We have other tricks we are working on but those are the ones he has mastered.
Xena and Levi are best buddies. Before Levi, Xena had no interest in chewing on any toys. She still doesn't but She loves to get something and pretend to chew it so Levi will chase her and try to get it. If Levi is chewing a bone or toy she loves to hop around trying to get it from him and when she succeeds, she takes off running. It's so funny to watch them play. They are both constant comedy.
I LOVE your dogs!!!!! It's sooo great that they have eachother!!!! And you!!!!! LOL!!!
And it's AWESOME that you rescue dogs!!!! Most of us here LOVE it when people decide to rescue!!!! Are you planning on teaching Levi more tricks, or agility???? Do you use a clicker??? If not, clickers are GREAT training tools!!!! If you have any questions, just ask!!!! I hope you find this site as AWESOME as the rest of us do!!!!!
If Levi still pulls, a martingale collar or an easy/gentle leader could be a good alternative. Teaching Levi heel and loose-leash walking is *I think* waaaay better than all the products. Here are some kikopup videos on teaching loose leas walking and heel:
but i've learned a lot from hanging around here on DTA.
The spots on his face are Merle, not the ticking in Cattle dogs/ heelers.
