Betty Laurin- CPDT-KA- CDBC

When dog training students enter into my classroom they quickly find out that there is nothing basic about their first course in basic training 101.  As they enter the room they might find that I greet them at the door in a wheelchair.   I am not physically disabled but there are millions of people who are.  Every dog needs to know how to act and react when approached by a wheel chair or power chair, whether your intentions are therapy dog work or not, it’s simply an important part of a dog’s socialization skills.  Working with disabled individuals for many years, I know firsthand how frightening it can be to an individual if they are approached by a barking, lunging dog.

We see it everywhere in the United States, obesity, it has become an ever growing problem within our society.  It’s true, America has a weight problem!  Studies tell us that our children are overweight and under exercised.  When I was a child, I couldn’t wait to get home from school and go outside to play with my friends.  We played tag, hide and seek, rode our bicycles, roller skated and played many other games until the sun went down.  While we were outdoors getting exercise and fresh air, our dogs were always at our side, romping and playing in the fresh air.    Today however, most children come home from school and sit in front of computers and play games, text message each other or watch television for hours on end.  The family dog is generally sitting or lying by their side, if not in a crate, for hours on end!  Some dogs only receive short strolls around the block before dinner and dog owner’s call that exercise?! &

It's Tuesday night, the beginner dog training class is in their second week of training.  Owners and dogs arrive at the field. As they walk up to the training area,  most are carrying backpacks and chukka sticks in hand.  Everyone makes their way to the large open grassy field, they immediately remove their dog’s leashes and urge their dogs to “go!” As their dogs run ahead, at what appears to be the speed of light, they quickly turn and hold an attentive eye on their owner, not their dog friends!  They know that if they keep their eyes on their owners, something really great will happen.  Suddenly tennis balls are screaming across the field, to the left, to the right, out in front, they are everywhere!  Dogs are trying their best to avoid each other in their attempt to retrieve a ball and get it back to their owner as quickly as possible.

On a recent visit to a new client’s home, I was amazed with the information that she shared with me, regarding her previous dog training experiences with her small dog.  She sat and explained that she had opted to take her small dog to a local trainers play group in hopes to address her dog's reactivity around other dogs and strangers.   The trainer knew her concerns and had no problem enrolling her into the group of small dogs.