It has been a long time since I last posted anything and so much has changed in my life. I started doing tricks with my dog and I came to the realization that that was HER THING. I always wanted a super dog to compete in Agillity, flyball, disc, dock diving etc. but I never thought of tricks as a sport, but guess what, it is!!! So you work with what you've got. My mentor told me a long time ago that people are always trying to get their next dog and have it all planned out that they will be their (insert sport type here) dog but they don't realize that dogs are a lot like people you may want your baby to grow up to be say an olympic gold medal swimmer but it doesn't mean it is the future they will want and/or enjoy. I will never stop doing agility with my dog and I do plan to compete with her in the future but I have learned that when she does agility she is doing it because I want her to, when she is doing tricks, she is doing tricks because she wants to work at them and she is obviously having a blast doing what she loves. It wasn't my first choice but I have never seen her as confident and happy as she is when she is performing for me. That being said we still have a ways to go with getting rid of her stage fright. I can see it in her face and body, I imagine her little brain is saying "Yay it's trick time!!!! Oh wait, why are those weird people watching me, I'll just wait until they leave, then I'll show Mommy all my tricks" as I said it's a work in progress.
Khazi started getting so good at her tricks that my mentor suggested that I get into getting Khazi her trick titles through Kyra Sundance and the Do More With Your Dog titling program. Flash forward six months later and Khazi and I have earned all five trick titles that can be earned including the final level of Trick Dog Champion (AKA TDCH) I also got a few letters after my name too CTDI (Certified Trick Dog Instructor). Do More With Your Dog is the official sanctioning body for the sport of dog tricks and I decided if I wanted to be serious about my future in dog training I should go through the best program to get certified. I am so happy with my decision
I always think things would be so different if I had her as a puppy or if she hadn't experienced what she did in her first year of life but I think if it was easy I wouldn't appriciate the little successes as much as I do and while it isn't easy the amount of work I have to put in to every little thing has made me a great trainer. I have never encountered an issue where I have been totally stumped as to what I should be doing next. I feel like I have fought every battle there is to be fought and I eventually won so I can relate that expience to every issue a student is having.
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