Personal Triumphs

Originally posted 11/06/2008

I mostly want this blog to be about general dog training tips, ideas, and observations I make on a day-to-day basis as a dog trainer.

But once in a while, I have to share a personal triumph.

Siobhan the wonder collie accompanied me today on a 'real-world' training excursion. Because I was working primarily with a client's dog, she spent a good deal of time in the car...with my banana that is intended to be my dinner on my drive home...and with a 40 pound bag of dog food in the front seat...and with a baggie with dog treats on the dashboard.

Several times during the dog training visit, I was not only out of her sight range, but also out of her scent and hearing range...inside of several houses, one a block away from where she and the car were parked.

When the training was over and I was on my way back to the car, I realized I'd left a loose, very food-motivated dog alone for over 30 minutes in a car full of various foods. To say the least, I was expecting the worst.

She delivered the best. She was waiting patiently in the driver's seat (if you've never seen a collie sitting the driver's seat, looking like a chaffeur, you haven't seen anything). She hadn't touched the bag of fresh dog food. Or the banana. Or even the baggie with dog treats.

Any of you who knows how very much Siobhan looooooves food, understands that this was a great day in history.

That's it from this end of the leash.

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Dog Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO. She can be reached at k9counselor.com