DECEMBER 2021 Client Spotlight: Ragnar
The dog that made me love German Shepherds even more!
Ragnar, the dog that taught me to love shepherds even more. When I met him at four months old, he was full of life and love and showed endless joy when he was outside. He was nothing but sweet and loved being around people. Every time I saw him, he’d light up and come into position. It was so much fun to see!
When I started working with Ragnar, he was already a big boy and his owners were concerned with his lack of impulse control. They were planning on extending their family but knew they wanted a dog first. I applauded them for seeking positive reinforcement training because some of the issues they were experiencing could have been resolved in other ways. I am so grateful that they chose to work with me because now, he is flourishing.
Back when he was little, he had a bad habit of running out of doors and did not like to come when he was called. Also, he is very friendly, so greetings were a problem, especially since he was so strong. We worked very hard on skills such as “Stay”, “Leave it” and “Come” so, in the event that he wanted to say hello, everyone knew the routine. This is what dog training is all about, training small behaviors that when combined, set everyone up for success.
If you can get a dog motivated to learn foundation behaviors and you work on those behaviors a little every day, you can eventually use them for life events such as feedings or walks around town. Greetings take time to learn and it’s better if you can start the process early to prevent bad habits such a jumping. Ragnar worked very hard at each session and showed so much progress even in a month’s time.
Ragnar showing off his kerchief!
Training can take up to a year or more depending on what you’re working on, how much it’s practiced and how consistent you are in your day-to-day interactions and routines. Luckily for Ragnar, his owners stayed on top of the training and have continued to practice the skills that we developed. Since working with him, I’ve taken on many more GSD’s but I’ll honestly never forget him, as he was and still is very special to me.