Our Story – Part 2

Mr. Flaki started obedience class soon after Mr. Toby, but it was a very different experience! Where Mr. Toby naturally focused on me, Flaki was more interested in the world around him. And he reacted to it – strongly!! The same techniques that worked so well with Toby, didn’t with Flaki. He earned his CGC in June 2000, but it took much longer.

After awhile, it became clear that something else was needed with Flaki. The traditional training methods I had learned weren’t working. So I started my search that eventually led me to clicker training and yet again, life has never been the same!

What a joy! To take a dog from being totally focused outward and shape him inward. To take training that had become a struggle of wills and make it something he asked to do! And they both ask to train in no uncertain terms!

I credit Flaki with forcing me to find a better way and I will always be grateful to him for it. I also credit both of them with giving me a broader experience with dogs that led me to begin teaching and now to this blog and its related Squidoo site.

This new path led me to the whole new world of Operant and Classical Conditioning, B.F. Sinner, Bob and Marion Bailey and Chicken Camp. Yes, training chickens! (More on that in future posts.) Along the road I’ve made some wonderful friends and training partners, ended up teaching basic and sub-novice level classes and private lessons as well. I’ve become an official CGC Evaluator and have also started the long process to become an AKC obedience judge. And, with the help of my friends, we held an AMBOR (American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry) Trial. As I learned with Flaki, the mixes have much less opportunity than the purebreds. So we held a Trial with ribbons, prizes, an AKC judge, etc. for mixes only. It was a major success and I hope to offer this again in the future.

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Remember, when you train properly you Pay Per Click!