4 comments from 2012 Elementary Class students...they know how you feel and what you are going through this week

Class,

I have asked our 2012 students to provide brief comments on teaching the Sit for your benefit and understanding.

1st comment: Pam/Piper

Establishing the Sit early in training is essential to success at the next levels.   I was not as consistent with my Sit practice and expectations as I should have been when I went through EC class.  While my dog Piper is progressing, I still struggle to get her to pay attention to me when she is supposed to and as the skills get more challenging, she is fighting me for dominance, including biting behavior.  If I had built a stronger foundation with the Sit, and practiced more, I believe she would be learning quicker and with more accuracy.  It was my failing - the homework as prescribed is essential.   

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2nd comment: Cassie/Misu

Going through the elementary class was EXTREMELY challenging with a dog as stubborn as mine. I was consistent with the all of the homework, but looking back, I probably could have done more than what was required. Our sits were not solid when we graduated EC and that hindered us in the upcoming classes, especially when you learn stand and down. Applewood’s teaches you in the exact steps you need to follow to be successful in all the new things you haven’t learned yet. Listen to everything the instructors tell you and if your dog is as stubborn as mine, double the homework. It pays off in the end.  

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3rd comment: Becky/Abby

I often wondered why I needed to be so particular with the training, too. I'm not planning to do obedience trials with Abby; I just want a good dog. Over time, I realized that she can't learn to be a good dog if I'm not REALLY consistent with what I'm asking of her (example: heel/Sit position is exactly heel/Sit position and not someplace kind've to my left). 

I'd say one of the biggest benefits of Abby having a solid Sit/Stay and generally learning that I am the boss is that she now looks to me when faced with a distraction. Whether it's a kid on a bike, another dog, or any other "scary" distraction, her instinct, after tons and tons of repetition/teaching, is to look to me instead of react how she used to (which was lunging at dogs, growling and generally acting like a fool for no good reason). 

I also have very practical uses for the commands and they are a part of everyday life, not just for use at Applewoods. For example: "Place" is used when we are eating and when I'm exercising at home to keep the dog out of my way. Sit/Stay is used when I'm getting the dog and groceries out of the car at the same time. I can trust 100% that she is not moving, even if I walk to the other side of the car. I did not get the big picture during the Elementary Class, but seeing the entire program a year later has been extremely rewarding and has given us a completely different dog.

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4th comment: Joyce/Charlie

Think of building a pyramid. It doesn’t make much difference if the stone on the bottom is a couple of inches off—until you get a few rows up and the whole structure starts to wobble. That’s what Elementary Class is like. It’s a building process, and although each individual step may seem insignificant, when all the pieces are put together you’ll realize that every single one was important. You may not care whether your dog sits straight or at an angle, as long as you end up with a well-behaved companion. 

Problem is, each successive level depends on the strength of the work that has come before. Skip a step and the next one will be orders of magnitude more difficult. In short, if you’re willing to let your dog decide when and how to respond to your “Sit” command, you can forget about reliable heeling or coming when called. Better get out your hard hat and steel-toed boots; that pyramid is about to fall on your head. I wasn’t convinced, and I’m still dealing with the headache.