Making a difference in another’s life

The family with young children greet me enthusiastically. They have a lovely Spaniel mix whose biggest issue is jumping on the kids. I already know that this is an outdoor dog, and I am hoping that the training will lead to an indoor dog.

I explain the concept of the clicker. The click catches the dog doing the behavior we want and he gets a treat immediately after the click. Then we take turns playing the game with all the humans so they can get a feel of what it’s like being the dog trying to figure out how to get that clicker to click and being the human marking the behavior at the right times.

The kids love the game and are having fun. We proceed outdoors where I start with clicking the dog everything he sits and ignoring him when he jumps on me. He catches on quickly and the family is impressed. Each family member takes a turn. We also work on each child taking a few enthusiastic steps then stopping and waiting for a sit. I explain that as the dog gets better, they can run further and further without the dog jumping.

We then play the Come Game where the dog is called in turn by each family member, sits, and received a treat. Nice controlled game that teaches the dog to come up instead of jumping.

The family is incredibly impressed by their dog’s improvement. As we wrap up, I hear the father tell his daughter, “It looks like we don’t have to give her up after all.” I am stunned as I had no idea that I was on a deadline.

One never knows what is happening in the background—do your best for each being you encounter. You never know what impact you will have. And I think that maybe they will consider bringing the dog indoors as he gets more  self-control  . . .