Meet Quinn, the Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever
Article submitted by Allie of Somerville, MA

Quinn came into our lives at a time when we were not quite ready for a young pup. We had very recently lost out ten year old Pit Bull and sixteen year old Yorkie when our daughter asked us to keep an open mind about a very “nice,” almost two year old Golden who would need a home very soon. I was thinking no housebreaking, etcetera, but someone else took her in and she delivered a large litter of puppies right after getting her new home. I felt that it was meant to be that we should help since they couldn’t find homes for most of the pups that looked like the father, a large Yellow Lab (think of the book, Marley & Me.) My husband felt that we needed a break, but we ended up taking Quinn home at five weeks of age, and found him to be a very lovable, friendly and extremely active boy.

The Dog Training Challenge:

Puppy classes were a necessity, and Bette taught me how to focus Quinn’s attention and energy, and also how to use time outs when needed in class. Her patience with both of us has given me the confidence to continue with his training. After having a lovable Pit Bull with many “issues” for ten years, I needed her help more than Quinn did.

Dog Training Progress Report

Quinn is now attending PAC Classes (Picture Perfect Pets Alumni Club Drop In Classes) and has the opportunity to meet and interact with other dogs and people at these classes. I have found that many long walks, while they are great exercise, do not give us a chance to socialize with many other dogs. A quick walk-by is sometimes not enough. During the short time he has been going to PAC Drop In Classes, he has become calmer, and has learned to be very gentle when greeting other dogs, especially the smaller ones. I really wasn’t sure if I would ever hear the words “gentle” and “Quinn” used in the same sentence. He will now go into the “down” position and let them come to him, and he has done this without losing his goofy enthusiasm. This has also been very helpful when he sees our very young grandchildren and other visitors. We know we still have a long way to go, but this experience with PAC Drop In Classes has made everything so much easier, and keeps Quinn from becoming overly excited every time he meets someone new.

Dog Training Summary, by Bette Yip, CPDT: Head Instructor at Picture Perfect Pets in Arlington, MA.

I’m so please to see the great dog training progress Allie has made with Quinn. Her dedication and determination has turned Quinn from a rambunctious (although lovable) puppy into a gentle, well-mannered young dog and it’s a joy to see them often at our PAC Drop In Classes.

Some of you may not yet have had a chance to try out this new drop in dog training program, which is officially named the Picture Perfect Pets Alumni Club (PAC, for short). One thing I’ve noticed to be true myself is that dog training is so much easier when it is the only thing you’re doing at the moment! Actually applying your dog training skills during daily tasks and social situations is more of a challenge, at first. PAC Drop In Classes are meant to give our students a fun, safe and supportive environment as “training wheels,” so that they have chances to practice multitasking while also practicing their dog training skills.

PAC Drop In Classes usually involve on-leash and/or off leash socialization opportunities (depending on what is most appropriate with any given group of dogs) as well as some sort of activity or game that gives us chances to practice our core dog training skills while also paying attention to our interactions with others around us and completing non-training related tasks. Each participant is encouraged to work at their own dog’s skill level as they complete their tasks.

One of my recent favorite activities is the “Laundry Pick-up Game” (during which we toss colorful socks all about the room and then race to match and pick up the pairs while keeping our dogs under control using cues such as sit, down, freeze, wait, come and heel.) Another of my recent favorites is “Bananagrams.” For this, we shamelessly modify the rules of the official Bananagrams word game (which I bought upstairs at The Book Rack) to give us lots of opportunities to practice our dog training skills for managing our dogs as we collect our game pieces and play the game (all the while, keeping our dogs from eating the game pieces!)

Even some of my advanced students found it challenging to complete tasks and follow through with our dog training skills all at once when the program began. I’ve seen huge improvements with all of our “regulars,” including Quinn, featured in this month’s Training Triumphs article. I hope also, that participants have a great time! I certainly enjoy having the chance to see you often.

For schedule and further details about our PAC Drop In Classes, please visit the “Pay Online | Schedule” tab of our website.