Lessons From the Dog Trainer

This is our dog Niko...

...and the story of how we ended up with this adorable Husky is one I don't believe I've shared before. 

Niko lived at the house next to my in-laws. And I'll never forget the first time I saw him. He had his paws placed strategically on the fence so he could see over the top of it. He whined until my husband, who loves dogs, walked over to him and began petting him. I think Kelly instantly fell in love. Because he would, without fail, always run over to see Niko when we got to his parents' house. 

Weeks went by and I refrained from getting "too involved" with the Husky next door. I knew if I looked into those icy blue eyes, I'd want to take him home. Besides, I considered myself a 'cat' person and 'cat' people weren't supposed to bring home a rambunctious dog to disturb the cat's peaceful territory. So, I kept my distance. But like a moth to a bright light, I couldn't help gravitate towards Niko. 

It was obvious that his owners' didn't take much of an interest in him. My in-laws would feed him because Niko always acted like he was starving. They said he would howl all night long in the back yard, lonely and sad. That's when I realized he didn't have shelter back there. A board leaning against the air conditioning unit was the only refuge he had during the freezing winters and scorching hot summers. This poor dog lived a miserable existence. 

But then something wonderful happened. The house next door to my in-laws went up for sale. And my father-in-law told the man who owned Niko that if he didn't have a place for him at his new residence, we would love to take him. The guy said he'd think about it.

More weeks passed by. My husband, father-in-law and I went to Nashville for work. On our way there, we found out that the man had decided to give us Niko and that he would be waiting for us when we got home. We could not drive home fast enough! We were so excited.

That night, as Niko sniffed around the house, our home suddenly seemed complete. And it's all because we brought home this cute little guy. When we went to bed, he plopped down on the carpet, put his feet in the air and slept for 10 hours straight! He acted like he hadn't slept in months. That's when I knew we saved Niko from a horrible life. And now he's got a pretty good one living here.

My husband recently signed Niko up for dog training because, as we quickly learned, our dog has a mind of his own. I was pretty sure he would get kicked out of class because he's so hyper and refuses to listen. But after Tuesday night's class, it's obvious that dog training has helped our puppy learn to listen--well, for the most part. He still has his disobedient days. In two weeks, he'll graduate training a much better dog than when he arrived at our home nearly 10 months ago.

 Niko spends most days sleeping in the sun.

Daddy and Niko at Sonic.

After breakfast, Niko usually goes back to sleep!

If you end up with a Husky, expect some digging!

Our dog trainer has definitely helped my husband and I become better dog owners. The information she has given to us has been invaluable. So, I will pass on some of those lessons to you.

Lessons From the Dog Trainer:

1. Give a dog some praise and he'll spend the rest of the night trying to please you. 

All dogs have this innate desire to be praised and loved on. They all want to hear 'great job!' by the people they love the most. But I didn't realize how much Niko needed to hear this until he ran to me--without anyone holding his leash (he normally runs for the hills when he's not on a leash!)--when I called him over. He jumped on me and knocked me over as I kept repeating, 'What a good boy! You're such a good boy!' After that, he kept looking up at me and 'smiling'. The dog wanted to hear me praise him over and over. Even this morning, he couldn't get enough praise when we were working on our training in the front yard. He sits there, with his chest puffed out, and his tail wagging side-to-side. The dog clearly loves all the attention. And in the wise words of our dog trainer, "A dog will always respond to positive reinforcement better than he will to harsh punishment."

2. The ones who need the most love and patience are the ones who have been abandoned. 

I wouldn't go so far as to say Niko was 'abandoned' by his previous owners, but they sure didn't meet all of his needs. He lived in this state of constant survival and it hasn't quite left him yet. I don't think I can erase a year of his life that left him fending for himself. All I can do is love him to the best of my ability and show him that I will care for him every day. Eventually, with time, he will learn to completely trust me. Our trainer is currently rehabilitating a German Shepherd who is extremely aggressive towards humans because he, like Niko, was left in a backyard without much human contact. 

3. Once you bond with a dog, they'll trust you for life.

One of the dogs in our class really demonstrated this when her owner walked into the room. She laid on her back and let him rub her belly. The dog trainer explained that for a dog to allow itself to be in such a vulnerable position around so many other dogs is a true sign of trust. Niko has rolled over onto his back and let us rub his belly in class. I think that means we're making good progress :) But he's quick to jump up if any dog gets too close.

4. Dogs are like children. They not only require food and shelter, but love and affection.

We all have busy lives, but our dogs shouldn't have to suffer because we don't have enough hours in the day to spend quality time with them. The trainer told us that we need to spend time with our dogs, even if that means getting up an hour earlier in the morning to do so. When we were practicing the 'here' command, she explained that a lot of times dogs don't respond well to 'here' because generally owners only call their dogs over to them when they are going to lock them up. So, instead of saying 'here' only to lock up the dog, it's important to call the dog over using the 'here' command and then positively praise the dog several times before putting the dog into a cage. 

Note: Niko does not get locked up, so he seems to listen to the 'here' command pretty well. When we leave, he curls up on the couch and sleeps. We attempted to lock him in a cage, but he figured out how to open the locked door and escape. So, he gets to roam the house while we're gone. 

5. Training can be healing for you, the human.

When I was a child, I had a beautiful Australian Shepherd named, Kiwi. My dad ended up getting rid of her a few years after my parents separated. And it was one of the hardest things I've ever endured. I never got to say goodbye to her. So, I spent years wondering what happened to her. It was something I had pushed into the back of my mind for a long time. I avoided the topic. But then I went to dog training. I had missed the first few weeks of class because I had to teach.So, when I finally made it, I saw this woman with an Australian Shepherd and I immediately started talking to her. She told me that after her dog passed away, her husband handed her a newspaper and told her to find a dog. She settled on Sadie, her precious Australian Shepherd puppy. It wasn't until I was driving home that night that everything became very clear. I had actively avoided dogs for several years because I didn't want to get too attached. What if this one is taken from me? It's also the reason that I let Niko get away with pretty much everything. I was trying to make up for all those years that Kiwi might have had a bad life. The only problem was that I was really hindering Niko. I was letting him run the house and not giving him the love and affection he really needed. Letting a dog rule the house is unpleasant for everyone. So, after a good cry, we're on a better page now. And Niko--though he fights the submission--is learning that we, the humans, run the house--not him!

If you have a dog who needs a little work, I highly recommend dog training. A good dog trainer will be a wealth of information that will help you and your dog bond and enjoy a wonderful life together.