Our First visit to the dog trainer, Jenn:

Sunday April 27th, we drove out into the countryside for what seemed like an hour, but really was only 20 minutes or so. The scenery was lovely but the roads were long, windy and largely unmarked, so I was grateful for the detailed directions Jenn had given us.

When we arrived, I was impressed with the beautiful back yard and view she had. Jenn was tall and wiry and seemed 110% committed to dogs and dog training. I was immediately moved by her genuine concern as she took a detailed inventory of any and all issues relating to Lucy. To my surprise, she sat us down and wanted to discuss nutrition first.

What she said about avoiding corn products and corn based fillers like high fructose corn syrup made sense not only for dogs, but for us humans as well. I asked for recommendations after she looked disappointed that I'd picked a standard dog food brand from PetSmart. She suggested that I buy higher end yet affordable dog food from more of a boutique pet store like Phydo in downtown Carrboro. I agreed to do that and she gave strict instructions to only carefully and slowly change Lucy's diet. I was struck by the thought that diet can really affect our moods and behaviors and it only made sense that packaged foods for dogs are even worse as they are even less regulated than food for human consumption. Even that is debatable too given the overuse of hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup in packaged foods. But I digress...

There was so much information to absorb, that I was so glad Stuart was with me. Between the 2 of us, I hoped we'd be able to remember most of it.

Some Tips from the dog trainer:

1) "Off" - instead of pushing Lucy down off of you while you are seated, instead keep the lease on her while you are with her in the house and gently tug on her lease and say "Off". Another option is to get up and that would make her have to get off too.

She said that by pushing her chest down and telling her "off", you may be actually encouraging the behavior, as for dogs that can be a sign of play.

2) "Down" should only mean moving from the sitting position to the floor.

3) Nutrition - To carefully read food labels on dog foods. Most have fillers like corn, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup as the main first three ingredients. She said that it's important to avoid - if possible - foods with fillers like that and select foods with proteins like chicken or beef or wheat as the first three ingredients. Since Lucy can get easily agitated by other dogs, she suggested that a change in diet might help her stay calmer and be able to think better.

4) Fetch - to throw a low value treat out and say "get it" and then "come" and give her a higher value treat.

The only problem with this is that she used to actually bring the ball back but since Sunday she will barely even run after the tennis ball. It's as if we've inadvertently trained her to only go for treats. At least a few times last night she ran for the ball, but then picked it up, dropped it and ran back expecting a treat. We both chuckled and tried to insist that she only get the treat when she brings the ball back. So I think somehow we confused her.

5) Walking on a lease - to introduce that gentle leader nose thing to her over the next few weeks by putting it on her and giving treats and then taking it off and stopping the treats. Most dogs hate it so it's important to at least get her to feel more neutral or at least associate it with something positive.

Right now, she can be a train wreck on a leash and especially if there's another dog around. Jenn suggested that we use a carabineer to clip the lease onto her collar, so that if she wriggles out of the chest brace, as least she's still secure. The problem is that you have to hold the leash with two hands and it feels awkward and she still seems able to pull.

6) Other dogs - The key thing Jenn suggested about encountering other dogs is to break Lucy's eye contact. How? By literally using your body to redirect her head and the lease in two places and turn away from the other dog. Once turned away and she's actually following, to reward her with a treat (from your invisible 3rd hand) and praise her. This is all hard to juggle.

Eventually, as Lucy's agitation level decreases, to let her get closer to the other dog to sniff but then move away quickly to prevent Lucy from annoying the other dog and causing a problem. Jenn suggested that we make sure to take control of the situation, not just "see what happens".

She also said that there are many dogs out there who are simply "not dog park dogs" but who make lovely and dedicated family pets. She could tell I was discouraged by Lucy's agitated reaction to even the stuffed dog that was like 100 feet away! Jenn said that some dogs know instantly it's fake, in fact I think she even mumbled that most would. It gave her a "base line" for Lucy's "reactivity level". I grimaced and realized that that base line was really over the top.

6) Crate training - we asked what is the purpose and I asked specifically about what to do this upcoming Thursday when my writing group comes over. Jenn suggested that I stuff a Kong toy full of her evening meal (still some rice with dry dog food) and be sure to put a yummy irresistible treat at the bottom so she'll be motivated to work with it.

We tried this last night and closed the crate door. Lucy didn't care and was so obsessed with the Kong toy that as we left she was oblivious to our departure. It worked like a charm. She also suggested that I keep Lucy on a lease when I let her meet and greet the guests to prevent her from jumping up and getting too excited. I’m glad that I have a plan for Thursday.

We thanked Jenn for her time and agreed to touch base in the next 3 weeks or so to then schedule a follow-up visit. She said she'd email me some more useful dog training tip sheets, which I appreciated.

The drive back involved us getting lost in the back country and both of us getting frustrated. I was so relieved that my GPS device a) worked and b) navigated us back to I-40 after a series of strange turns. Lucy was relaxed and even tired lying down in the back of the car.