Human therapy at puppy school

Yesterday we had puppy school for Maya. I'd really like to send her to the schools where they stay for a few months, but that's financially out of our reach right now so we make do with some private lessons from PetSmart. I shouldn't say we make do because our trainer Debbie, is the bomb. I wasn't sure going in, but she's the senior trainer and she really knows her stuff.

We signed up for four private lessons and yesterday was our third. I had had a particularly rough morning with Maya and by the time we got to puppy school I was at my wit's end and I just unloaded on Debbie. Maya had bitten me, head-butted me, ripped up one of our throw pillows and I had had enough. I know she was bored and wanted to play but I just didn't have it in me at that moment to accommodate her, even less after she bit my inner thigh - yes, my inner thigh. The soft part, that hurts like ever-lovin sh*t! She went in her crate after that so I could calm down.

So in this heightened state of emotion, I practically ran into the training room and demanded that Debbie tell me what to do right now to make the dog behave or keep me from going insane. I went on a whole tirade about how tricks and sit and all that is well and good but I need to know how to keep her from biting for god's sake.

Bless Debbie's kind kind soul - she just let me vent. She let me say all the things that would start a fight if I said them to Drew. She just listened as only another woman can do and we went over some disciplinary things that we can do with Maya to train and reward good behavior while minimizing bad behavior. More than anything, it's about consistency and repetition - both of which I was failing poor Maya in and giving her mixed messages. No wonder she's not learning anything - I'm going about it all wrong!

It's as simple as redirecting the bad behavior the first time instead of just removing the pillow from her mouth twelve thousand times. We focused on that during our training session and I swear Maya was getting it! She is a good dog and she is smart, I just haven't been following through like I should. Every time she did something she shouldn't like jumping, we just tied her out and ignored her until she calmed down. When she did we gave her 'lovins'. Maybe it was the universe, knowing I needed a victory or she really was learning - I don't care, I'll take anything at this point!

We tried Debbie's tips that night and I tell you, this morning she wasn't psychotic like she normally is. The first time she went for the trash can (that dog looooves toilet paper!) we just tied her out and kept on getting ready. She would calm down, I praised her and took her off. I had to do it a few times but soon, she left the trash can alone! I know she's not cured of her toilet paper fetish but it was so encouraging to see a small bit of progress. I'm so thankful for Debbie - yesterday's puppy class was for me and because of it I have a renewed sense of dedication to Maya and her training. I may not love her like other people love their pets, but I will not let her down and for now, that's good enough.

One of the few times she's not destroying something in the trash can