Chapter 12: Good Shepherd Dog Obedience School

Of all of the training I have received, I have enjoyed the Good Shepherd Dog Obedience School the best!  Linda is the proprieter, and she, along with her german shepherd, Reina, has a wonderful way with dogs and humans. 

My hu-mom had heard about Linda's Good Shepherd Dog Obedience school from several friends -- it seemed EVERYONE with a happy, well-balanced, well-behaved pet had been to the Good Shepherd Dog Obedience School.  My hu-mom was convinced that we HAD to go to "that" school!

Well we signed up, and Linda did not disappoint!  She really knows her stuff and shares information in such a gentle, but firm manner.  Not only did we learn the basics, sit, down, stay, heel, halt, etc., but she made sure there was a lot of interaction with other dogs and humans, and she also shared a lot about hygiene.  She showed our humans how to brush our teeth, clip our nails, clean our ears, check for and remove ticks,  and bathe us.

There was a lot of postitive reinforcement in Linda's training, and she even prepared us to put on a "show" for some local residents. You see, Linda was involved in taking animals into schools and nursing homes, to share the love of pets, and proper pet care, with those in attendance.

Linda encouraged lots and lots of fun activities with our humans, and helped our humans teach us tricks that we could perform in the show. My hu-mom worked with me to teach me how to shake hands, give a high-five, spin (to the left) and twirl (to the right), do puppy push-ups (sit, down, sit, down, etc), lay flat (play dead, although she didn't like that term so she uses a hand motion to encourage me to lay flat), leave it (with a piece of food), take it (same piece of food), catch (a ball, frisbee, etc), find it (she will hide a toy or food and it's my job to find it), flip a dog bone off of my nose and into my mouth, and curtsey.

Sadly, something happened (I don't remember exactly what), but our performance was cancelled.  So although we didn't get to share our tricks with the public, we had a lot of one-on-one time with our owners and learned lots of tricks!

In addition to the training, the hygiene, and the tricks, Linda also introduced us to dog agility.  Dog agility is F-U-N!  I'm pretty energetic, and had a blast jumping, climbing, running, etc.  My hu-mom and I haven't explored this any further, but I have a feeling this is next on my hu-man's list!

Linda now offers dog obedience, nose work (tracking a scent), and dog agility.  I and my hu-mom HIGHLY recommend Linda and her school to anyone wanting to strenghen your dog-human bond and learn obedience from a pro.  To find out more about the Good Shepherd Dog Obedience School, go to: http://www.appliedvb.com/goodshepslo/

~Zoe