Welcome. Hello! Hi!!
BIG exhale from this side of the screen...
I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while now. However, I kept convincing myself I did not have anything important to say - or write. But here I am, finally brave enough to write and to actually just speak my mind.
Hi, I'm Addi!
This blog will be (hopefully) a blend of dog training conversations, sheep, sheepdogs, my dogs' training journeys and maybe a little more.
My goals are to share my training methods, dive into the things that spark my interest in the dog training world or sheep/sheepdog world, and - maybe most importantly - finally keep track of my own dogs'
trainings.
I hope you will enjoy or feel with the stories, events and memorable moments in this blog as much as my dogs and I have.
So let's dive into the first story!
Something cool has been on my mind since Thanksgiving dinner, sparked by an enthusiastic conversation between my wife and I about our dogs' recalls. Her dog, Charlie, is still too excited to be let off the leash, and my dogs are constantly roaming free and off leash.
Earlier that morning, I had taken my three dogs on a walk, along with my board and board-and-train dogs, each on a long leash. We probably walked a couple of miles when, out of nowhere, a rabbit darted across the path in front of the Border Collies, who were running ahead. Chasing instincts kicking in instantly - they both took off after the rabbit.
I luckily had my whistle and blew their recall cue.
Both Border Collies turned on a dime and came racing back to me. I did not question for a second if they would or would not.
That was a different start to my day than normal. But, moments like that remind me how incredibly lucky I am to have been able to spend a lot of time training the value of a recall. My dogs understand that when I blow that whistle, that I NEED them to listen. Rylee, Bella and Emma trust and respect me enough to do it.
At the heart of my training is my relationship with my dog:
A relationship built on trust and respect.
To have your dog choose against her instincts and trust you enough to listen anyway, that is the mutual respect that we should all strive for.
Where does that leave you, you might be wondering, as I go on about my training and experience? Well, I truly believe that anyone can achieve this kind of relationship with their dog - a bond built on trust and respect, where things just start to feel easy.
One of my favorite things that happen when you run your own business, are the random text messages from past or current clients, celebrating their wins with their dogs. Whether it was conquering being alone at home or checking in during walks, those victories are everything!
Dogs have been by our sides for over 40,000 years. I think we owe them our respect and trust, because, truthfully, they certainly understand us better than we understand them or us.
I think this is a great place to wrap up for my first-ever blog.
Thank you for reading it - if you've made it this far!
Any and all feedback is encouraged and so so appreciated.
Please feel free to send me an email, drop into one of my social media inboxes, or comment below if you would like to share your thoughts publicly.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
I am excited to share more with you soon!
Until then,
Cheers!
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