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Scout -- a 5-month-old Portuguese Water Dog
Comments
from Loralei:
I am always happy when someone calls me with a new puppy to talk about
training. Besides the fact that puppies are so irresistible, it means that
I can help get that puppy off to the right start. It is so much easier to
teach a puppy the "right" way from the beginning than to have to go back
and undo bad behaviors. I can't tell you how many people are caught off
guard when that little ball of fluff turns into a wild adolescent at 6
months and "needs to be trained immediately!!!"
Kristen called me almost the day she brought Scout home. She had done her
homework on his breed, a Portuguese Water Dog, and knew he was going to be
very active. I knew as soon as I met her that we were going to achieve
great results because I saw how she was able to direct her young children
with calm authority and a positive attitude. Kristen was so committed to
making Scout a dog that the whole family could enjoy and each week I was
gratified to see the results of her consistent effort. He's entering that
stage now in which he is more and more active and starting to challenge a bit.
Kristen will be able to work with Scout through the "teenager" phase over the
next few months as effectively as she has since the beginning. What a
wonderfully loving family and I am so proud to be a part of helping to
make Scout a part of all they do.
Comments
from Scout's Owners, The Nerz Family:
My family and I have long enjoyed the companionship of a dog and began
searching for a new puppy late spring. We began by researching many
different breeds to find the right match for our family. We needed a dog
with spunk and personality, a dog that wanted to be in an active environment
and who could tolerate children as we have two, Matthew (5) and Jordan (3).
We wanted a dog that wanted to be best friends with all of us and we found
that dog to be a Portuguese Water Dog. Shortly after the puppy arrived, I
realized that we had in fact gotten that spunky, active dog we were looking
for. I also realized very quickly that we needed to begin some kind of
training for not only the dog, but for all of us. We needed a plan and
needed to bring in an expert for the job. Just in the nick of time, a close
friend of mine introduced me to Loralei, and we discussed the importance of
training early. We began when Scout was 3 months of age and Loralei taught
us over the weeks not only the important commands but also about the psyche
of dogs and what makes them tick. Her knowledge and expertise helped us
train and control an active puppy and helped us understand his early
behaviors, decreasing our frustration significantly. We now are charged to
continue working with Scout on the commands Loralei taught us and as a
result we will have a dog that is truly one of the family and a delight to
be around. Thanks so much Loralei for all that you have done for us.
The Nerz Family: Tommy, Kristen, Matthew, Jordan and Scout
Previous Months:
August 2001's Pet Of The Month
July 2001's Pet Of The Month
June 2001's Pet Of The Month
