Diane the Dog Trainer

Riko and I spending some time reviewing old skills. He gets jealous when I add a new animal and spend time training them. I make sure to give him extra one-on-one time. #mutt #siberianhusky #akita #groenendael

It's hard to believe that little guy in the picture is now a year old and the mentor of his own puppy. #armeniangampr #livestockguardiandog #lgd

It's been a long time since I worked with Viking. He still remembers what he's been taught and is more than willing to please. Just because an animal (or breed) is labeled as stubborn, it doesn't mean that they can't be trained.

The other day, our neighbor came over with his skidsteer to help us with a few things. This neighbor brings bones for the dogs every time he visits, but he doesn't keep milkbones on his skidsteer. Riko was not pleased that he was going to leave without handing out treats and sitting in the bucket seemed like a good way to protest, until it moved.

Thank you all for your support and patronage! I have loved working with you all and being a part of the community. Because we are due to move out of state in March/April, I am no longer accepting new clients. Continue to follow my page for updates on dogs I am currently working with, my own dogs (including a new puppy soon!) and volunteer work I will be doing. If you are looking for a trainer in the area, I highly recommend myk9buddy.net. Marta has extensive experience and offers a great facility as well as in-home training. If she cannot meet your needs, search for a reputable, certified trainer through CCPDT or APDT. https://www.ccpdt.org/ https://apdt.com/

Guess who is 10 months old? These boys are the best of buds and always have each other's back

Riko and Boaz enjoy a daily romp session. Sometimes they look pretty serious but they're loving it.

Riko likes to wipe his face on the ground after he's eaten. It's his version of washing off his face. I think this time he made it worse

Riko tolerates the babies but there is no love there

Boaz loves the babies on the homestead

Boaz amazes me. I've worked with hundreds of adolescent dogs and he just makes it seem so easy. He has his moments where he loses his brain somewhere in the field... https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=834736660598535&id=473098860095652

Is he big? Just a little He HATED being inside the tiny camper and was very happy to see the outside world again.

I've been told that Boaz is too bonded to me. I wonder what gives that impression...

It’s deaf dog awareness week. Gus is an amazing dog despite his disability. Despite being deaf, he’s still attentive and focused. Despite being deaf, he knows w...hen I call for him. I don’t see it as any different having a deaf dog in the house, and the other dogs don’t either. We communicate just in a different manner. What can lead to dogs being deaf? Previous ear trauma, it develops with age, or they are born with it, just like people. Even though Gus isn’t Merle, always go to a reputable breeder that ethically breeds Merle dogs. The double Merle gene results in deafness, often accompanied by blindness as well. More than 30 dog breeds have a known susceptibility to deafness and this is why it’s very important to know that a dog breeder does health tests on their dogs. See more

The lazy dog way to eat #dianethedogtrainer #dogtraining #purebreddog #purebred #livestockguardiandog #lgd #gampr #armeniangampr #narrowwayhomestead

Random #goat selfie for your Sunday. And a Boaz picture so it's dog related Every time I sit down, I am surrounded by animals that want attention. It's not a bad way to live

What happens when you get in the way of the cook #dianethedogtrainer #dogtraining #mutt #siberianhusky #akita #groenendael #narrowwayhomestead #dogsofinstagram

Boaz impresses me

I may be biased, but I think he's pretty handsome #dianethedogtrainer #dogtraining #purebreddog #purebred #livestockguardiandog #lgd #gampr #armeniangampr #narrowwayhomestead

Boaz and his girls #dianethedogtrainer #dogtraining #purebreddog #livestockguardiandog #lgd #gampr #armeniangampr #narrowwayhomestead

This may be one of my more controversial pieces, but please stay with me until the end and give it a chance. The adopt don’t shop movement is toxic. Yes, yo...u read that correctly, but don’t crucify me yet. Hear me out. I am all for responsible rescues. I just think the movement needs more nuance. Adopt don’t shop needs to become Adopt or shop, just do so responsibly. Adopt don’t stop pits two kinds of dog lovers against each other. It also lumps reputable breeders together with backyard breeders and puppy mills. If you truly love dogs, then you really cannot only be in favor of rescue. Reputable breeders do not allow their dogs to end up in rescue. They offer a lifetime of support and make it a contractual obligation that any dog bred by them is returned to them should the owner no longer be able to care for them. Only supporting rescue, and demonizing even the most reputable of breeders, essentially means that the only dogs you think people should own are ones bred either through irresponsible breeding practices or irresponsible ownership of intact dogs bought through the proxy of a rescue. If you truly love dogs, you should be demanding that we do better by them. You should want there to be more reputable breeders in the world. Reputable breeders make it their goal when breeding to not only preserve a breed’s original purpose, but to produce overall healthier and more conformationally and temperamentally sound dogs with predictable drive. Without reputable breeding, we’ll eventually run out of healthy and genetically predictable dogs to enjoy. Adopt don’t shop also overlooks the crucial element that some people need dogs bred for specific jobs and they need to be able to reliably know that dog has the correct drive and health to do it which can’t be guaranteed in a shelter mix. For instance, even well bred service dog prospects often wash. Training a service dog is a lengthy and costly process, and the handler is often quite literally placing their life in the paws of their service dog. A handler would be taking a much larger risk in trying a puppy or even adult dog with an unknown past and genetic history. Other jobs that typically require a well bred dog from proven lines include: hunting, herding, livestock guardians, personal protection, search and rescue, or military/police work. In addition to needing specific things out of a working dog, many people want a well bred dog as their companion. Arguably companionship is the largest purpose for dogs and for most people it is the most important, so why should we not want the best for our companions? We want our dogs to be with us for as long as possible, so we should want them to have the absolute best start in life. We should want them to come from generations of fully health tested parents in order to breed them away from common heritable health issues. We should want predictable temperaments and drive, so we know that the dog we are bringing into our home is a good fit for our lifestyle. We will always need reputable rescues, but it is important to know that there are many reasons that someone would not want to bring an unknown mix with an unknown past into their home. Maybe it’s because they have small animals and aren’t willing to risk their lives on a rescue that may prove to have an extremely high prey drive or be small animal aggressive. Maybe it is because they have children and can’t be sure the rescue has the temperament needed to tolerate the specific behaviors often exhibited by small children. Maybe it is simply because they want the joy of raising a specific breed from a puppy and ensuring it has the absolute best start in life in terms of socialization and training. The important thing to know is how to separate the reputable from the those who are not, as there are examples of both in both rescue and breeding. Knowing how to tell them apart makes a world of difference. Know better for your dogs. Demand better for your dogs. Adopt OR shop responsibly. (Post inspired by a comment by Beret Walsh)