When Roxanne was first telling us about the retrieve course I was a little worried. She told us that this course would help push dogs and owners past their "life hangups" and get them both to a better understand of themselves. I had no ideas what that would intell for me. My concerns were compounded when Corban got injured and was unable to keep going through the course with Kratos and I. I was honestly uncertain if I would be able to handle the backlash if I failed at sucessfully graduating Kratos from the course. I had to have a sit down with myself and promise that I wouldn't give up no matter what and that I would help Kratos push through his struggles. It wasn't easy. All of you witnessed, at some point in time, the incredible physical strength that Kratos has and his defensive outlashes of biting. But we made it! And we did it in style! I have never been more proud to have not failed a single test in a course before haha!
I guess the biggest thing that I learned about myself is that I am able to handle the hard situations, even when everything is crashing against me. I won't give up or back down. I will do whatever it takes to push through and give all the support that I can to those that need it.
2) What did you observe or learn watching other people work dogs during this RC?
I learned that when it comes to working with animals that I am a "hard" person. I love animals and I have worked with them my whole life. In watching all of the other trainers and dogs together, it made me see that some handlers try to be passive or lax with training and that some try to be harsh and overbearing. It is very hard to find the right fit for each animal that you work with and being flexible in your training style is even more difficult to do. A "soft" handler and a "hard" handler will approach dogs differently. It is imperative that as handlers we find the means to be flexible in our training and rise to meet the needs of our animals.
3) What was the MOST unexpected result of THIS RC?
I would say that the most unexpected result of the course is the complete change in Kratos's attitude. His whole demeanor has shifted and his trust in humans has been rebuilt. We were hopeful that this would happen, but the changes are so profound that you wouldn't believe he is the same dog if you hadn't seen him go through it all. When we first rescued Kratos, he was quiet and reserved. He didn't search out attention and didn't go out of his way to be around people. He was dog aggresive and aggressive with children. That has all changed. He actively seeks attention from anyone who will give it to him, including kids. He loves to meet people and now has a little more "typical" husky attitude and talkitiveness. He is no longer outrageously dog aggressive and we are slowly introducing him to more and more dogs (while being extremely cautious). We couldn't have asked for a better turn out with this course and with Kratos.
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