We have two adorable dogs (at least to us).Moscow and Chelsea.We got Moscow (a black Labrador) as a puppy in December 2010.He was until recently (just before he turned 2 years), very naughty.He ate up several cactuses in the garden, alarm cables, beams, trees, you name it…Fortunately he is now a bit bigger and we finally have a semblance of a garden.We adopted Chelsea (a German shepherd cross) from the SPCA in January 2013.Chelsea is such a lovely dog, with the gentlest personality.Moscow and Chelsea really love playing together and hate being separated.
My husband and I have been going to the Pretoria Shepherd Dog Club for almost 6 months now.In the beginning it was tough having 2 dogs in training in the same class.They struggled to listen and only payed attention to each other.But it has improved tremendously now that they know what is expected of them.On Saturdays, they get really excited to go to school.When we open the car door they immediately jump in and are ready to go!This can be quite a problem when we come back from grocery shopping with a car full of groceries!What better testament do you need, than from the dogs themselves?
Yes, there are still some challenges.Moscow is the most vocal dog in class that you’ll probably ever come across.He never stops barking and whining (but it could just be that he loves talking during the class).But he is such a soft and emotional dog; it must be that he just loves interacting with us during the class.Chelsea and Moscow still struggle with the fetch, and only fetch when they want to in class, but more often at home.The obstacle course is also going well.Although Chelsea and Moscow are still a bit scared of the big steps and jumps, they are gaining confidence with each class.
Thanks to all the trainers, for the patience and guidelines.The Pretoria Shepherd Dog Club is such a nice place to take your dog for training.We feel very welcome at the class and our dogs love to interact with their friends before and after class.They have learned great socialising skills these last months and we can go to parks and take our dogs off lead with more confidence now.
DEWALD AND RACHELLE