Hey everyone!
First of all, let me tell you guys some really great news...
Romeo is now officially alerting to my mood swings and anxiety! It started off with me rewarding him when I am anxious. Eventually he started pawing at me when I became anxious. I gave him a lot of treats every time he did that. Well, the other day me and my mom were arguing, Romeo just sat at a distance an observed me. Then when I started to yell, he ran over to me and started pawing at my leg as hard as he could and didn't stop until I stopped yelling. I was so amazed that it broke up the entire argument. He is really thinking for himself and taking his own initiative to alert me now. He's now 4 1/2 months old. Now we just need to get his obedience down. I plan on graduating him to full service dog status when he is two years old, so I've got a lot of time to practice. We signed up for a basic obedience class and start that on Wednesday.
Another thing I wanted to tell everyone about, I got clippers! Finally!!! I ended up with some really nice Andis 2 speed clippers. I've never groomed a dog before, but I went ahead and groomed him right away after reading the poodle section of my dog grooming book. So, I decided I might as well do a fun clip on him since he had enough hair for it. I decided on the modified continental clip. I expected it to look pretty bad since it was my first time grooming.. but It doesn't look to bad (totally not bragging... just sayin'... hehehe) There are a lot of things I could improve on when it comes to grooming Romeo but practice makes perfect so in time I think he'll be looking shnazzy.
I'll post pictures of his new haircut tomorrow, I don't have time to right now. So anyways, thanks for reading!
Goal for today: Clip Romeo's nails and teach him to "lay down"
Goal for this week: Go to the training class and make progress on Romeo's training.
Sincerely, Danielle
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Just An Update
Hi, everyone!
Romeo and I haven't been up to much recently. He finished getting all of his puppy shots, so now we can sign him up for a puppy class and take him to the dog park for socialization with other dogs. I've been taking him out in the front yard on a leash to potty. I didn't want to bring him out in my back yard until he had all of his puppy shots. Having three other dogs and a lot of dog poop in the back yard, (that I need to dispose of) I didn't want him to get parvo. I know my dogs are vaccinated but I just wanted to be sure. Anyways, I took him out in the back yard for the first time and let him play with my Doberman, Raven. He had a blast! They ran all over the yard and I got some pictures.
Here are the pictures of Romeo and Raven playing in the back yard:
Sorry if the pictures are a little big. I'm trying to fix that.
Goal for today: Spend lots of time with Romeo!
Goal for this week: Sign Romeo up for a puppy class.
Sincerely, Danielle
Romeo and I haven't been up to much recently. He finished getting all of his puppy shots, so now we can sign him up for a puppy class and take him to the dog park for socialization with other dogs. I've been taking him out in the front yard on a leash to potty. I didn't want to bring him out in my back yard until he had all of his puppy shots. Having three other dogs and a lot of dog poop in the back yard, (that I need to dispose of) I didn't want him to get parvo. I know my dogs are vaccinated but I just wanted to be sure. Anyways, I took him out in the back yard for the first time and let him play with my Doberman, Raven. He had a blast! They ran all over the yard and I got some pictures.
Here are the pictures of Romeo and Raven playing in the back yard:
Sorry if the pictures are a little big. I'm trying to fix that.
Goal for today: Spend lots of time with Romeo!
Goal for this week: Sign Romeo up for a puppy class.
Sincerely, Danielle
Monday, February 14, 2011
Our Facebook Page
Hey, everyone!
I have a "Like" page on facebook, for those of you who want to be updated on when I make a post but don't have a blogspot account (or if you don't log on often).
Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romeos-Service-Dog-Training-Blog/137653476296633
Every time I make a post, I will also make a post on the facebook page telling everyone that I updated my blog. After you "Like" the page, Romeo's Service Dog Training Blog updates will show up on your facebook stream.
It's getting late though, I will post about Romeo tomorrow hopefully.
Sincerely, Danielle
I have a "Like" page on facebook, for those of you who want to be updated on when I make a post but don't have a blogspot account (or if you don't log on often).
Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romeos-Service-Dog-Training-Blog/137653476296633
Every time I make a post, I will also make a post on the facebook page telling everyone that I updated my blog. After you "Like" the page, Romeo's Service Dog Training Blog updates will show up on your facebook stream.
It's getting late though, I will post about Romeo tomorrow hopefully.
Sincerely, Danielle
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Technical Difficulties
Hey, everyone!
In my last post there seemed to be some technical difficulties. The picture of Romeo was to big, and the video's were set to private. So, I will be fixing that later tonight. Just a heads up!
Sincerely, Danielle
In my last post there seemed to be some technical difficulties. The picture of Romeo was to big, and the video's were set to private. So, I will be fixing that later tonight. Just a heads up!
Sincerely, Danielle
Friday, February 11, 2011
It's Been a While
Hey, everyone!
It's been a while since I've posted. A lot of stuff has happened with me, but not much has happened lately with Romeo. He's just been a good boy this past month.
Well, I took my GED tests! I left Romeo home, I decided he would be to much of a distraction to me and to people around me. He's just a puppy right now so he still needs to learn his manners. After I took the GED tests, I got sick with a cold, then that turned into the flu. I was barely able to get off the couch for a few weeks because of it. My mom was mostly taking care of Romeo during those few weeks. But, now that I am better I figured a fun outing with Romeo would be nice. So this weekend me, Romeo, My sister, and my mom are all going to the Flea Market to shop around for some goodies.
About Romeo's behavior: He has learned the "Sit" Command completely now. He responds to his name by looking me in the eye when I call it. He is working on his "Lay Down" command. He hasn't had much trouble with jumping up on me or anyone else. The few times that he has jumped up on me, I turned around and ignored him. That method seems to have worked great on my Doberman (she would never think of jumping up on anyone). His manners are good so far. The only thing I've had trouble with in the past is barking. Every once in a while if he gets bored and we're out and about... he lets out a little yip. I made sure to give him a verbal correction though, he hasn't done that in a while. I'm going to sign him up for a puppy class two weeks after he finishes his puppy shots at 4 months old. He is 3 1/2 months old right now, and boy is he growing!
We got two new vests from our friend Emily (She has a service dog named Bella). One is red and black and the other is purple and white. He fits in his red one already!
Here's a picture of Romeo in his new red vest at 3 1/2 months old:
Isn't he cute? He needs a haircut soon though. Which brings me to another subject...
I'm getting clippers soon so I can start grooming Romeo myself! I think it will be fun and a great learning experience. I'm going to be ordering a book on how to groom poodles by Shirlee Kalstone I think it was. I'm getting the Andis AGC 2-speed clippers. Luckily, they are $40 off right now at PetSmart. So I will probably get them this weekend. I'll post pictures of his haircut after I do it.
I've taken a couple videos of Romeo and Raven over the past couple of weeks.
Here's some recent videos of Romeo:
Romeo and Raven
Romeo and Raven again
This is a video of Romeo "sitting" on command at 3 months old.
That about wraps it up for today!
Goal for today: Give Romeo a bath.
Goal for this week: Have a successful day at the Flea Market this weekend.
Sincerely, Danielle
It's been a while since I've posted. A lot of stuff has happened with me, but not much has happened lately with Romeo. He's just been a good boy this past month.
Well, I took my GED tests! I left Romeo home, I decided he would be to much of a distraction to me and to people around me. He's just a puppy right now so he still needs to learn his manners. After I took the GED tests, I got sick with a cold, then that turned into the flu. I was barely able to get off the couch for a few weeks because of it. My mom was mostly taking care of Romeo during those few weeks. But, now that I am better I figured a fun outing with Romeo would be nice. So this weekend me, Romeo, My sister, and my mom are all going to the Flea Market to shop around for some goodies.
About Romeo's behavior: He has learned the "Sit" Command completely now. He responds to his name by looking me in the eye when I call it. He is working on his "Lay Down" command. He hasn't had much trouble with jumping up on me or anyone else. The few times that he has jumped up on me, I turned around and ignored him. That method seems to have worked great on my Doberman (she would never think of jumping up on anyone). His manners are good so far. The only thing I've had trouble with in the past is barking. Every once in a while if he gets bored and we're out and about... he lets out a little yip. I made sure to give him a verbal correction though, he hasn't done that in a while. I'm going to sign him up for a puppy class two weeks after he finishes his puppy shots at 4 months old. He is 3 1/2 months old right now, and boy is he growing!
We got two new vests from our friend Emily (She has a service dog named Bella). One is red and black and the other is purple and white. He fits in his red one already!
Here's a picture of Romeo in his new red vest at 3 1/2 months old:
Isn't he cute? He needs a haircut soon though. Which brings me to another subject...
I'm getting clippers soon so I can start grooming Romeo myself! I think it will be fun and a great learning experience. I'm going to be ordering a book on how to groom poodles by Shirlee Kalstone I think it was. I'm getting the Andis AGC 2-speed clippers. Luckily, they are $40 off right now at PetSmart. So I will probably get them this weekend. I'll post pictures of his haircut after I do it.
I've taken a couple videos of Romeo and Raven over the past couple of weeks.
Here's some recent videos of Romeo:
Romeo and Raven
Romeo and Raven again
This is a video of Romeo "sitting" on command at 3 months old.
That about wraps it up for today!
Goal for today: Give Romeo a bath.
Goal for this week: Have a successful day at the Flea Market this weekend.
Sincerely, Danielle
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Romeo Got Groomed!
Hey everyone! I keep posting every other day instead of every day on accident. I've been really busy with Romeo. He went to the groomer yesterday and got a full trim! He looks a lot more poodley now.
Here's a picture of Romeo at 12 weeks old sporting his new hair cut:
The groomer there is really nice. She runs a technical school teaching people how to groom dogs and other animals too! I plan on going there eventually once Romeo is all trained. She told me since he was a puppy grooming him will take a while. Not because puppies are wiggly, but because they like to take extra time with them, give them treats, play with them, etc. to make a trip to the groomers a positive experience from the start. I was very pleased to hear this! When we went to pick him up about 4 hours later, he was happy as can be to see me! Also, the groomer (sorry I can't remember her name) said that Romeo has a great coat and great conformation and he perfect poodle temperament! She told me about how she does grooming shows with her standard poodles and other people's poodles too. It's nothing like a conformation show, it's all about how you groom the dog. They dye them colors and shave them into some very interesting looking clips! Her dogs and her have been on the cover of many dog grooming magazines and she has won a lot of grooming competitions. I really hope to go to her grooming school after I get my GED.
Which brings me to another subject, my GED! I'm going this week to take my GED tests and i'm breaking it up into increments so it's going to be over a course of about two weeks. The whole point of me getting it was because school TERRIFIES me! I haven't been able to go successfully in about 2 years. My anxiety seems to get worse once I'm in school. So, it's still hard for me to go in there and take the test with a lot of other people. It's really stressing me out and I'm confused on what to do. I'd like to bring Romeo with me to give him lots of treats when I get anxious, so that it helps him learn to alert me before I get to anxious. But, Romeo is just a puppy and he doesn't like to stay still for very long. I don't want him trying to play the whole time and distracting other people. I know the correct thing to do would be to leave him home, but I really think it would be a positive learning experience for him and it might help keep me calm too. What do you guys think I should do?
Goal for today: Bring Romeo somewhere with me.
Goal for this week: Figure out if I should bring Romeo with me to my GED testing.
Sincerely, Danielle
Here's a picture of Romeo at 12 weeks old sporting his new hair cut:
The groomer there is really nice. She runs a technical school teaching people how to groom dogs and other animals too! I plan on going there eventually once Romeo is all trained. She told me since he was a puppy grooming him will take a while. Not because puppies are wiggly, but because they like to take extra time with them, give them treats, play with them, etc. to make a trip to the groomers a positive experience from the start. I was very pleased to hear this! When we went to pick him up about 4 hours later, he was happy as can be to see me! Also, the groomer (sorry I can't remember her name) said that Romeo has a great coat and great conformation and he perfect poodle temperament! She told me about how she does grooming shows with her standard poodles and other people's poodles too. It's nothing like a conformation show, it's all about how you groom the dog. They dye them colors and shave them into some very interesting looking clips! Her dogs and her have been on the cover of many dog grooming magazines and she has won a lot of grooming competitions. I really hope to go to her grooming school after I get my GED.
Which brings me to another subject, my GED! I'm going this week to take my GED tests and i'm breaking it up into increments so it's going to be over a course of about two weeks. The whole point of me getting it was because school TERRIFIES me! I haven't been able to go successfully in about 2 years. My anxiety seems to get worse once I'm in school. So, it's still hard for me to go in there and take the test with a lot of other people. It's really stressing me out and I'm confused on what to do. I'd like to bring Romeo with me to give him lots of treats when I get anxious, so that it helps him learn to alert me before I get to anxious. But, Romeo is just a puppy and he doesn't like to stay still for very long. I don't want him trying to play the whole time and distracting other people. I know the correct thing to do would be to leave him home, but I really think it would be a positive learning experience for him and it might help keep me calm too. What do you guys think I should do?
Goal for today: Bring Romeo somewhere with me.
Goal for this week: Figure out if I should bring Romeo with me to my GED testing.
Sincerely, Danielle
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Barking...
Hey everyone. Romeo is getting more comfortable in the public setting (good and bad news). I took him with me yesterday to get my ID made (so I can take my GED test on Monday). He behaved well for a while. He was sitting when told and staying calm, so I gave him treats while he was being calm and sitting when told to and what not. Well, after he got some treats he decided he had to bark to get more! He just let on one loud z"YIP!". I was very embarrassed, but no one seemed to mind. I told them he is just a puppy and a service dog in training. Well, honestly I have never dealt with a barkative dog before. I'm going to need to look that up and train him out of that. It seems as if when he wants something or when he is bored he barks. I told him "NO!" when he barked but I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do. A while after that one bark, I gave him a chew toy to keep him busy. He didn't bark after that. Any input?
Also, I finally got his Service Dog in Training patches on his vest.
Here's a picture of Romeo in his vest on our way back home at 11 1/2 weeks old:
Goal for today: Socialize Romeo with another dog.
Goal for this week: Get Romeo groomed
Sincerely, Danielle
Also, I finally got his Service Dog in Training patches on his vest.
Here's a picture of Romeo in his vest on our way back home at 11 1/2 weeks old:
Goal for today: Socialize Romeo with another dog.
Goal for this week: Get Romeo groomed
Sincerely, Danielle
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