AngieMansfield

Looking forward to it, Jennifer! And yeah - some days, she's lucky she's that cute, LOL!

Hi! Some lovely dogs being taught on this site. ;) I'm Angie, and about 2 months ago, I lost my old dog to neurological issues. She was a sweetheart, but I fully admit I didn't train her properly - she was nearly 10 before I'd call her really "trained," and she passed at 15. I was devastated at losing her, and really didn't expect to get another dog for at least a few months. But then, Ava was listed by her owner on a local swap site: The poor girl was beside herself - her mother had kicked her out, and the only apartment she could find to rent wouldn't let her keep the dog. She was facing the choice of taking Ava to the shelter, or being evicted the next day after the posting. I'm a sucker for a sad story, and who can resist that face anyway?? So I have a new 6-month-old puppy much sooner than I was expecting. Ava came to me with almost no manners. She knew how to sit, lie down, and speak - but she would only do them when she felt like it. I've been clicker training her, and have made progress on those (as well as cutting down on her barking - she loves people and would bark incessantly to get them to play with her). But I really want a more structured program to follow - I feel like I'm flying blind. So that's what I'm hoping to get out of this program. I look forward to getting to know other students as we turn our dogs into geniuses. ;) Edited to add: Ava is a mix between a border collie and a catahoula - though she doesn't have any of the spotting catahoulas are known for, so I'm not completely sure I was told the right mix. She definitely has the energy of a border collie - overwhelming at first!!