Training Beginnings

Well our basic training has been under way since I received Titan and his manners have improved greatly. Today's obedience work included working on a sit command as well as a heel with an automatic sit. He also today discovered how much fun a cat can be.

Sit command, every basic dog should at least know this. Over the past months of work I have been making him sit and wait for his food. Now I do not personally use a stay command. Almost like a child, you would not tell them to go to their room, and then repeat the word stay for the next few hours. The stay is implied in my training methods. Sit has quickly become Titan's bread and butter command. The moment I say sit he wiggles his butt right next to me. He hasn't gotten the concept that sit means to sit where and when I say it, but he will get there.

Heel command, it means to be at my side not necessarily walk. The automatic sit is what happens when I stop walking. When I stop he sits. This comes in very handy when walking in public. Say if you come to a crosswalk you know the dog will sit down next to you (at your side because of the heel command!) and you don't have to worry about him walking into the street. Titan has taken well to this command. He happily prances right beside me only straying to track something. He stays alert and is willing to please anyone. Today his auto sit was right on que. Other day's he slips a bit, but I guess the cold today got him going.

After his training lesson he gets play time. I have a ball on a rope and he adores it. This is his reward for doing good work. He also has the drop it concept down. Sometimes I tend to forget how bad he was treated and when I lunge for the ball, as in a game of chase, he drops it and cowers. Every day he gets a bit better.

He got to meet a new friend today. Our little black cat Anya. She is my furry 4 legged child. haha Titan decided to introduce himself and didn't realize she doesn't like sloppy puppy kisses. In a split second she lashed out and smacked (without claws) him right across the nose. He jumped up startled. At first I thought nothing of it until he looked up at me. The poor boys nose was bleeding. I didn't realize she could even hit that hard. It's a very funny idea. To anyone who says doberman's are vicious let me say this. Here is a cat who just decked him in the face, while he has no training, and he doesn't even curl a lip. The poor boy just sat there looking up at me as if to ask, 'What did I do wrong?' After that he quickly laid down reaching himself out to lay at her feet. Anya sat there touched his nose and walked off. It truly made his day.

I hope you will stay with us as we go through Titan's Trial with him, with me.