#JuniorBaby

Our dog journey began years ago, but our story here at For Love of Dog begins with Junior. He was the beginning of my love of formal obedience training and the beginning of a great friendship with my fellow Bully Whisperer Extraordinaire, Sue.  Junior was magical; all he needed was leadership and structure.   We lost him far too young, which then sent us down the path of breed preservation and led us to Junior’s Trixie Jo.  But first, here’s a little introduction to Junior through this excerpt from a Facebook post I shared after his graduation from advanced obedience training:

10/02/2022 – Proud “Pupdate”

Google a lazy breed and you hit on the Bully everytime.  We chose a Bulldog thinking we were getting a calm, docile breed that would ease into retirement with us naturally.  What an erroneous, misleading stereotype!  Junior was the most rambunctious puppy, an aggressive chewer, a jumper, and way more energetic than I was prepared for at this stage of life.  For several months, I feared we had made a huge mistake.   Yes, me, the consummate dog lover, was genuinely afraid I would never bond with this pooch.   

Over the course of the past 9 months, Junior  has completed 24 weeks of training  and endless lessons at home with me.  He is the gooberliest of goobers and will “one trick pony” anything for a treat.   He has shown me over and over again how incredibly smart he is and, silly as it sounds, he has worked so hard to please me and his trainer.  His impulse control skills are nearly top notch, and he exhibits a discipline I never thought he would achieve.  Oh, and he has achieved somewhat of a “local celebrity” status at Jeff City’s PetSmart (thanks, Miss Sue!). 

Today, he rocked it.  Cold turkey, ZERO treats prompting performance, Junior tested on all the skills he has acquired this past year – many that we haven’t practiced for several weeks – and ACED it.  My puppy-mama heart is so proud of him (as is his trainer’s).

All this to say, consistency is key.  Junior is not a Stepford dog and will have a lifetime of “continuing education” with me, but I am so glad we took this journey together. We bonded over shared goals and worked in unison to achieve them.   Whoddathunkit?

Congrats, #JuniorBaby #MamasBoy!  You earned your stripes today, buddy!   ❤️💙

Obedience Through Relationship.

So much GOOD came from that experience. A bond formed between handler and dog. Impulse control and obedience grew as the relationship deepened. Junior was an incredibly smart dog. He was eager to learn and eager to please. The transformation from Hellion to Mama’s Boy was obvious.

BONUS: That local trainer, Sue? You’ve met her here. Fellow dog mama, and Bully Whisperer Extraordinaire.