hi all from sunny california .
just completed week one , puppy foundation , and will be beginning obedience intensive tomorrow morning .
the set up here is amazing . in the main building are the dorms , kitchen / eating area , indoor class / training room , kennel room , laundry room , office and a retail store .
outside there is a dedicated building for nosework , two fenced training fields each with it's own fenced elimination area ( sorry , just can't use the " p " word ) . as well there is a regulation diving dock . across the road there is a trail perfect for morning / evening walks .
as you would expect , michaels' delivery of the material is spot on , each day building on what was learned from the previous day . plenty of time for Q's and A's which allows Mike to head off on his ( often ) related tangents . the amount of wisdom that effortlessly falls out of his mouth is hard to comprehend unless you are actually here in class . this was my second time through puppy foundation , and i found myself taking even more notes this time through .
there are five of us signed up for the full meal deal .
the school is just another step in michaels' goal of an actual campus dedicated to the training of dog trainers , and dogs . assisting him in this endeavour are his wife , carol ( AKA , headmistress or " the principal " ) who runs the business of running the school , and three very capable trainers who are as dedicated to honing their skills and sharing their practices as they are to helping us develop ours .
the other night , the smallest of the three , who can't weigh more than 100 lbs soaking wet , presented a skilled demonstration taking leg bites from a dog more motivated to take someone down than i've ever seen before . . . this dog meant business !
in addition , he's had the help of other behind the scenes figures who have helped make this project a reality .
i've said this before when i returned from the school in 2012 , but there really is no substitute for the hands on learning you get from training in the presence of a truly gifted master of his craft . michael is able to tailor his approach to the skills of each handler , helping them to focus on their personal challenges while still keeping things relevant for all participants . this takes skill and sensitivity towards both the handler and their dog .
i'm really looking forward to my continued development as a dog trainer . it was a big leap for me in many ways to put my ( real ) life on hold while i pursued this passion . fortunately i have had total and complete support from my wife , two sons , my employer , and my mother , who was the one who made it possible to attend .
i'll post updates .
dogs : the best part of being human