June 27 28 and 29

 Worked with Cosmo on the following suggestion from Jessi: keep J loop below my knees, sit Cosmo before doing stand position, practiced exercise finish, keep right hand at my side and DO NOT hold the leash in my left hand. Enough practice and it will be muscle memory (I pray).

Monday June 24, 2024

 AM Class in Central

Morning worked with Fido for about 1/2 hour, worked on foot work. Cosmo laid and watch not sure what was going on.

Afternoon drove to Home Depot, Cosmo and I worked on our week 3 exam.

PM Monroe Lions Park met Jessi and she helped me with my foot work and assisted me with having Cosmo Standing for 1 minute. Cool down and home for quiet time.

e.

Saturday June 22

AM went across the street to the Ward on 4th west. They have a large out door covered area that is shaded and we practiced our turns, heel, sits, sit/stay 6' and stand. Cool down around the sidewalk in the shade of the trees. Quite time at home. 

Karen and Cosmos, week 3 Test 2

 

Friday June 21st

 AM went to CV Park and worked the longe line with Cosmo. Exciting time with the distractions and all the other dogs.

Afternoon went to tractor supply and practiced the turns and heel/sit and stand. I like Home Depot better there is more room and it is larger. Cool down and quiet time on the front porch of my home, traffic going by, people and dog walking by, Cosmo still reacts to other dogs but we will continue to work on this.

PM Asked Mary to come over and video week 3 exam 2 we did the video in my back yard since it was so hot and the cement and asphalts would have been too hot to do it at the tennis courts. We did two different videos, Mary used her phone and texted them to me. They are taking a longggggg time to down load, I will post them as soon as they are completed downloading. THANKS Mary you are always so willing to help out.

Thursday Afternoon

 Drove to Home Depot, medium distractions, walked/heeled Stink up and down the aisles, left turns, right turn, lots of sit/stays, exercise finishes for about 40 minutes. The new environment was good especially with all the turns, Stink never knew which way I was going to go so he really had to pay attention. While Stink was sitting a Home Depot an employee walked by and asked if I went to Roxanne's training classes, I asked "how could you tell" we both laughed. I really enjoyed going to  a store to practice. Tomorrow I think I will try Tractor Supply.

Thursday PM practiced all week #3 exam #2, I will video tape it tomorrow after some more practice just to verify I am doing all the correct exam requirements. I think that will help me not to get so stressed out. Also I am really excited (I get really excited a lot can you tell) about go to CV Park in the am with all the other dogs. 

6-21-24 An intense LL this morning.

 

Week 3 EXAM # 2: Silence is Golden is uploaded

Link to Week 3 EXAM # 2 .

And here are this morning's videos.

The wild LL warmup....

Watch carefully what actually happens.  Look frame by frame, then you will see.

 

 Then I worked Riley on LL against the planted distractions, my Pack on Downs.  

 Warmup on leash in tight space  

 Part of Karen/Cosmos Week 3 EXAM #1, the Sit/Stay and Stand video  

Finally, Roxanne demo's the Week 3 EXAM off -leash with Ruth. 

You all will do your Week 3 EXAM ON-LEASH.

Wednesday June 20

 AM invited to Central's Park for pack run. I was feeling much better about week #3 training. !eet others at the park. LL Cosmo. Practiced body bend around the poles holding up the pavilion. Took my week #3 #1 exam. PASSED! Thank you Mary and Roxanne, you both make Stink and I successful!

Tuesday June 18

 AM Stress out, tried to do our week 3 #1 exam and failed,

PM Overloaded,  Jessi meet me at the Lions Park Monroe, we backed up and started back with week one heeling and sitting, it took me 15 minutes before I could get it right. Jessi encourage me and talked me through what I was doing right and doing wrong. Stink was not doing well with me doing the training. Jessi took him and I had Fido, Stink did good with Jessi, it was me that was giving him the wrong que's.  I was the problem not Stink. by the end of your time I was calmed down and Stink and I were doing much better. Quiet time at home on the front porch.

Wednesday June 19

AM Practiced  heeling and sitting at Snow South, I was struggling with this and with Jessi's help am doing better. Also went to the football fields at Richfield High School, had Stink walk on the elevated bleachers, also had him stand and stroked his head. He did pretty good but there was distraction, he did not try and get down or move his body just his head, with my hand under his chin it helped. Quite time at home.

PM Drove to Lions Park Richfield, longe line for about 5 minutes because he is pretty wound up after being in his crate for 1 hour before training.  On leash, heel, right turn, left turn and sit. Used the cement wall around the park to practice the stand position. Cosmo does much better on the cement walk way in stead of the grass. The grass has so many smells so I mix it up with both, I want him to be successful. Cool down and quiet time also at Lions Park, there was a ball game going on so a lot of commotion. Quite time went well except for when Stink saw another dog running loose, after that he relaxed and was calm again.

I have noticed that Stink is doing much better around the dogs that live next door at the Flower Shop. He can see them out the dinning room window and use to have a barking fit when he was them., I physically had to remove him and put him on his leash to get him to calm down.  Now he will bark once, I say out and he come to me for soothing. This is definitely one of the things I wanted to accomplish. Also when I have company he would bark like crazy, now when someone comes over he barks when someone knocks at the door, I put him on his leash answer the door, have him sit, tell him it is ok and talk to the company asking them to ignore him and he is ok.

An Experience I wanted to share.

 “Train hard, test easy.” This statement from Roxanne kept echoing in my mind as I prepared to take Zoey for her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test. I knew I had trained hard and was hoping the second part of the statement would come true. I wanted to share my experience with everyone just for fun. Recently, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and have Zoey tested for her CGC. I was nervous, apprehensive, and quite frankly worried. How would she perform? What if she didn’t come when called or broke her stays? Mentally, I worked hard to prepare myself, reminding myself that I wouldn’t know how she would do unless I tried. So, I scheduled an appointment for the following Monday, which only gave me one day to prepare. This helped me to not overthink or overtrain due to worry. I solely had to rely on the training we had done. 

When the time came, I walked into the testing facility, trying to project confidence, though inside I was terrified. The tester asked if I wanted to practice, I said no, we were ready. She then asked if I cared about the order of the 10 test areas. Again, confidently, I said no, Zoey and I would be fine with whatever order she chose.

The test began with a sit/stay and then a down stay. (sorry, I wasn’t in the video frame for this part). For each skill, I followed our training routine with an exercise finish, probably seeming a bit odd to the tester, but consistency was key for Zoey. During her down stay, I wanted to demonstrate how well she could hold it, so I stomped my feet and ran around a bit. Zoey did not break her stay. I did a return to dog correctly, and we proceeded. We moved on to the heeling patterns, where the tester had set up cones. I politely asked if we could just go in an L shape instead of turning around the cones, and she said that was just fine. She said that the only reasons she puts cones out is to help the dogs. Confident from our week 9 and 10 heeling patterns, I knew we would succeed without the cones, and we did.

Next was the recall. The requirement is to have the dog stay, the handler walk 10 feet away, turn, and recall. Ten feet seemed too easy, so I went about 30 feet. I wanted to showcase the effectiveness of Roxanne’s program and how well-trained Zoey was. I gave the recall command, and Zoey immediately ran to me, sitting with a straight sit in front. Then, I gave the Heel command, and Zoey stood, walked around me, and sat right to my side. I was so worried she might fail this part, but she nailed it. Yay! Both of our confidence just increased tremendously. For the next test she said she needed to create distractions of throwing things and running past to see how she would react. Well, all the times of stomping around her, throwing toys in her direction, placing food that she loved around her, as we practiced “place” and “stays” paid off. She didn’t move but looked at the lady and thought “really, you’re not even giving me a challenge”. 

The last area we tested was having Zoey Walk past other dogs without reacting or lunging. Zoey had no problems with this, which I strongly believe is due to the long line training and all the times we practiced on Roxanne’s driveway, walking our dog’s past and around each other. Wow! Who would have known how valuable that piece of the training was? One interesting part of this test was when the tester told her group that they could practice without treats if they wanted to. One lady immediately spoke up, saying, “I just don’t think I can do that,” and I could hear the panic in her voice. This tells me she has no confidence that her dog would do what was expected without a treat. I don’t know about you guys, but I sure don’t want to carry a treat bag around my waist all the time to ensure my dog listens. And what about the times you forget the treat bag? Then what? Dogs are smart; the first time they don’t get that treat, they are done minding.

Watching the video, I noticed the other ladies giving treats to their dogs every time they even came close to something they didn’t want them to look at or sniff. The dogs weren’t looking at the handlers but to the treat bags. I am so thankful that Zoey looks to me for guidance and direction, not to a treat bag.

I share this not to brag, as Zoey and I are far from perfect and still have many issues to work on, but to emphasize that the training we receive from Roxanne is top-notch. It builds a belief in the dog to follow commands without treats, based on trust in the handler. The dog is truly working for you! I am so grateful I followed Roxanne’s motto of “train hard, test easy.” Yesterday was a true testament to that. Despite all the hard tests, difficult weeks, tears, and frustration, experiencing the payoff of our hard work in even a small way was incredibly rewarding. To everyone, stick with it, rely on the help and support of Roxanne, Jessi, and Mary. They are all phenomenal and want you to succeed.  I know from experience the Foundation course is not easy, and most days you may feel defeated. But by finishing the class and seeing the outcome it has all been well worth it. 

Week three exam one

 The video is longer than requested.I believe that I had the leash in my left hand when I started So I made it longer because I don't know how to cut the beginning out. Please give feedback so I know if I need to redo it.

Monday Evening

 

 

Went to Home Depot and bought supplies for weeks 3 training. Practiced at the church across the street, they have poles around the parking lot (6 in )row). Also worked on heeling and left turns since Cosmo likes to walk ahead of me (still struggling with this but we'll get it). Set up the 18" poles in the garage and we were able to walk/heel through them without knocking them over. Will video tomorrow and some more practice. Quiet time at home since the wind is blowing so hard. Not sure who is more tired me or Stink. Had a wonderful time today during our training session and enjoyed staying after to observe.

6-17-24 Week 3, class videos. Karen/Cosmos, & Buck/Riley

 

Week 3 EXAM # 1: Body Bend Readiness Test

Link to Week 3 EXAM # 1 

Saturday Training

AM and PM Went to Steed Park to do our training. Again lots of activity, I continue to notice that Cosmo checks in with me a lot more but does LOVE to smell all the smells in the grass. Sometimes we wonder over to the asphalt trail and he does better. He is not reacting as much to the other dogs but loves to growl at them, he does not get all puffed up like to use to.

Friday Training

 AM Walked to Steed Park, worked on our training in the shade of the trees. (Heel, sit, right turn and left turn). I surprised me when the duck wondered over and Cosmo did not react. Cosmo continues to wonder to the right when he is suppose to be on my left  so we went over to a short wall and I walked close to it so he had no choice but to stay on my left. I think he does this because he is use to me having his leash in my left had. We did the same with the chain-link fence around the ball field.  Cool down on our way home and then quiet time on the front porch where there was some activity. He is getting better at quiet time especially when he is worn out.

PM We missed training today, I helped move my granddaughter all day and crashed when we got home at 8 pm. 

Thursday Training

 AM up extra early because we are going to travel up north. Went to the Ward across the street, there is a lot of shade and not to much activity. Continued to work on our training. Cosmo is good at heeling when he is tired but likes to wonder in front of me and to the right side when we start because he is excited to be out and about.

PM Steed Park in Clearfield lots of activity; there is a pond with fisherman, dogs playing with owners, and kids playing ball. Cosmo continued to check in with me but was alert to all the activity. Quite time was done at my daughters home with the other dogs wondering around, we sat in the corner of the living room and Cosmo did really well.

Wednesday's Training

AM Went to Sevier Valley Center baseball fields and worked on our heel, sit, left and right turn. Cosmo is doing better all the time, there were ball players practicing  and a yellow lab with its owner. Cosmo was good at checking in with me but did react somewhat to the lab but did not have a fit like he use to in the past. Cool down and then quiet time.

PM Lions Park, Continued to work on our training, cool down and quiet time.

Week 2 EXAM : Tunnel of Love

Link to Week 2 EXAM 

Requesting. assistance.

Can I please get some feedback and corrective criticism on this video I hope you can see it all.It is left turn right turns and sit and a really good picture of my butt.thanks 

 Can I please get some feedback on how to do corrections when you I've food sitting out on a plate as a distraction and Cosmo goes towards it.

Week 2 Training

 

Week 2 training or Cosmo healing right, turn left, turn and sit.

Week 2 training

 Days 1 thru 6 heal then sit.

6-10-24 FC Week 2 is uploaded

 Karen,

Did you go home from class today and take a nap?  Week 2 is a ton of new material, but just go through the HOMEWORK pages as they will help you learn. Also, there is a NEW section entitled HOMEWORK Cliff Notes which I know you will enjoy.

I also added a FOUNDATION Course Graduate Introduction section, uploaded the FC Week 2 Glossary, the FC articles (Why KMODT Works), filled in the pages under the section entitled AKC Trials and Events (so much fun history in this section) AND uploaded my NADOI published articles for your review, education and understanding.

All of that to say, breathe and take things one step at a time. We are here to help you succeed with Cosmos.

Roxanne

Sat June 8 2024

Sat AM LL, cool down and quiet time done at the city park in Richfield. Not many descriptions. Cosmo continues to struggle with quiet time, got up and changed position 3 time but layed back down right away.

PM Lions Park Richfield

LL,  cool down and quiet time. Cosmo did well staying within 4 feet of me. How to correct a couple of times until the 2 dogs that were loose started coming towards Cosmo I was able to make the correction going over the wall and kept him on the opposite side where he quieted down. Thanks to Jessi I knew what to do. The owners came and got the dogs. This really wore him out. So after 20 minutes we went into quiet time. It was kind of funny he walked himself back to the car and was ready to go. I will work with him for another 10 minutes in the backyard after it cools down. I ordered a tripod on Amazon and am really excited to use it.

Friday June 7

 Friday morning Richfield city park. Longe line and free time decided to do quiet time at the park with lawnmowers going, people walking, boys playing ball. Cosmo is doing well. Jessi commented that I needed to make sure that Cosmo was no more than 4 feet from me now that we're in week 2. We struggled with is for about 20 minutes and then he was good at staying within that 4 feet with minor corrections.

Week 1 EXAM

Link to Week 1 EXAM 

Welcome Karen and Cosmos

 Hello,

Welcome Karen, so excited to have you in the program. My name is Trina Swalberg. I live in Central Valley, just down the street from Roxanne . I grew up in Gunnison and lived there until I graduated. I moved to Cedar City to pursue a career in education. It was there I met my husband of 30 years now. We have two kids.  My daughter is 26 and currently lives in the UK with her husband who is in the Airforce. My son is 24 and lives in Las Vegas with his wife. No grandkids yet. My husband and I both work in Marysvale at a private school for teens that have behavioral and mental health issues. My role in the school is the principal / teacher, and my husband is the owner / director. We also have a farm that keeps us busy in the summer. We don’t get a lot of time off due to either working at our program or working on the farm, but when we do get a day off, we love to go to Lake Powell, go camping, or go out riding our side by side. 

In October of ’23, I decided my husband and I needed a small dog for companionship. After looking online, I found a toy poodle that I fell in love with. I made arrangements, went and picked her (Zoey) up, and the process began. I knew that I wanted to train her so that she was obedient and well-mannered I just didn’t know how. I searched online looking at many different curriculums, but none of them felt right. They all seemed like a “one program fits all”. I didn’t like that because I knew each dog has their own set of behavior problems, and having a small dog was different than a large dog.  One day I was driving by Roxanne’s house and decided to give her a call.  After talking to her, I felt like it was the right way to go. Best decision I have ever made in terms of dog training. Roxanne started us immediately in the puppy course. After completing the puppy course, I thought I would be done. However, Roxanne encouraged me to enroll in the Foundation course to better help Zoey be successful in real life situations.  After seeing how obedient her dogs were, I decided to continue with my dog training journey.  This course kept me busy and even some weeks I asked myself what I had gotten into. I am not a person who quits so I sucked it up and worked hard every day to be as successful as I could. My husband was so much support during this process. Often making dinner while I trained. 

Working with Zoey became part of my daily routine, (work, home, train, sleep, repeat). Any down time I had I watched the awesome videos that Roxanne posted on the blog. I would study, take notes, and practice, practice, practice. For me the videos were a life saver. I learned so much by watching them over and over. Each time I watched, I learned something new. I loved how the videos didn’t just show the perfect dog, but dogs that struggled and how to correct. Roxanne and Jessi were so much help and support through the process. They were always there to answer questions, watch what was specifically going on with me and Zoey, and guiding me to become successful. Anytime I became frustrated they would remind me to relax and breath, it would all work out in time. They both kept me grounded and focused. 

I finished the foundation course the end of March.  Throughout this course Zoey and I have really bonded.  We have gained a deeper understanding and respect for each other. We are not perfect by any means and still have a long way to go, but for a 9-month-old dog she is doing pretty good. She is gaining more confidence in the world around her and not so scared of everything like she was when we began. The foundation course has not only made Zoey a better dog, but it has made me a better owner. I would never be to the spot I am today without Roxanne and her program.  

Some of the things that I learned during the Foundation course that I loved the most was the sit stay, the recall, and place. Wow, those three things have made so much of a difference. It has given me peace of mind knowing that I can put Zoey on a stay while I move a vehicle around and she is safe. Or being able to recall her from a situation and knowing she will respond. 

I am currently planning on joining the retrieve course in June. I am eager to continue learning and bonding with Zoey. 

I hope that you enjoy and learn as much from this class as I have. You will find, as I did, that you will build friendships and gain a support system that will cheer you on as you and your dog learn together.  

I’m excited to get to know you and Cosmos and watch you two learn and grow together. 😀

Welcome Karen & Cosmos!

   Welcome to the wonderful world of dog training, Karen. I'm so excited for you and Cosmos to start on this new adventure!! My name is Mary. I was born, raised and lived in Southern California up until 3 years ago. As a retired couple, my husband and I were looking for a place to live with a slower pace, less congestion and more affordability than California. Through a friend, we discovered this little gem of a city. We absolutely love living in Richfield. It is so beautiful here. We have the valley, the mountains, the sky, wide open spaces and actually experience four seasons, something we did not have living in California. Every day I wake up, I am so thankful to be here.

    I met Roxanne Lee at the church we attend shortly after we moved here. She asked if I wanted to go hiking with her. Hiking is something I had not done very often up to that point, but I figured I could handle it so I agreed to go with her. We met up and went up a trail called Kiln-It. It was more like I dragged myself up this not so easy trail. I survived and decided I needed to hike more often to build up stamina. Anyway, on that day I was introduced to her pack who went up the trail with us. I was so impressed at the way they ran off leash, ventured out but came back when Roxanne called them. I appreciated how well trained they were but I had no intention of getting a dog....ever! I thought I'd just enjoy going out with her and her dogs and that would be that.

    Then it happened. About 2 1/2 years ago, Roxanne asked if I'd be available to help her with a Puppy Aptitude and Temperament Testing (PATT) on a litter of Mini Aussie doodle pups, a female and 2 males.  I told her I'd be happy to help out. I'd get to be around some cute little puppies for awhile then go home. After the test, there was playtime with the puppies. I was drawn to the female, at that time known as "Fat Amy". She was adorable, social, friendly and energetic. That little dog changed my heart. A week later my husband and I brought her home and renamed her Molly. We are so happy we did. 

    Shortly after we took Molly in, I began the Mannerly Puppy Training course with Roxanne and Jessi (Molly's dam and sire are her dogs) to work Molly through some basic obedience exercises. When we graduated from that course, we moved on to the Dog Obedience 1st Foundation Course. It was a challenge to say the least but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Through the course of the training, a bond of trust was built between Molly and I. Molly knows obedience is an expectation  and she has been trained to respond to commands. She is a joy because of her obedience training.,, not a source of frustration as so many untrained dogs can be for their owners. When we visit relatives who have untrained dogs, they are impressed with Molly and turn to their dogs and say, "Why can't you be more like her?" 

    After the Foundation Course, we moved on to the Retrieve Course that builds on the Foundation Course and deepens the bond of trust between the dog and its owner. Then we went on to PPP (Polish, Precision, Poise) to finesse the skills previously learned with obedience as the firm foundation. With all the training under my belt, I decided to do something I NEVER dreamed I'd do. I entered a few AKC obedience trials last year. I had built up some confidence through the year of working with Roxanne and Jessi, but moreover I had more confidence in the training than in myself!! That's one of Roxanne's mantras, "trust the training." Last year Molly earned her Beginner Novice, Novice, Rally Novice, Intermediate Novice and her CD (Companion Dog). It's also a lot of fun. I'm not in it to win it but to demonstrate how Molly and I work as team.

    I hope you get as much out of this training as I did. I have to be honest. There were times I wanted to give up and quit, I got frustrated, I cried, but Roxanne and Jessi helped me work through those times of breakdown. They are not just trainers, but friends who support and encourage with patience. They are also your dog's champions. They help you so you can help your dog. You will also find there is a wonderful "dog community". There will be other people at your lessons who have gone through the training. I'll be a part of that. We are here to help. If you need help with taking a video of one of your lessons or an exam, if you need a distraction or if you just need some encouragement, please let me know.

    Once again, WELCOME! Enjoy the ride!! Glad to have you with us!

Molly and the Lee pack 

She loves the beach

and the snow!

Response to Roxanne's Post from 6/3/24

 Roxanne sorry I missed this post. Mondays training was great I felt very comfortable even though it was a little intense. I guess I feel comfortable with everyone in the class and their abilities. Cosmo was much better than I thought he would be, not wanting to go after any of the dogs. Looking forward to week 3.

June 5, 2024

 Wednesday June 5, 2024 AM Went to Lions Park Richfield, completed LL training for 30 minutes. QT is not something that he as done before so we will continue to work on it.

PM Meeting at Lions Park Monroe with Trina and here puppy. Worked with Cosmo on the LL, we walked past them several times and Cosmo did a good job  and only went towards them twice, made the correction. While standing and talking Cosmo did try to go towards the pup, made the correction and did not have any more issues. THANKS Trina!

6-5 LL practice

 Great LL practice with Cosmos today. He is saying no to distractions. Karen is doing great 😊.  She is working hard to make sure he is successful. Thanks Karen for inviting me. 

2nd Week of Training

 Monday June 3,2024 AM meet at Roxanne's and did some intense LL with 5 other dogs, Came home and did quiet time. PM Went to Snow South and did LL with Cosmo, I did not need to do a lot of correction, he is getting the hand of being on the left side.

test

 

Test

 Test

LL

 

6-3-2024 Week 1 Class, LL in an open space.