Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Eddie Graduates - With Honours!

Graduated with Honours!

Eddie has officially graduated from Cowichan Canine's Foundation Program.  Cowichan Canine Behaviour and Training Ltd.  is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training partner, a 100% positive training method which makes use of clickers and treats to capture, shape and reinforce behaviour.

According to his certificate, Eddie has now learned to:  give attention, offer behaviours, respond to cues and target, as well as demonstrate self control.  This has enabled him to respond to his name, settle, sit, down, come, wait, do polite walking, leave it, and do various tasks with distance, distractions and duration.  An old dog can learn new tricks.  I'm not sayin' which of us is the old dog.

Eddie successfully completed 27 out of 29 tasks.  Two of the distance ones - down from a distance, and settle from a distance - were a challenge for my velcro dog, though he was beginning to catch on today.  Technically he had one more week of classes in which to complete these tasks, but given the Christmas break and my other commitments, he wouldn't be able to take it until mid January.  As weather is dicey in January (I don't drive in snow and ice), and sometimes life interferes, and as he'd completed more than needed to graduate, I decided to finish it off today.

Thanks to Bev Maahs and Lisbeth Plant for their great teaching, Karen G for her assistance, and the various dogs and peoples who shared classes with us on our journey towards perfection.

Eddie with our instructors, Bev and Lisbeth

Yeah, right.  And do you think I could get him to SIT for this picture?

I waz tired....and my tummy was full of treats! 



10 comments:

Black Jack's Carol said...

Aw.. congratulations to BOTH of you! 100% positive is the way to go. No if's and's or but's. I didn't see any evidence of old dogs in this post.. just young thinkers with a willingness to learn. On that note, thank you, Jean, for some recent comments that have helped me. I now check my spam box frequently and hope you will let me know if that problem persists. As for the possible Vireo, I checked it out and decided the bill wasn't quite right. Bottom line is the picture wasn't of great quality, but I so appreciate your suggestions. The hummingbird info was also great to learn. All in all, your blog and comments are full of food for thought. One more note: I'm wondering if I could quote a few words (with a link back to that post) from your letter pertaining to dogs in the Christmas season.

Jean said...

Yes, Carol, of course you can quote from my blog and link back to it.Thanks for asking.

georgia little pea said...

CONGRATULATIONS Eddie! (okay, and to the old dog too, as if she had anything to do with your being so accomplished). Is it my imagination that you did this in a really short time? It takes ages for dogs to graduate from my skool. Some of my friends have been there for YEARS! I dropped out you know.

I love the picture with your teachers! You look so happy :) X

Jean said...

Georgia, it is a ten week course, and you can go as many times a week as you want (we went twice a week). I think your old dog....er...typist ...needs to get a clicker and a BIG bag of very yummy treats and then you will learn quickly and won't want to drop out!!!
I love school - I'm going to do an advanced class in the spring!

Yer friend, Eddie

Marie said...

Jean, so happy to hear of Eddie's graduation, good work, Eddie, my boy!!! Readers of Mom's blog are very happy and proud of you.
Marie

Caroline said...

I could not help notice that Jean, your name is first on the diploma. It should have said Eddie and Jean. Either that or you are keeping something from us and you too learned how to sit, stay, heel ....
LOL

Congrats Eddie! You look really smart now

Unknown said...

Congratulations to you both! We think completing 27 tasks is amazing! We also think you look very dapper in your tie :)

Major's mom said...

Well done you two. Little Eddie is so handsome and intelligent looking. Love the tie!

Jean said...

Caroline, you are so right. Eddie agrees that his name should have come first. On the other hand, I have learned how to sit, and stay, though I'm having trouble with the "leave it" command when food is put in front of me. :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Eddie. I always knew there was a brain in that handsome head of yours.
Your admirer
Tess the Pest