This is the story of a rescue puppy named Honeysuckle who was adopted by my friend and clicker trainer Lorna. Lorna has agreed to keep a diary of her new pup’s daily activities and her progress to help you our readers to "see" a pup’s training from someone else’s viewpoint. Happy Reading!

This is Honeysuckle when she arrived at Turtle Gardens.                        

Click, treat. Click, treat. Eyes shining, big ears pricked, the fawn 4 month old puppy watched me intently, waiting for another signal. A few minutes earlier we had gone into the vet’s office to allow her to become familiar with it and to get her weighed. Each time she stepped up onto the digital scale, I clicked and gave her a treat. After 1/2 a dozen treats she was comfortable with the slight movement and I asked her to sit. "You can’t teach a puppy to sit that quickly" scoffed an acquaintance, "thought you said you brought her home from Turtle Gardens yesterday". "I did," I replied, handing the sitting puppy a treat, "and she’s learning to touch my hand". "Clicker training is great, she’s learning how to learn and we’re communicating."

Honeysuckle, her Turtle Garden name, attracted my attention with her personality. Bright and alert, she followed Yvette around inside and out, always watching her face and hands. When I took her out for a few minutes she came willingly, stayed focused and was easy to lure into a sit, down and come with food. She pounced on toys, hung around off leash and was relaxed with dogs and people. Add in a short easy care coat and appealing fuzzy face and she was irresistible.

Getting another dog was not a snap decision. Being responsible for another’s life for 10 to 15 years is not something to take lightly.  But Tassie is around 14 years old now and Rayla is 6years, I was sure someone else would come along in time.  

She traveled quietly in a crate for the 100 km trip home, followed the other dogs to the bathroom area and settled for the night in an X pen in the living room. I was pleasantly surprised when she was quiet all night and was clean in the morning, again going out on leash and doing her business easily. Day 1;  we got to know each other, a walk on the Flexi in the am let her interact with the other 2 dogs and kept the cats safe. Because I want her to look to me as a primary source of fun, food and affection I didn’t feed her before going out, instead we interacted throughout the walk. Every couple of minutes we would stop and I’d ask her for a sit by luring her with a piece of food. When she did, click and treat. Putting my hand an inch from her face, when her nose touched it, C and T. If she happened to look at me while walking, C and T. Food was the reward as it’s easy to handle, if she was busy watching the other dogs or sniffing I’d wait until she was not so preoccupied. My aim was to let her learn that paying attention to me is good. I want her to be successful, have fun and start building a relationship based on trust.

Later it was back in the crate for a 10 minute trip   to town to get a small collar and leash and be weighed. She wasn’t thrilled about the crate but a few more pieces of food tossed inside coaxed her in. That evening she earned her supper by sitting in front of me while I held food in my clenched fist. When she stopped licking and pawing at my hand, C and T. I threw the kibble across the kitchen floor, the noise and movement attracted her attention and she chased it down. When she turned and was coming back to me I called "come" and clicked her for returning. Because coming is so important she got something better for treats, wieners or a piece of turkey.

I’m not too concerned about upsetting her stomach with different foods, she was running at large  before coming to TG and ate all sorts of dog food (whatever is donated) and meaty bones there  (it’s hunting and slaughtering season), so she’s used to variety.

As the weather is still mild she came to work with me the next day. To give her space she was in Shadow’s crate, an extra large Furrari   which gave a 16 lb.puppy lots of room. She had a stuffed Kong to occupy her and provide breakfast, and a meaty bone at lunch. Letting her out at coffee and meal breaks seemed enough to keep her happy and provided  more opportunities to practice sit, touch, come and play with toys. Night shift was easier because she was more tired, a walk and play session at midnight was sufficient.

When our club held its obedience classes on Sunday I talked to a couple of people with young dogs and we set up "play dates". Her dog social skills are great, she’s friendly, playful, if she’s snarled at she just moves away and I would like her to be able to interact with as many dogs as possible to maintain that level.

Six days after bringing her home we have both learned a lot. I know to keep the cats’ food off the floor, also the garbage cans. She is not allowed in the bathroom or any of the   bedrooms — there is just too much temptation. Socks, tensor bandages, cardboard boxes, plants, pens and paper are all toys to her so she’s in a pen in the living room when I’m busy and out in the living room and kitchen when I can keep an eye on her. I deliberately leave her in the pen while I go out of sight for a few minutes, I want her to be comfortable on her own.   She is usually quiet in the pen and crate (with a stuffed toy or bone to help occupy her), has never soiled in the house, is very adept at rolling around a plastic ball so her dinner falls out, will sit on a verbal command or hand signal just about anywhere, will touch my hand several times for one treat, and will follow on either side of my body in an approximate heel position for 10 or 12 steps in a quiet location. She’s learning to shake a paw and give up a toy when playing tug. Because she is young I’m trying to let her set the pace. If she’s energetic we play, if she seems tired I try to let her rest.  Training, play and dinner are intertwined, she is having fun, learning and eating at the same time. I try not to ask for the same behaviour more than twice in a row, wanting to be fast and fun to keep her interest.

When people meet her they ask 4 main questions:

The answer to them all has been  — "I don’t know".

All I know is she makes me laugh, she’s interesting to be around and her new name is Kitsa.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.