So when I saw a flyer for Home Dog Training which promised to turn my puppies into the perfect angels they want to be in just four lessons, I called. Three weeks later and the results have been dramatic. They are much calmer and they never jump on me when I sit down. They sit nicely when I ask them to. They have let my friends walk them and have eaten out of their hands. They still bark at everything, but not for as long and I am working on fixing that problem now too. The ankle biting should soon be eliminated as well. Perhaps the most amazing sign of progress was when Midget walked up to the trainer and licked his hand.

I like their training program a lot. Mostly because they get the undivided attention of their own personal trainer. But also because it uses very gentle methods of positive reinforcement to challenge the dogs and teach them to want to behave. The dogs both love their training excercises. And I'm sure they are much happier now that I am not getting mad at them all the time. I know I am.

To find out more about Home Dog Training, you can reach Jean and Lance Lein at (512)473-7199.

Update September 12th, 2000: Today was their last lesson. They still have a few more weeks of exercises to go through with me. But they are totally different dogs than they were 5 weeks ago when their training started. The last two weeks have been filled with new experiences. They were very well behaved at a small party that I threw. Midget barked at the first person to arrive but after I corrected his aggressiveness, he was fairly quiet for the rest of the evening, with a couple of exceptions. He remained in the livingroom for most of the party. Toward the end of the evening, even Skippy spent some time with the crowd even though he was visibly nervous.

I also had a friend stay at my house for a week. This happened to be the same friend who lived in my house out in Oak Hill and was attacked by Midget EVERY NIGHT for six months if he tried to get up to use the bathroom. By the end of the week, both dogs were licking his hand and Skippy even stood near him and allowed petting.

Both dogs have been accompanying me various places around town. One of our favorites has been Barton Springs. Midget loves to swim. He leaps off of the rocks into the water. Skippy has to think about it for a while but is also a good swimmer. The last time we were there, both dogs approached strangers and even allowed a small amount of contact. They still need some more work on their comfort around people and a few minor behavior problems but they continue to improve every day.