Welcome Back, Stitcher!

It's been a couple of months since I've blogged about Stitch. He's had so many adventures since then that I'd love to share soon!

For now, here's a teaser pic of what my little guy has been up to. More to come!

Construction Stitch, buying lumber

Photoblog: Groomed Stitch II

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to post new Stitch adventures. However, I did want to post the latest picture from his grooming adventure part 2.

This time Stitch's aunt BFF took him to the independent grooming place near our house, where Stitch's cousin Boo gets groomed. Stitch definitely looks better than the first grooming, but unfortunately the groomers used a blade (#7) that cut his hair too short. We all can't wait until his hair all grows out, but Stitch is still cute as ever. For now, we're enjoying "Naked Stitch."

Here he is with cousin Boo just couple of days after they both got groomed.

Stitch in the foreground

Boo in the background

bosom buddies

Every dog needs a best friend (aside from their people). Someone they can frolick and play with or just be lazy with. In Stitch's case, we thought his best friend would be Boo, BFF's, 8-year old Pomeranian. While Boo (now) mostly tolerates Stitch, my pup has really taken to Aslan, BFF's Birman mix cat. Throughout the day, they can be be seen together, playing or napping. Or as is sometimes the case, with Stitch annoying the meow out of Aslan. They do play very gently with each other, although you will hear the very rare "yip" from Stitch when Aslan's claw gets caught on his fur. Or Aslan meowing in annoyance when Stitch gets in his face too much. Trainer Ally suggested an easy "enough" command coupled with the clicker to get Stitch to back down a bit, which I have been trying lately.

In honor of this awesome duo, I present to you the Stitch and Aslan collection.

*cue The Turtles' "Happy Together"*

they nap together

they shoot the breeze together

they hang out on grandpa's chair together

they goof around together (well, mainly Stitch)

they...um, they... roll around together?

Photoblog: Flashback to Li'l Stitch

This was taken around Thanksgiving, about a week after Stitch came to live with us. He used to love jumping on Grandpa's chair to sit and watch TV with him for hours. It was only about a week after this shot was taken that Stitch no longer fit in the small space next to Gramps.

Mini Stitch, but with giant paws

Photoblog: Stitch Around the House

I've been too busy to take pics of Stitch using my fancy camera, until today. So we had a few photo sessions outside (since the storming has stopped, for now) and inside the house. Enjoy!

Shade-bathing Stitch

Model Stitch

Romantic Stitch

Happy Stitch

Serious Stitch

Puppy School: Part 3 - Graduation

Stitch ended his Beginner's Puppy School last week. I can't believe he's learned so much in just 6 weeks. Some of the basic commands he's learned include sit, down, stay, release, come, and leave it. We still need to refine these commands, but he knows them pretty well. On Stitch's final evaluation, Trainer Ally wrote, "Stitch is a very bright boy and so fun to work with! He has learned a lot of new things in the past 6 weeks and you have both been great students." As you can imagine, I am one proud mom!

So on the last day of class, Trainer Ally "tested" the pups on some of the things that they test for on the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program. For those of you who don't know, the CGC is a program administered by the American Kennel Club that recognizes doggie good behaviors and doggie owner responsibility. It involves a 10-step test that is conducted by an evaluator. If a dog passes, they get a certificate stating they are canine good citizens!

More information about the test can be found on the AKC website (linked above), but here is a summary of the ten things that are on the test.

1. Accepting a friendly stranger- Stitch did this really well
2. Sitting politely for petting - Stitch did this well, too
3. Appearance and grooming - not tested
4. Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
5. Walking through a crowd - Stitch gets distracted when a crowd of people and other dogs walk by him
6. Sit and down on command and staying in place - Stitch did well on this
7. Coming when called - Stitch did this well in class, but needs to practice it in "real life" :)
8. Reaction to another dog - not directly tested, but Stitch is not always comfortable with other dogs. He also tends to prefer big dogs over little ones like him.
9. Reaction to distraction - not tested
10. Supervised separation - not tested

Stitch waiting for his turn at the walking test, photo by BFF

Stitch and I are having so much fun learning good doggie manners and other dog tricks that we've enrolled in the intermediate training classes, which begin this week. We hope to work on the commands he already knows, and learn some new ones, too!

Stitch recommends: Tailored Dog Training

If you and your canine friend live in the SF East Bay Area and are looking for an excellent dog trainer, look no more!

Stitch and trainer Ally

Stitch's trainer, Ally, provides private, hour-long dog training sessions, either at your home or at a local park. Her rates are very reasonable and she trains dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds, and temperaments.

Why do we like her so much? Because we have seen Ally in action. She's very gentle, but she's also very authoritative - the dogs respond to her really well! I saw Ally work with a reportedly "difficult" and "problematic" chocolate lab, who responded to her commands as if the lab had been doing them for years. I also saw proof of Ally's effective training methods in her own dogs, two very well-behaved border collies who often assist her in demonstrations for class.

Ally uses positive reinforcement like treats and praises and works not just with the dogs, but with the dog owners as well. She really does tailor her training methods based on her clients' needs. Aside from training, Ally also lends her expertise on things like canine nutrition and addresses specific behavioral issues her clients may be facing with their dogs.

Now if you're into the technical stuff, here it is (info obtained from Ally's website):
Ally has her bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences with an emphasis on Animal Behavior.  She is a current member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), a certified evaluator for AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program and the STAR Puppy Program, and is also a certified trainer through a big-box pet store.

So if you're ready to sign up for private dog training lessons, I encourage you to contact Ally - ask her some questions and find out if she's the right fit for you and your pet.

For additional information, visit Ally's website, Tailored Dog Training (www.tailoreddogtraining.com).