My history
I was born on March 27, 2016 in Romania and on July 10, 2016, at my tender age of 4 month, abandoned in front of a cattery from an animal rights activist in Constanta. By the agency of an animal protection organization they quickly found a foster home for me. On August 11, 2016 I was taken on a more than 2,200 km / 1,367miles trip to Germany, where I was eagerly awaited at my foster home.
In Altena I hit it off very well: My foster mother is among other things a heart and soul dog trainer. I was immediately taken in by the four-headed pack of dogs. Naturally I am people oriented and I spoke “doggish” perfect after a short time. I am well socialized and my boundaries are pointed out to me lovingly and consistently. I am enthusiastic, eager to learn, curious and of course house-trained.
In Altena I got on August 29, 2016 an evening visit from two interested people for the first introduction. On all sides that was exiting and thrilling. I charmed, played and cuddled with them – something clicked immediately between us.
Ambra, our surprise bagIn the puppy time Ambra had ideas we would never have expected. We would never have thought that a young dog could keep us on the run. Now we have an active, friendly and cuddly she-dog, which can be put into deep sleep even with intensive cuddling and massage units.
Ambra still has flair in her head and likes to make decisions that do not necessarily coincide with ours. An impetuous puppy has turned into a self-confident girl. Ambra has not only conquered our hearts by storm, she has captured us forever. Since we have Ambra, there is no longer boredom, and there is always something to laugh about.
Walks and competitions with other dogs do not spoil Ambra. Only this is much too boring! Field-, Forest- and Meadow-Agility – super! Brain labor and nose work are the essential thing. Retrieving and searching games are a challenge for our girl and tired her rather than long walking tours.
A perky tomboy has become a confident, agile and easy to motivate dog. Ambra is usually social compatible with other dogs. She welcomes humans fawning and beaming with joy and often invites them to stroke her promptly. At home Ambra cannot get enough of cuddly units and physical closeness.
How much foreign language does my dog understand?
Well – here a random selection of German words and hand signals. I myself would founder on translating the terms into a foreign language!
Let’s go! Ambra, home? (Rhetorical question. Ambra is far from being exhausted.) Apport/Fetch! Out! (Ambra should unhand something.) Stay! Bye-bye (Ambra must stay at home). Feed/dog biscuit/goodie? (Ambra runs into the kitchen/to the dog bowl and enjoys a meal). Heel! Go walkies/go for a walk! Give paw! Here! Jump! Go into the dog basket! Come! Slowly! Stop it! Run! Okay! Down! Blow of a whistle! (Ambra comes running.). Out! Keep quiet! (Ambra is overexcited and has to calm down.) Get down from the bed/sofa! Look to me! (attention exercise) Leave it!/Nu! (cut off signals)! Sit down! Stand! Search! Drink water! Wait! Where is your bone/toy? (Ambra begins to look around). Where is the mouse? (Ambra begins to sniff at the ground.)
My dogs first season
Since February 22, 2017 the hormones are going haywire. Ambra – nearly one year old – forgets outside its good education and walking on the leash. Inside she is more affectionate and wants a lot of stroking.
An exciting and exhausting time begins. As a keeper I have to be very sensitive with my female dog during this time, treat it gently and considerately. Unlike humans dogs do not know any menopause. Female dogs stay fertile all their lives. The season may be missed occasionally as the move into old age. However they can still fall pregnant at any age.
After returning from our holiday Ambra unexpectedly got a fever and her general condition got worse. There was an acute Pyometra, so we decided on June 7, 2017 with a heavy heart to let Ambra castrate by our veterinary.
Training for human-dog-teams from März 2017
In the varied courses and seminars of the dog school from the animal shelter Iserlohn Ambra and I not only learn the basics of dog training, but we strengthen our bonds and become fit and calm for everyday life. Every Saturday it goes with a lot of fun on the next round, to consolidate on loose or off leash learned and to learn new things.
Agility
During our daily walks we build in forest and meadow agility from time to time. Overturned trees, roots, little creeks, stones, straw bales and tubes offer endless possibilities for balancing, crawling, slalom running, jumping and deepening obedience exercises and tricks.
A self-built tire, a slalom course with weave poles, a tunnel and adjustable jumps are available for training in the garden:
Dummy trainingWhen training with food bags in a group, it has already happened that Ambra has lost her patience and self-control and she jealously defends her bag and her area. Then excitement and impulse control is no longer far off and even the "safe dog blanket" is of limited help as a place of relaxation and retreat.
So we were made aware of the dummy training in the dog school as an employment possibility and species-appropriate utilization of the dog. After attending a seminar for beginners, I have come to the conclusion that I will adapt this kind of meaningful activity to my dog and we will simply do it "Just for fun".
The basics for dummy training are basic obedience and retrieval. This is the basis for the disciplines giving directions, marked retrieve, blind retrieve and advanced training. The calm, reliable and disciplined behavior of the dog during the various exercises - even under strong distraction - is called steadiness.
I started with the so-called marked and memory retrieve. We practice at home in our garden or in the forest. Either I lay the dummy out visibly or I throw it, so that Ambra has to remember the flight path and use her eyes instead of her sense of smell.
When instructing, Ambra can be sent in a straight line with special hand sign and the acoustic signal “Ahead”. Step by step we now explore the different directions to the right or left (Back/Go) with distractions and tempting dummies. The whistle “Recall” and “Stop” already work well. We have not yet conditioned the whistle “Hunt”, because we set up the training in small steps and still work in a very limited range of movement.
The “Small Search”, in which the dog is sent to a limited search area, is particularly fun for Ambra. She does not know exactly where the dummy is. With “Search” and a semicircular movement of the hand towards the search area, Ambra starts with her nose deep on the ground. She keeps searching until she finds the dummy and deliver it directly to me. My dog just loves nose work!
Free run for dogs
We visit dog run areas in the surroundings to make new contacts. What marvellous sights when the dogs romp together after the first meeting, run in full speed across the meadow with their bodies stretched out and let the wind blow around their noses and ears! Ambra can be easily retrieved from the dog group. With a hanging tongue and twinkling eyes, she rushes attentively and receives her deserved reward.
Dog tricks and Doggie fit
This is brain jogging for humans and dogs! Thanks to Clicker and Target Stick, we learn new exercises and tricks. I try to follow the instructions and discover what is possible. The training deepened through brain teaser our common relationship work.
For me Ambra has priority. The dog should always have fun! What does she offer to me by herself, on what we can build on: Fetch, opening tins with plastic lid, Give Paw, opening or closing drawers and doors, tidying up dog toys, hiding socks, jumping over or going through something, dead dog et cetera.
At home, in books, on TV or on the Internet, there are plenty of ideas for new gimmicks that we will also put into our box of tricks. What we have already learned: Eight run, Retrieve, Tidy up, Stacking cups, Playing Postman, Get (the dog blanket, leash, newspaper etc.), Circle (Ambra runs a circle), Through (Ambra runs through something or under something), Going through a postcard, Play cards, Elephant trick, Catch (catch goodies etc.), Give Five, Give Ten, Hands up – Bang – dead dog, Achoo! (bring a handkerchief out of a box at sneezing), Behind (Ambra follows me in the goose march), Hop (Ambra jumps through the arms, over obstacles etc.), Chin (Ambra puts her nose in the palm of my hand), Shake your head, Crawl, Boomer, Give kisses, Sit up and beg, Move left or right, Mask (Ambra is willing to muzzle), Middle (park between my legs), Nod, Shake Hands (Give Paw), Take (take something in your mouth and hold on), On/Off/All (step on something with the front paws/step on something with the hind paws/with all paws on target), Clean Paws, Cross Paws (Criss/Cross), Polish, Push (for example roll out a blanket or open a drawer), Up (Ambra goes or jumps on something), Roll over and Tumble, Reverse parking (Home/Emoh), Shame on you, Shake, Go sideways, Slalom through the legs forward and backward, Take off socks, Target (go to certain ground targets), Pickpocket (Ambra steals something from my pocket), Tick/Tack (both stand on the spot and raise legs and paws alternately), Tip/Tap (bend knees and Amber puts both paws on the respective thighs), Touch (hand or things), Bow, Back/Forth (Ambra goes in the appropriate direction), Wave, Yoga (Ambra enjoys her massage and cuddling units), Pull (for example draw a card from a stack or pull a string).
The doggie fit-turns Flip, Flop, In, Same, Schrill, Schrull, Out, Togi, U, Way and Weave. Various rotations: Running forward and backwards around something, Round with leg moving, Round with moving of the dog handler, Round around things in both directions (Rum/Cola), Turn (rotate clockwise) and Twist (rotate counterclockwise).
In the courses we practiced simple dog dance choreographies with music and elements from Doggie fit and trick training. We also trained the 18 possible foot positions with the help of the Dogstepper for dogdance and heelwork to music. Ambra learned to use her hind paws in addition to her front paws. She now works much more concentrated and has developed a better body feeling.
