Friends Forever

It is time to for Eli's inmate trainer to say good bye.  It's going to be hard to see his shadow leave, but he knows Eli is going to a wonderful new home.

Eli has had his commands mastered for some time now, so they have been trying some more advanced commands with Eli.  His inmate trainer will have Eli "stay" while his trainer walks away.  Then he will stand across the room and call "Here".  When Eli is almost half way across the room  his trainer will say "stay", and Eli will stop.  His trainer is also working on doing his commands from across the room.

His inmate trainer said it has truly been a pleasure and honor to train Eli over the past 10 weeks.  He's made a friend he will never forget.  He knows Eli has a forever family to make happy, and he will definitely do that.

Enjoying Life

Eli spent the week with an alternate inmate trainer for swap week this week.  His alternate inmate trainer says that Eli did great!  He went through his basic commands without any problems nor did he show any signs of separation anxiety.  He did perk up and seemed happy when he saw his primary trainer.

Elis seems to really enjoy people and interacts well with other dogs.  He showed no signs of aggression towards people or dogs.  He enjoys playing with people and toys, but backs off the toys when other dogs are around. He does really well on the leash, but doesn’t show much interest in running/jogging.  

Eli’s alternate trainer says that Eli is a great dog and will make a wonderful pet.  He enjoyed his time with Eli. 

You've Come A Long Way Baby

Eli has opened up quite a bit this week.  He finally found a toy he adores.  It's a Kong squeaky toy, with a head of a teddy bear and a body of a squid.  He can't get enough of it.  His inmate trainer will throw it and Eli will get it, and drop it at his feet.  He sometimes will take it to his bed and chew on it, just to hear it squeak.  If you adopt Eli, you may want to hide all squeaky toys in the morning, or that may be your new wake-up call. 

Eli's trainer has incorporated a few commands with his new toy.  If Eli has the toy in his mouth, his trainer can say "drop it", and he will drop it on the floor.  Eli loves to please.

Eli has also learned "paws up".  His inmate trainer will point to a surface and say "paws up" and Eli will put his front paws on it.  He's a little nervous doing it on hard surfaces, but he keeps improving every day.

Now that Eli loves toys, they now play a new game.  Eli is told to "stay", either standing, sitting or the down position, and is told "leave it".  His trainer throws the toy. Eli will stay there until the trainer says "release".  Then he runs and gets the toy and brings it back..  The focus in Eli's eyes is priceless.  His inmate trainer is so proud of his little buddy Eli.  He has come a long way in 8 weeks.  Eli will make his new family very happy for years to come!

Fine Tuning Eli

Now that Eli knows all his basic commands plus the extras "bow", "shake", and "leave it", he and his inmate trainer have been working to polish and fine tune those commands. 

They've been working to increase the response time with all the commands which is working.  Eli is a champ.  They have increased the distance and duration of the "stay" command, which could be a life saver for Eli. Hopefully his new family won't need to use it but it's always good to know your Greyhound is responsive to this particular command, in the event you have to use it!

His inmate trainer can tell him down and stay, then walk completely out of sight around the dorm. He's pretty good about staying where he is placed until he hears the "here" command.  His inmate trainer can even leave treats at his feet, ur paws, and he will not take them until given the "release" command.

They've also been working to prevent counter surfing.  Counter surfing is where the dog will jump and steal food off the counters.  They've put food/treats on a table in the training room, then they leave Eli alone.  He'll go and sniff around then lay down on a bed.  Which is exactly the reaction they've been striving for!  He responds well to "leave it"and "no".  If his inmate trainer drops food on the ground, Eli will start walking towards it and as soon as his inmate trainer says "leave it", he will stop in his tracks. 

Eli is such a smart and loving Greyhound. His inmate trainer wishes he could stay in the dorm forever but he knows he has a family waiting for him on graduation day. He is the perfect best friend. His family will soon find that out and will love him to pieces, just as everyone in the dorm does! He is one lucky Greyhound!

Proud Moment

Eli's inmate trainer says Eli is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!  The bond he and Eli have made is one he will always hold dear to his heart.  Eli is a true friend and will be truly missed.

His trainer gets a kick out of him in the evenings during feeding time.  Eli is so eager to go ahead of him when they go to get his food, but Eli stays right beside him. He's such a good boy.

On Friday's, the inmate trainers have what is called "show and tell."  The training teams come together with their greyhounds and show how they are progressing with their commands.  Eli's alternate trainer was asked to go up with Eli.  He was very nervous, but Eli never took his eyes off of him, and they did great!  This week the command "jump" was added to "show and tell".  Jump is not one of Eli's favorite things to do, but Friday he did it like a champ!  His trainer was so proud of him!

Eli knows his basic commands like the back of his hand, I mean paw.  He is doing great with "shake", but "bow" is still a work in progress.

Eli's inmate trainer says he is really going to miss Eli when he goes to his new home, but he knows he will make his new family very happy.  They are truly gaining a new best friend.

Stair Master Training

Eli’s inmate trainer says that Eli just can’t leave after graduation he’s fallen too hard for this great boy. All kidding aside, he says that Eli is the best Greyhound he’s had the honor to train.  Eli has all of his basic commands down pat. He still has a little trouble with “jump” but he’ll get the hang of that with more practice. His inmate trainer says that Eli understands how to do it he’s just a little scared of the bench he has to jump on to.  

They’ve also been working on a few extras this week:  "leave it", "shake", and "bow". He has “leave it” and “shake” mastered.  He’s still a little slow on “bow,” but he’s getting it. They also had the chance to work on stairs this week. Eli started out okay, but froze after two steps. His inmate trainer said poor Eli looked like, “Dude I’m flying up in the air and there’s no way down!”  After about 10 trips up and down the stairs Eli started figuring it out.  His inmate trainer believes that after a couple of more sessions Eli will be a stair master.  

Eli’s inmate trainer says that Eli is his shadow and will follow him around wherever he goes. Eli has great recall when in the big yard and responds quickly to his inmate trainer’s “Eli Here” call.  His inmate trainer says that Eli is a great dog and friend and he knows that Eli is going to make his new family very happy.

Naps Are Important Too

This week with Eli has been very productive.  He continues to learn at an extremely fast rate.  He pretty much has all of the basic commands mastered except for jump. He is not too sure about this whole jump business.  His inmate trainer says that Eli will look at the bench then back at him as if to say, “no thanks, I’m good on the ground.” 

Eli is a fast learner so his inmate trainer plans to add a few extra commands in the coming weeks. He believes that Eli will pick up on “shake” and “bow” really well. They’ve been working on the “leave it” and “give it” commands during playtime.  Eli’s inmate trainer has also been working to teach Eli how to “fetch”.  Eli will run and bring the toy back a few times until he loses interest. Playing is all good and well in Eli’s book, but a follow up nap is very important.  

Taking It All In

Eli and his inmate trainer have continued to work on his basic commands, and he is excelling with "down",  "sit", and "stay".  Eli's trainer says that he will remain in a "stay" position for a few seconds after the trainer leaves his sight.

Eli is still trying to figure out how to play with the toys.  He will play with a stuffed animal for a few minutes before losing interest.  He is getting along beautifully with the other dogs and inmates.  His trainer tell us that he is very proud of Eli's progress.

Chill Eli

Eli is doing so well in his training! His inmate trainer describes him as laid back and well-behaved!  He is not interested in squeaky toys, but prefers stuffed animals. He is loving the peanut butter treats... Something to note if this boy is for you.

Eli has picked up on "heel" very quickly. He is doing well with "bed", "here", and is name. In the coming week, they will be working on his response times. We can't wait to see this lovable boy in a great family!

First Week!

This sweet natured boy is already rocking this whole training thing!  He is responding well to his name, Eli, and has the "bed" command down.  He is calm, and so far, unimpressed by the toys.  He will pick them up and carry them for a while before dropping them.  He is calm and laid-back.  Eli could be YOUR new best friend!