Next Race...To Your Couch

Raider has done extremely well as we get close to the end of the ten week training session.  He knows all of his basic commands and his trainers have been working on a couple extras, "bow" and "paws up".   He can't wait to show you how smart he is.   Everyone on "Team Raider" has enjoyed working with him and will definitely miss him. 

Raider is a very loving and gentle giant that loves to be around people.  He will whine a little bit when in his crate for extended periods of time.  His trainers have been working on this and have seen some improvement.  They have no doubt that Raider will be a great addition to his new family and they wish him well.

Raider - Ready For Relaxation

Wow!  It's swap week already!  As sad as it was for Lady's trainer to lose her for a week, it was all worthwhile getting Raider.  They spent their days playing, working and relaxing.  A whole lot of relaxing.  All the while he remains right by his trainer's side. He will lay there when he's reading, lounging or watching tv.   What more could you ask for in a greyhound companion?

Raider's trainer for swap week said it's been a pleasure to work with such an obedient dog.  "Gentle Giant" describes Raider perfectly.  Some family definitely got lucky adopting this boy.  There is no doubt he will be a loving member of the family for many years to come.  Enjoy Raider!

You've Got a Friend in Me!

Raider is doing very well as we come to the end of the eighth week of training. He did excellent at show and tell on Friday and performed every command flawlessly on the first attempt. He is very treat motivated and loves affection and praise as well. He is very laid back and very gentle and can become excited at feeding time, but who doesn't? He will lay beside you all day if you want him to. He hasn't been stubborn or hard headed, and he has even gotten to the point of doing every command on the first attempt. This past week he focused on holding his commands until he's released from the command position and he did great. It's been such a joy working with Raider and his entire team loves working with him.

You've Come A Long Way Baby

Raider has mastered his commands and will perform them the instant they are given without hesitation.  He's such a great boy and will be missed by his trainer.  Raider enjoys his time out of the kennel exploring and lounging around.  His trainer is working with him to refine his kennel attitude by extending his time in it.  He is improving.

This week Raider is working on "bow" and "paws up".  He has caught on both commands extremely fast and his trainers plan to add more extras for him to learn.  He's a smart boy and is eager to learn new things.  Check in on Raider next week. 

Perfect Couch Potato

Raider has continued to do very well with all of his commands. He knows every command verbally and the hand signals too. He is also doing them on the first try.  Great job Raider!

He is a loving, gentle giant that was very unsure of toys at first, but now he loves them. The squeaky ones are his favorite.  He will play hard, but loses steam after a few minutes. Then it's nap time... again.  He loves his naps and his bed, and will lay on it beside you as long as you let him. Which could be all day. LOL

If you are looking for a greyhound that enjoys chillaxing and just hanging out with his humans, then look no further than sweet Raider.  He's the perfect couch potato and ready to steal your heart.

Sweet Handsome Guy

This week during show and tell, Raider did excellent! He performed every command flawlessly and within the first or second time of being given the command. This week his trainer has been having other people work with Raider to get him comfortable taking commands from others. It didn't take long before he was doing his commands for anyone. Raider has been spending less time out of the kennel lately due to a slight increase in his whining while crated. He has become accustomed to his time outside the confines of his kennel, so yay for Raider! In order to decrease the likelihood of him developing separation anxiety, he has been crated more and when he begins whining while being crated he also gets a blackout cover to help him feel more comfortable like he's in his own little house. Raider continues to be an incredibly sweet and handsome boy, tune in next week to hear more about him!

Attention Hound

Raider is incredibly intelligent and knows all of his commands and can perform each one flawlessly... If he wants to.   He can be a little hard-headed, and sometimes he acts oblivious and air-headed, but he's not fooling anyone. LOL.  On the flip side, Raider is a sweetheart through and through.  He loves affection from anyone!

Raider loves his time out of the kennel.  After training, he gets to spend a little bit of time lounging around on the bed in the day room.  He's particularly fond of the big fluffy beds. (Hint, hint, to his forever family).

During the remainder of Raider's training, his trainer is going to focus on his listening skills.  He has phenomenal recall, which is a great command for a greyhound to know well.  You never know when you might need to use it. 

One Dashing Boy

Raider is doing well this week. As always his leash walking is impeccable. He's continuing to shape up his sit command and has come a long way since week too. His trainer no longer has to continually scoop him to get him to sit with proper form. He also began consistently working on the down command this week. With him beginning to grasp it correctly 90% of the time, the down command has been fairly simple to shape from the side-saddle to a proper Sphinx down. Every once in awhile when it's time to eat and his energy levels are heightened, he gets a little bit vocal, but other than that this handsome boy, or should I say man, is quiet as a mouse and incredibly laid back. His trainer has said it before and will probably say it again, but the best descriptor he can give to Raider is a gentle giant.

Star Student

Raider has had a drastic improvement in his overall progress this week. His leash walking has greatly improved and he no longer tugs on the leash whatsoever. He remains right at his trainer's side while walking and his heel command is just phenomenal. Being as big as he is, his handler was expecting the heel to be a little bit more difficult to master than it was, but Raider surprised him with his mobility and overall understanding of the command. What a champion! 

He has no problem with crashing on a bed and he is more than happy to flop down and hang out with others who are milling about. He also began working on sit this week, and at first he was very reluctant to go into the position, but it didn't take long for him to grasp the concept of being treated once in that position. His sits are going to require shaping, but that is to be expected. If you know anything about Greyhounds and sitting, you know that their butts don't really even touch the floor because they have such long bodies. It's really cute even when they don't have it mastered yet, and it's extra adorable when they do. As of right now when he sits on his own without the help of a scoop he kind of side saddles, which is to be expected again.

Overall, he is making wonderful progress and is a huge fan of being treated and being petted.

Gentle Giant

Raider is an incredibly handsome boy and is doing well during his first week of training.  His trainer is mainly working on bed and kennel and will introduce more commands next week.  Raider has improved on his leash skills and is now considered a model leash walker.  Good job!

Raider, at a mere 78 lbs, is best described as a "Gentle Giant".  He is a sweet and loving boy, and his trainer is looking forward to the next 10 weeks watching him transform from track racing hound to lazy house hound!