Look Out World, Here Comes Phoebe!!!

Well, Phoebe had her final testing of commands this week and she did fantastic!  Of course there is the fact that she’s eager to please and will do anything for food!  She’s handling stairs like a pro; no help needed for this girl!  Stand back world Phoebe is on her way to graduation!

Her inmate trainer says that the last 10 weeks have flown by!   He says that Phoebe is so smart that she made the whole process easy for him!  She learns new things easily and has fun doing it.  Her favorite commands are “bed” and “down”.  Her trainer has been working with her on the “stay” command by placing her on her dog bed and saying “bed” and she will just hang out while he walks around.  For the “crawl” command he gives her the “down” command then holds a treat close to the ground in front her and tells her to “crawl”  She’ll inch her way toward the food maintaining all the cuteness in the world! 

He says that he’s going to miss this sweet girl.  Not seeing her wagging tail and happy face every day will be hard, but knowing she’s going home forever makes it all worthwhile! 

Swap Week Sweetheart

Phoebe was an amazing dog to have for swap week! She is a high-energy sweetheart and will make such a wonderful addition to any family ready for a lot of love. She loves toys and really loves treats; she has one of the cutest faces on earth which makes it impossible not to dote on her 24/7! She really knows how to use that cuteness to her advantage, too! ;)

Happy-Go-Lucky Gal

The ladies from Second Chance came by the prison to check on training progress and Phoebe’s inmate trainer is proud to report that Phoebe did great with all of her commands!  He says that it helps that she’s so happy and very treat motivated.  Her inmate trainer says that the best way to teach her new things is to give her a treat as soon as she does something you like. 

Phoebe’s trainer says that she is a happy loving girl who is focused at training time and walks well on the leash.  She has not been a barker and has a very friendly personality.  She is a little cautious of shiny floors, but will work her way through it.  

Next week is swap week for the dogs and inmates.   This just means that she’ll spend some time with an alternate handler going over commands and seeing if there are any areas that need additional work.   

She's Got the Beat!

Phoebe is such a wonderful loving dog and working with her has been a real treat. She is such a smart dog and she knows her commands very well. She's currently learning some extra commands, leave it and crawl. She knows hurry, let's go, kennel, here, sit, down, stay, bed, jump very well. She's still working on release, wait, and heel - this little girl is just go go go! Smash Mouth was right... so much to do, so much to see! Tune in next week to see how this beautiful gal does with the shiny floors.

Quirky, Cute and Captivating

If you love greyhound quirks, get ready for Phoebe. One thing the trainers find amusing when they take Phoebe on a bathroom break is, on her way up the little hill to the potty break area, she likes to sit on top of the hill and just stare at things. It is something she does on her own and it makes her special. She looks like a regal lion taking in the view of her kingdom. Well, there's that, and also her crate antics: you got to be careful when she lays in a down position in her kennel on her own and then lays her head on her paws. It is just devastatingly cute. Part of you just wants to give in to those pleading eyes! You're going to have a great time spoiling this beauty. She is such a great dog, so happy, fun, loving, beautiful and smart.

This past week she spent time with her secondary trainer and did her weekly testing with him, and she did great doing all of her commands for him without having to ask her more than twice! She's been working on doing commands with either just verbal cues or hand signals, and she's picking up on this really well.

Her primary trainer is teaching her one extra command so far. He puts her in a down position on a soft surface like carpet or pads, and puts a treat in his hand. He gets her to crawl on her belly forward for the treat. She is learning so much and it is really going to amuse the pants right off of you. Something to show your friends for sure, and we hope you enjoy this little antic. Other than that, she is doing great on her commands. She's doing a lot of them off-leash with ease. She is a smart girl and would be easy to teach her even more extra commands if you wish. Take care, and stay tuned for next week's adventure

Stair Master!

Every weekend the trainers introduce all the dogs to stairs and try to get them used to going up and down them. Phoebe goes up and down them like she has been doing it every day for her whole life and she shows no problems performing the stair climb. It is not a lot of steps, but it helps when she gets to the top to give her something tasty. It also helps when she comes back down!  Maybe even before she goes up or down. This way, she has food and not steps on her mind. She does love her treats and she is not picky at all about them. She's been working on her stay from a standing position - she does great with down and stay, but needs to learn a standing stay, since all kinds of stays are useful. Plus, it teaches her patience.

She is doing great on her commands and not just for her trainer. She's doing great with other trainers as well! This week, her trainer is going to let her secondary trainer do testing with her and see how she does with him in front of a crowd. She still loves to play. After commands, he lets her play and brings out a toy so that she will sit, down, or bed, trying to do something to get the toy. She is so smart! She will play with the toys for a little while on her own, but she loves for you to get the toy, tease her with it, and toss it for her to run after and get. Then she's going to go for her bed to chew on it until you get it again and toss it for her. Anything with a bushy tail and anything that squeaks, she really likes! Not pig toys though. She doesn't really care for them. Well, this is all for this week. Stay tuned next week to see what shenanigans she gets into!

Jumping Queen

Phoebe worked on “jump” this week and did really well.  This will help when getting her in and out of the car once she arrives at her forever home.  To help get her motivated to jump her inmate trainer placed her food bowl on the platform and gave the jump command.  It didn’t take long for Phoebe to figure out what was being requested.  

After playtime, potty break, or a training session her inmate trainer places a treat inside of her kennel then unleashes her and gives her the “kennel” command.  This has helped her learn the command, but also gives her something yummy to look forward to.  She’s very food motivated and happy to comply for that oh so yummy reward.  Her inmate trainer says that he’s proud of the progress she’s made so far and can’t wait to see what she figures out next!

Smarty Pants, Sweetie Pie

Yesterday, a few of the ladies from Second Chance Greyhounds came to see how all the dogs are doing. Phoebe did great! She went through all of her commands and even surprised her trainer. They had only been working on sit recently, but she did a sit when he asked. We know we keep saying it, but Phoebe is a very smart girl. She has picked up on all of her commands very quickly and easily, to be honest. It really makes her trainer's job easy. Now all he has to do is basically refine them, getting them better and her more able to hold the position or command for longer. Her two favorite commands are "bed" and "down," both of which she does easily and readily. A lot of times, she'll do them without you asking! You can have her down and then do "stay" while in the down position, and walk away for several feet. She will just stay there and in a comfortable position. Her staying in a standing stay will be tougher for her, but one her trainer plans to work on more.

They still do some playing with toys once or twice a day. She has several she likes playing with and she prefers for you to squeak the toy and then toss it for her to go get it. She'll then find a bed to lay on. Her trainer tells her give as he reaches for the toy, and she is good about giving the toy up and letting you toss it again. She is an amazing dog and one you will love to have in your house! Right now, she is chewing on a Y-shaped rubber bone. She likes that one most of all. It really keeps her entertained, and especially so if you rub a little peanut butter on it. Take care! Till next week.

Phoebe, Out To Impress

It has been a little over a week since Phoebe joined the prison program for greyhounds and she is going with the flow and fitting right in.  She is a very smart girl.  Her attention and focus on her trainer is superb.  Phoebe and her trainer can go into the training room to work on commands.  He can work on her commands and give her the "bed" command, walk out of the room and leave her in there by herself,f and she will still be there when he returns.  I bet you are impressed.  I know I am.

Phoebe is a happy, smart, gorgeous and fun dog to be around.  Get ready for more surprises from Phoebe.  Her trainer doesn't want to spoil it, but "WOW" would be one word to describe her.

Smiles for Days

It has been an interesting weekend for Miss Phoebe. Coming to a brand new place with all types of new sights, sound, scents, and activities. Are you wondering how she has done the past four days? Well, from day one, she came in with her tail wagging as happy as can be, and curious like it's just another stroll through a new neighborhood.

Tell me, are you looking for a happy dog? One whose tail starts wagging when she hears your voice or comes out of her kennel? How about a loving dog? One who enjoys being petted, rubbed, tickled, and played with? Yep, she likes to play with toys and with you. She's a fun dog and also a very smart one.

Let me give you an idea of her. Day one, coming back to the dorm, she tried walking ahead of her trainer and he stopped. Then he put her in the heel position at his side. She did it almost all on her own and does it now when asked. She has already learned that at feeding time, if she is calm and lays down in her kennel, she gets fed. How long did it take her to learn that? About 5 to 10 minutes!

The same for when she goes back into her kennel from their walks. She will just go inside and lay down and then she gets a treat. These are just a few of the things that she's already picked up on. When I tell you that she is happy, fun, loving and smart, that's not the whole of her personality. She is also a very funny dog. As her trainer was writing this, she was in her kennel on her back with all four feet in the air asleep. We call it roaching and it is their favorite position. It is so comfortable! But she has her mouth wide open when she does it, and her t-shirt that her trainer gave her was wrapped around one foot in the air. It's a sight to see.  I wish we had a picture of this!  Well stay tuned for more adventures with Miss Phoebe. I'm sure there will be something else to smile about next week!