Midnight has been a wonderful student and a loving companion for these last 10 weeks. He is smart and obedient and his trainer has enjoyed serving him and guiding him to become a part of a loving family. His trainer will miss him so much!
Swap week! This week, one of the teams welcomed Midnight for swap week. Midnight is a great dog, a gentle boy, a sweet hound, an easy going buddy, and very playful. Midnight stays quiet, does his commands, doesn't complain, and really just relaxes for most of the day. He really comes alive though in the training room once the toys come out. He can play for hours with toys. All kinds, it doesn't matter. His swap week trainer had a lot of fun this week just playing with him and throwing the toys around. His ears didn't droop once.
Aside from playing, Midnight leash walks like a dream. He does all his commands and doesn't make a big fuss at dinner, just waits patiently for his food and eats it all up as he should. Midnight is going to be a great dog for whoever gets him and he will fit in with any household dynamic. It was as about a perfect swap week as you could get. Not a trace of separation anxiety all week, for Midnight or his swap week trainer!
Only a couple more weeks and Midnight gets to go to his forever home. His personality has blossomed so much since he arrived. He's such a sweet boy! He is right where he needs to be in his training. He knows all of his commands, but needs improvement on a few: "stay", "wait" and "leave it". He knows them, but can be a little stubborn following through. No worries. With patience, repetition and affection his trainer is sure to have them up to snuff by graduation. Any family will be lucky to adopt this handsome fella. Midnight says, "See you soon!"
Midnight is doing very well with his basic commands, even with strangers. He does the cutest sits, especially when he is asked to do so for his meals. During these sits he lifts his left leg high in the air as if begging for his food. And he likes to try and take advantage of you when you are giving him treats for certain commands, like bow, by continually performing them over and over until you change commands. He is one smart cookie!
He is really beginning to enjoy working with others and he loves his time outside his kennel. He likes to lay on his bed while his trainer watches TV, but after a while he gets restless and wants to play. He loves to play, even at 4 in the morning when it is time for a potty break. But his trainer has to restrain him so that he can eat breakfast and then feed Midnight. Once he gets his belly full, it's all over. He has to take a long long, long nap!
While on potty breaks he can become distracted to the point of being downright stubborn and hard-headed when he sees or hears something in the distance. But that's a sight hound for you! He may want to just stand there mesmerized and maybe get a little pouty when he can't investigate. But this is just a small part of his completely sweet personality.
Midnight is coming along nicely with his commands. In the coming weeks his trainers will be concentrating on the basic commands and strive to perfect them, so when swap week arrives, he will be an outstanding student. His trainer has confidence in Midnight and knows he will be just that.
Midnight is quick to execute the commands he knows with strangers and is a well-behaved pup around other inmates and dogs. He's a happy boy and you should see his eyes light up when it's play time. After all, that is his favorite time of the day. He seems to have no separation anxiety when left alone. Whoever adopts Midnight is in for a real treat. He's a sweet boy eager to please.
This week has been really great! Midnight has come a long way in such a short time. To begin with, during his weekly testing this past week, he surprised his trainer by completing nearly all the commands he has learned so far with very little effort. And his trainer rarely has to repeat any command twice. It is still early in the session and his confidence in Midnight is very high. It is difficult to express adequately the satisfaction of seeing him progress and shine. His trainer is so proud of him.
Secondly, his extra commands are improving, and most of these commands are not simply tricks, they are important for his health and safety. And last, but certainly not least, Midnight had his first ever encounter with a jolly ball. All his trainer can say is wow! This 10 inch rubber ball is possibly the best thing ever to happen to him since kibbles and squeaky toys! To see Midnight on the big yard using his turnout muzzle to push that wonderful toy around at full speed was a sight to behold. He looks like a professional soccer player stopping the ball with his front legs and quickly changing direction to keep it away from three other dogs. This was truly a Kodak moment! It was super entertaining and forever memorable watching him have the time of his life. He was exhausted as he slowly made his way back to his kennel. He truly had too much fun! The lucky family who adopts him will definitely have to accommodate this boy with one of these magical play things.
Hi everyone out there! It's Midnight checking in with my fans. It's going good here at the prison so far. I'm getting the hang of these commands and my trainer says I'm catching on pretty fast. I'm not too sure of the things they call stairs. I don't understand why he wants me to go up and down them. I'm not getting anywhere, and I do like to keep busy doing things, like playing with toys. Toys are my favorite and I can't get enough of them.
And another thing, he keeps on wanting me to jump. I didn't have to do that at the track. I'm a boy and I get the bottom bunk in the kennel. Plus, I would rather keep all four paws on the floor, if you know what I mean. My trainer said I am getting better at jump. I'm willing, if he's willing to dish out the treats. LOL
I wonder what challenges and rewards are in store for me next week...
Midnight is becoming easier to manage on the big yard runs. He still wants to be among the dogs that are currently running, even if his turn is over. But his trainer doesn't have to fight with him as much to keep him at bay and he is learning. His commands are coming along very well as far as sit, down, and bow. He still has difficulty waiting at doorways and in his kennel without coming out until he is called. This is a work-in-progress, especially for dogs as curious as greyhounds. Midnight is looking great and his coat is shiny and his health is very good. This guy loves to play with toys!
His first experience with stair training was a little bit of a challenge because the floors were a little bit extra slick with extra coats of wax. Jump was also a challenge, but the first time is always difficult for Greyhounds. The key to overcoming these obstacles is patience, persistence, and always setting them up to succeed to build their confidence. Tune in next week to see how he's doing with his basics!
Midnight is beginning to open up and he is adjusting to his new environment very well. He's a sweet, gentle, calm boy. He does get excited when it's time to run or play, but who doesn't? He loves to run on the big yard and he's super fast!
Midnight loves squeaky toys! He is learning to "give" when asked to release a squeaky toy. He has not growled or shown any aggressive behavior whatsoever. He's a gentle giant with a heart of gold.
The team will be concentrating on "kennel", "sit", "down" and "stay" this week. Let's see how Midnight progresses with the new commands...
Midnight is a gentle giant. That is until you get out a squeaky toy or even a plain ole stuffed critter! He goes absolutely wild over toys. He is very fun to play with, but for now he is still a little too energetic for some smaller versions of ourselves AKA kids. This can be corrected with time and patience, and he already knows give and does not have a mean bone in his whole body. He is very sweet and it has only been 3 days together with him, and his trainer senses he will adjust and learn to be an obedient, loving dog in no time. Tune in next week to see how Midnight does when he's introduced to the rest of the team!
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