Training Is Complete Time to Graduate

Two broken toes and Zoe still aims to please!  Sit, down, bow, bang, play dead, anything you ask she’ll do; it’s just a little slower than normal.  Her inmate trainer has been leash walking her, but she’s storing up energy and is ready to goooo!  She lifts up her paw and gives it her best shot, but she can’t move as fast as she’d like with her injury. 

It’s hard to believe that training is complete.  Zoe is ready for the world.  Her inmate trainer says that she learns easily and eagerly.  She’s a very loving girl who will be missed.  Her inmate trainer has had a great time with Zoe and knows she has a bright future ahead of her.  

How Many Days Till Graduation?

Well, Zoe has had a difficult week this week.  While running out in the yard with the other dogs she went into a turn and broke two toes.  Her inmate trainer says that she barely made a sound when it happened.  She’s hopping around, but seems happy.  While injured she can’t train, but she still strives to make her inmate trainer happy. 

Her trainer says that Zoe likes to eat her food really fast so he’s been putting a wish bone chew toy in her food bowl to slow her down. 

Zoe and her inmate trainer have enjoyed their week together relaxing.  With graduation just around the corner her inmate trainer says that this down time has been special and he’s going to miss this wonderful girl. 

Playful and Obedient

This week Zoe spent time working with an alternate inmate handler.  He says it was a pleasure working with sweet Zoe because her primary handler has done a great job training her!  He said that one of his favorite things about Zoe was her response to the recall command.  When called she comes eager and ready to please.  Her alternate handler spent some time working to decrease her treat dependency with all commands.  He believes she is ready for her final exam and new forever home! 

Outgoing and Loving

Another week has flown by!  Zoe and her inmate trainer spent the week touching up her basic commands and working on the recall command.  Zoe works hard to do everything requested of her, but she’s not so crazy about sitting without the promise of a treat reward!  Her trainer is working to wean her off treats during the training session, but will reward her with one or two after the session is over. 

Zoe is an outgoing girl who loves toys and people.  Her trainer says that she will get excited quickly, but will calm down quickly as well. 

Next week is hound swap week where the inmates trade out hounds for training.  Zoe will get to stay with an alternate handler away from her primary trainer.  This will help her accept new environments and accept commands from new people.  Her trainer is going to miss her, but knows without a doubt that Zoe will do a phenomenal job.  

Back To The Basics

This week Zoe and her inmate trainer have gotten back to the basics.  She doing well with all of her basic commands, but she really doesn't want to sit without a treat reward!  Zoe has learned how to rollover, shake, give 5, find treat in hand, stand, sit pretty, and bow.  Several people will stand around with treats hidden in their hands and Zoe  will walk around sniffing out the hidden treats!  

Zoe's trainer says that everyday is a good day with Zoe!  He enjoys watching her play with toys and the other Greyhounds.  He finds it hard to believe that only four weeks are left, but he knows that Zoe will be ready for her forever home. 

Loving Life

Zoe has learned to have patience and stay in her sit and down positions!  She is very treat oriented and will check her inmate trainers hand before doing what has been requested of her!  Her trainer is working to wean her from treats while training, but she doesn't enjoy process with only praise to look forward to.  She pulls on her inmate trainers heart strings when she looks up at him with a sad face as if she's inquiring about her yummy reward.  She is learning that she doesn't get treated for everything all the time.  Her inmate trainer says that Zoe works hard and tries to do everything requested of her.

Zoe is the kind of girl who likes to have an audience when she preforms her "bang" command.  She will preform a drawn out drama fall and even switches sides halfway through and will play dead until released from the position.  She also loves to play with toys, dogs, and humans! 

Zoe's inmate trainer enjoys every day with this amazing girl and looks forward to seeing what she will accomplish next!  

Beautiful and Smart

My name's Zoe and as you can see I'm beautiful and smart! This week I learned to jump.  I'll admit, at first I wasn't too sure about my inmate trainer's request but boy is it fun!  I've also learned to shake and high five.  I can also play find the hidden kibble.  My inmate trainer will hide the kibble in his human paw and I get to choose the hiding place by placing my paw on his!  (I don't think he knows that I can smell it so I'll always win, but it makes him happy and I get a treat!  Fair trade I'd say.) Sometimes I speak to the officers who are not paying me attention.  I really hate for them to miss out on the opportunity to see me.  

I enjoy listening to my inmate trainer.  Sometimes I think he gets sad, but when he sees me he smiles! I like to see him smile so I work hard to make him happy.  I smile back at him and sometimes leave my tooth hanging out. Yeah, it's as cute as it sounds.  

Learning and Teaching Love

Training is going really well with Zoe!  Her inmate trainer says that Zoe has gotten the hang of sit, down, rollover, paws up, bang, play dead and belly! She's a little slow responding to release, heel, stay, and jump but her trainer knows that she'll have this figured out in no time!

Zoe is too cute when her trainer says bang she'll fall over from a down position as if dead.  Her trainer can lift her paw and count 1,2,3 and say "aw, you've been shot" he'll rub the treat at her nose then lift her lip and drop it in her mouth while saying "look you came back to life" and she'll bounce right up!

Her inmate trainer says that Zoe works so hard and is willing to give so much.  She has given him a purpose and he wakes up with a smile every day.  She helps him get through his day and he helps her prepare for her future home.

Her secondary handler writes in to say that training Zoe is a beautiful opportunity, one which he is grateful for.  She is quick and clever and an absolute joy to be around!

Her alternate handler wrote in to say that his time with Zoe is immeasurable.  It's immeasurable in a sense of feeling alive and responsible and most importantly companionship.   He says that he's been incarcerated for over nine years and that he feels his self pride, dignity and self worth creeping back into existence.

Little Snuggle Muffin

A whole week of training has come and gone already!  Zoe's inmate trainer says that she does many things on her own and he's working to mark those things to turn them into commands such as rollover and belly.  She is currently doing great with down, but still needs assistance sitting.  Her inmate trainer says that his little snuggle muffin has a crush on Tucker.  She flirts with him when they are in kennels that face each other and she doesn't mind when comes near her kennel.  She plays well and enjoys hanging out with other dogs although she prefers to stand near Tucker and her sister Lily.  

This week her inmate trainer plans to work on sit, down, wait and stay.  She currently knows hurry, let's go, kennel, release, and bed really well!  She's already learning extras and knows belly, bang, and play dead well.  While she is still slow to respond to paws up and rollover her inmate trainer knows she'll have this down pat in no time! 

Her inmate trainer says that Zoe brings joy to his life and a void has been filled by these loving dogs so eager to learn and make their humans happy.  He is enjoying his time with Zoe who brightens his days.  He now looks forward to getting up every day and working with this amazing girl.  He knows that Zoe is going to make someone very happy when she arrives at her forever home!  

Get Ready, Set, Train!

Zoe entered the compound in full swing eager to go and see everything! There's not a shy bone in this girl's body!  Shiny floors do not bother her one bit.  She enjoys learning and her inmate trainer believes she is going to do great in this program! Zoe rolls over, bows down and sits on her own!  Her inmate trainer is working to mark the actions so that she will preform them when requested.  Get this, she is already performing hurry, let's go, kennel, wait and bed really well!  

Her inmate trainer says that this little lady has quickly become his best friend. She is helping him as much as he is helping her.  She is teaching him to be more respectful and has given him goals to achieve and success to aim for.  He now looks forward to starting each new day!