He's come a long long way

[ckranz]

It's been well over a year since I have posted here. So long that the board actually moved....LOL My dog Khan has been the most incredible PR success story. In a couple of weeks he will pass his therapy dog certification and be working as a therapy dog in senior homes.

To understand how tremendous this accomplishment truly is I need to refresh everyone's memory.

Khan was adog rejected from his first home because he growled snapped and barked at the families grandkids. When he came to us he was planned to be a foster dog that we would rehabilitate for adoption. About a month after he came to live with us Khan had found his forever home. He had many problems: He was afraid kids, other people, dogs probably even his own shadow. Only good fortune that Khan came into a home with a littermate. While the thumbrule states to never own dogs from the same litter, in Khan's case it gave Khan the ability to give us some trust at the beginning. Her recognized his sibling and right away became willing to accept treats he so fearfully ignored before we brought out his brother.

In his initial behavior assessment at our local Humane Society we were told both of his potential for causing harm and that they did not think the odds were in his favor for rehabiliation. He would fail their assessment and not be deemed adoptable. For fans of IMOTD, Khan was as bad if not worse than some of the worst dogs on the show.

For the first year our goal was simply just to learn to be calm and be able to attend a class without being asked to leave. We were even asked to leave a class designed for fearful timid dogs as Khan's behavior was so disruptive. Despite this we continued playing calmness games like magic carpet. We played at home, at petco, petsmart, on the side walk, at the vet's office, at the humane society and in the park. After a year we finally were able to make it through a class which was taught outdoors....a foundation class for canine sports.

We discovered Lure coursing, a true passion for Khan. He looks his happiest when pursing the lure. To help with impulse control and to stop lunging, Khan would only get a turn to chase the lure when he walked calmly to the start line. Chasing the lure was an incredible reward. Its amazing to walk him back as he walks gently by my side. When I drop the lure and turn us around he assumes his strarting position. The sould of the leash unclipping and you feel every muscle tense in anticipation of the run. He holds that position eyes focused on the lure wating for the release, not barking and in total control. Once released he explodes off the line.

While luring help with some of his impulses, he still lacked confidence and so we began to consider agility. Our first classes were memorable as between exercise I needed to keep Khan walking a wide perimeter to prevent Khan from becoming reactive to the other dogs in class. Over time we were able to get closer and closer until finally we were able to rest between exercises.

As we continued agility Khan confidence grew. I set our sights on earning a CGC. With continued hard work and determination we succeeded. Amazingly enough adjacent to our testing area there was a lure coursing event going on. Aside from all the normal test distractions the whirr of the lure motor would momentarilty distract him, but he would come back to me. For earning his CGC he got 2 runs on the course. Earning his CGC though did not end his story.

Even with a CGC, Khan still had issue around kids and we have been working on that. About a month ago a regular group of boys at our dog park played frisbee with Khan. In a cuople more weeks he is scheduled to take a test to join the ranks of therapy dogs working as apart of our local humane society's Pet Assisted Therapy program. Khan will only visit Senior care facilities.I have full confidence that he will pass his assessment.

From a dog who needed serious therapy.....to a confident loving dog who gives therapy all this possible using PR training techniques. When I think of all that we have been through as a team it bring tears to my eyes that I have been blessed with such a special dog.

[Mattie]

Welcome back ckranz, you have done a remarkable job with Khan, well done.

For most people having litter pups doesn't work very well, there are times when it will work, Lure coursing is getting more popular in the UK, mainly with terriers and is good fun for the dogs. Agility helped one of my previous dogs settle in and start to enjoy life.

Since you were last here I have lost 4 of my dogs, Gracie went first, then Joe, Merlin couldn't live without Joe and quickly followed him and in August Ellie went. I have a new dog, my little Sh** Dolly, she is a Cocker/Dachshund and a real character, full of energy and fun

[MPbandmom]

Wow! What an inspiring story. Someday I hope to get my people fear agressive little Sirius through the CGC and Dog Scouts of America Dog Scout tests. Both require her to be greeted and petted by a friendly stranger. I see from your post that with patience, lots of positive training work, and time, we should get there.

[ckranz]

Mattie, I am sorry for all your losses. Losing 1 dog in a year is bad enough, but losing more well its tragic and no one should have to go through it.

MPbandmom..My advice is baby steps....take it slow but always work towards your goals. Progress not perfection and keep working. When you reach a goal...make a new one to work towards.

[Fundog]

Hey ckranz-- it's good to see you here...FINALLY! I've thought about you a lot over the last several months, noticed you hadn't been on since the move, and you even passed through my thoughts again just a couple of days ago! It's about time you checked in! Oh, and well done, Khan.