[kbeaudet]

Very insightful and a real education.
My first day here. I am here to learn from (parents/ owners) of these awesome little heartbreakers. I am a behavior modification specialist and I volunteer my services and time at a true No-kill shelter in NW Fl., Panhandle Animal Lovers (PAL). I feel empathy beyond imagine. I do not however, show sympathy. That would be cruel. These dogs need confident, loving, calm and stable environments to grow.
This is why I chose this forum: My friend and I, this past February, adopted a 3 1/2 yr old (?) female breeder. We drove 6 hours to get her. She was a mess to say the least. I immediately fell for her. My friend actually adopted her and took her to her home in Albama to live with her and her 7 yr old yorkie. Housebreaking wasn't going so well! Ginger does what I call "stop and drop" eliminating. No smelling, just 'going'. Certainly caused by her wire crate life.
My friend has since gotten a gorgeous Yorkie puppy, so just 6 weeks ago I brought Ginger to live with me and my other 2 family members, a 6 yr old lab and a 3 1/2 yr old peek-a-poo to work on her house training.
I specialize in behavior modification so I know first hand how traumatized these dogs can become. Ginger is an awesome dog, very playful (with other dogs) and she has come a long way. She is somewaht protective of me now. She can do no wrong in my world.
After 6 months of (my) training along with my friend, she is almost housebroken. Almost! Do I care? NO!, she trusts me, sleeps next to me when I allow it, has been giving me kisses. This last week she has learned to swim when we go to the river and LOVES it and has begun coming to me trying to play (virtually ALL toys scare her away but she tries). She still frightens EASILY but she is one happy dog.
She is leash trained. I often walk her offlead with Raven and Misty on our private road and she stays just behind me. She has learned to stay sitting as I move away as far as 50 feet. She comes to me when called and sits at my feet. This was not possible, or so the normal response to training will go, as suggested by many. She is even coming to my friend when called.
All of this happened because we showed her love and, more importantly, a structured home to live in if she would learn the basics. We started with clearly defined boundaries that required her to do specific behaviors at specific times using calm, consistent commands and HUGE rewards when she came close to our target. She has along way to go. With patience, and calm, consistent command reward techniques we can ovecome (almost) any behavior. How?? Just don't give up. I takes a special tempermant to save one of these wonderfully appreciative dogs. BUT~ everyone has the potential as long as we know all of the consequences to be considered that lead to this kind of truely refreshing reward.