Last week I wrote about Clyde and what a cool dog he is.  So much fun to train.  A Viszla with a lot of energy and a lot of personality.  He went home the other day from dog training camp and there are some dogs I REALLY miss when they go home.  Clyde fits in that category.

The cool thing is when he got there his owner was so happy about his training, and the pure joy of seeing her enjoy him so much just made my day, or week I guess.

Later that afternoon I got a phone call… it was Clyde’s owner.  She’s spent some time with Clyde, there had been people come to the house…. no jumping, he was out in the yard, no running off.  He was coming to her every time she called him.

Again, I was so happy to hear how pleased she was with her newly trained dog…

And then she said, you know, I’m wondering if you will take Moshi, my other dog…  like today?  It was so funny.  Of course I said sure.  And yet I knew that it wouldn’t be like Clyde… like I said I really like Clyde.

So Moshi came home with me… and it turns out that Moshi is a very special dog as well.  He was rescued and he came with only 3 legs.  He may not have the energy that Clyde has, but he has the personality, and his attitude is awesome.

Working with him brings me smiles too.  He has lessons for us people to “get” as well.  He has adapted so well to only having 3 legs… he gets around just fine… but what strikes me as so likable about Moshi is he is sooo happy.  It really is a great thing to rub off on you.

Moshi being a rescue has his “things” he needs to work on.  One of which is a bit of fear aggression when he’s on the leash.  We’ve started training for it though, and Moshi being the dog he is, adapts well so I’m looking forward to my work with him.

More on Moshi in the week to come.

Clyde is a Viszla who came to our San Diego Dog Training Camp because of the regular Viszla stuff!  Jumping on people, whining, pulling on the leash, eating furniture… ya know, all the things that you really don’t want your dog to do.

The thing for Clyde was redirecting his energy into what he was supposed to be doing rather than trying to run around after him and fix it up AFTER he already did it.  Considering the fact that Clyde has a lot of energy as most Viszla’s do, redirecting really is pretty easy once you understand the thought process of a dog.

Which is much different than a human.  They are so much more in the moment.

The cool thing with Clyde is that he has an awesome off leash recall since coming to Dog Training Camp and for him its huge in the exercise area.  Considering his energy, being able to run hard is really helpful for a dog that moves as fast as Clyde.  Even someone like me who has been a runner for many years can’t keep up with him.

Being able to let him off leash where he can run and use all that energy, yet knowing that you can call him back at any time, in any kind of chaotic environment… kids, other dogs, food, that kind of thing changes everything.  It’s way cool.

I just love Clyde.  I guess I really like the Viszla breed as well, being a Weimaraner owner myself… the personalities are unique and very expressive.

They aren’t for everyone, especially people who don’t like to get out and get exercise.. but that’s for another blog article…. breed choice for lifestyle.

For now, enjoy Clyde’s video and I’m going to go back to hanging out with him in his last couple of days of camp.

We live in the greatest place in the world.. that is if you live in San Diego!  So much to do outdoors, the weather is nothing short of absolutely awesome… and if you are a dog owner there are tons of dog friendly places to go.

There is dog beach, there and their tons of urban trails.  Personally, on a holiday weekend, urban trails is my choice… simply because of how crowded the beaches get.  If you live here, the best time to take your dog to the beach is the off season.  Lots of space and plenty of freedom for you dog.

Of course if you’ve had your dog in some sort of training it makes it much easier to navigate these adventures.  If you haven’t and it’s hard to get out because of it… you know where you can find us!

So break the habit of sitting on your butt in front of the tv, or planning a great big huge meal as the focus of the day… instead, get outside and do something with your dog.
And then go in and enjoy a break on the couch and some awesome food.

Like people, dogs need exercise and getting it everyday keeps the body fit, the mind clear, and can even provide a sort of daily meditation.

It really is good for everyone, including your dog.  Try it.  For sure your dog will like it!