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Wednesday, September 24; 1997 — North Shore News

SNEWS reporter Deana Lancaster
biack Lab, Monty, enter week two of their

.month-ol

Black Lab’s obedience education inches forward

By Deana Lancaster

News Reporter
Deana@nsnews.com
WEEK two of Monty’s
education with Sierra
P.A.C.K. Leaders K-9
Training took place
Saturday. Anyone pass-
ing by our training
grounds in the Seymour
Demonstration Forest
would have thought we
were torturing our

‘dogs.

Our dogs thought we were
too. All five dog owners plus
Sierra co-founders Barb
Maclagan and Joan Klucha
were tromping through the
tees planning and laying our
tracks.

In the meantime, we'd
given our dogs their “wait”

* command. Eventually, they'll

"EWS photo Terry Poters
with her seven-

Slerra P.A.C.1C Leaders K-9 training program.

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“Guest host ¢~ Salim

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SEMI-GO:

be North Shore - News
managing editor “Timothy
Ktenshaw, senior Vancouver
Sun editor Patricia Graham
and Chek-TV talk ‘show
host_ and'.ex-MLA Judi

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Hotline ‘show is scheduled
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Cable 4 viewers: can
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and input. during the live.
telecast at 990-6130.

do this untied, bur for now
they were leashed to trees.

And with barks, yaps and even —

howls, they let their displea-
sure be known.

Complaining the loudest
(and longest) was my nearly
seven-month-old black Lab,
Monty. He was making it dif-
ficult to listen to Mactagan as
she guided the other two
owners and dogs in my group
along their tracks.

Emmett, a German short-
hair pointer, went first. He
couldn’t wait to begin. One
paw lifted, he listened eagerly
for his owner’s “track” com-
mand. Once it was given, he
was off, his owner “waterski-
ing” behind him as, nose to
the ground, he found his way
right to the end.

Next up, another Monty.
But beyond the name the sim-
ilasity ends. This one is a fluffy
white terrier, He’s calm and
well-behaved. Definitely noth-
ing like my Monty. Wher his
owner pave him his command
he sniffed carefully along and

' around the track she’d laid for

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him.

Then it was our turn.
When I untied Monty’s leash
he just about strangled me
with it. With me flying along
behind him, he headed
straight for the spot where
Maclagan and the others were
waiting for us. Roots and
stumps were a blur as T
tripped over them.

We assumed the position.
Incredibly, Monty sat patiently
next to me, and when | gave
his “track” command he start-
ed sniffing. OK, he sniffed
well beyond the parameters
Td laid for him at times, burt
he always found it again. And
once he even looked up at me
for directions.

This is exactly what I want.
The idea behind the training
isto have him obey me

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because he respects me — not
out of fear that I will hurt
him. Choke collars are forbid-
den in this class.

“I will never, ever, ever
train a dog by any other
method,” says Klucha.

She discovered it more
than two years ago, when she
was training her own German
shorthair pointer. She met
Maclagan in that program
and, impressed with the
results, the pair decided to
launch their own version here
on the North Shore.

I'm impressed, too. After
the wracking exercise, we prac-
tised our “recall” command -
(the word we use to get the
dog to come to us), and our
sitting and heeling.

Monty is by no means the
star pupil, but he is clearly

improving. He is watching
me, listening to me and some-
times, he’s doing what I ask.
him to.

We’re not nearly finished: -
he’s still tormenting me at
home. .

His favorite game is to
steal whatever he can reach
(this week: towels, wallets,
socks, shoes and my pager) :.*
and lead me on a wild chase.”

around the dining room table. EAs

And if J don’t get the item(s) -
back, he’ll eat them.

Did you know it costs $
to replace a pager?”

So as often as T'can; and
when I’m not asleep out-of.
sheer exhaustion, we get ‘ou
in the woods and practice.

Please call 657-8605
information on Sierra
PA.C.K. Leaders.”

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