My dog training career started through a fluke sequence of events that landed me to where I am today. A little hard work, some mentorships, a handful of tough dogs, training, training, and more training. Each dog we own contributes to our life story, and one of my sweet Goldens definitely contributes to a large piece of the training journey.
Continuing with the trend of introducing my dogs... Meet Cinder - IntCH OzarkMtn Set The World On Fire RA TKA CGC. If you've taken a class with us, you've likely met her! This girl is my rock. She's steady and fun. She loves to train, loves to snuggle, and is a stellar picture of what a true Golden Retriever temperament should be like.
Ironically, her name rings true to my life in its own way. Although Xena ignited my love for training dogs, Cinder allowed me to become knowledgeable in many new ways.
Cinder is the opposite of Xena; she wants to work. Her signature trick is a "hold" command where she can hold any object in her mouth, including food! She's notoriously known for forgetting how to sit during demonstrations and instead offering every other trick she knows. She's always helpful at keeping the atmosphere fun!
Cinder enjoys going to trials and is easy to put titles on (all those letters in her name). Her love for training allowed me to learn lots of new things in the sport world. She was my first conformation dog and we played around with the show ring a little bit. She loves rally and tricks, and she especially loves dock diving. It's her absolute favorite!
So that's the last of my current crew: the really bad dog, the dog that humbles me, and the dog that lit the fire. All contributing different pieces to our training journey.
What ignited you to start training your dog? Tell us a little about the dog that helped you pursue new levels of training!
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About The Author: Megan is the owner and lead trainer of Havana Dog Training. She has been training canines for over 8 years and specializes in behavior modification, foundational work, and working with families and young children.