In the dog training business EVERYTHING goes in cycles. Some months I’ll have tons of Viszlas to train and the next month it’ll be Yorkies, and the next it’ll be wolf hybrids, it just goes like that.

This month though it’s been the month of interesting dog names and interesting commands.

Let’s start with the commands.

I’ve got one client this month that wanted their dog to work with commands in French. It doesn’t matter to the dog really what language you use, they don’t innately speak English. The issue with this scenario is my French is TERRIBLE and my accent is even worse. We made a list of the commands and started teaching them (Assis=Sit, Ici=come, Coucher=down, Au Pied=heel…..) but after we got going it became clear that while the dog’s owner had impeccable diction in French mine was, how shall we say it, Off a bit. The little dog started having trouble understand what we were saying for a while until it clicked that she had to work with a trainer that didn’t have a lovely Parisian accent.

My other cool command story this month is from some clients that are clearly Star Trek enthusiasts. I loved this one. The pup’s name is Ryker, which you can probably figure out, but the best are the commands they use for Come and Go Potty. For them the come command is ENGAGE. I LOVE it and it works really well. It’s a clear command, and the pup responds well to it. The second is their command for Go Potty. They’ve chosen the best command swap I’ve ever heard, they use Make It So.

I think I’m going to have to pay them royalties on using that one from now on I love it so much. It can be my legacy to dog training if I leave behind legions of clients who train their dogs to potty on the command “Make it So.” Clients will be in the park and hear each other say “Make it So” to their dogs, then they can give each other a secret wink and say “Steve’s your trainer too huh?”

As for names, we’ll keep these short. I’ll give the profession of the owner and then the name.

Physicist….dog name…Collider

Rock star singer…dog name…Moth

Both of those fit the dogs perfectly and the owners even better.

I bring the name up because we’re searching for a name for our new puppy that’s coming soon. Unless the dog’s personality is totally different from what I expect this is what it’ll look like.

Dog trainer…dog name…Folly.

What do you think?

Steve Haynes
Austin Dog Trainer
Fidelio Dog Works

Well, It’s that time I guess. I got a call yesterday from a breeder I’ve been talking with for the past 8 years on and off. I’ve wanted one of her dogs forever, but every litter has been spoken for before I could get my name on the list and I never got organized enough to actually PUT my name on her list before she had a litter.

In any case, she called me yesterday out of the blue and told me that she had a pup that wasn’t going to be able to go to it’s original home due to personal issues. I thought long and hard about it overnight, and now is as good a time as any to bring in a new puppy.

Contrary to what most clients think, I just don’t get overly excited about having a new puppy. I, unfortunately, know exactly what I’m in for and am already bracing for it. Getting up at night, walks in the foul weather, bodily fluids and solids inappropriately dropped/left places when the pup’s not attended, constant attention, and TONS AND TONS of TRAINING REPETITIONS.

With all that said though, I’m looking forward to working with the little guy. I’m sure we’ll be wearing out several clickers with him over the next few weeks.

I’m going to try to get video of the training and pictures and get them posted so that you can watch things develop. Hope it proves interesting to everyone.