Sit Means Sit Dog Training - Phoenix » “Spotlight” Doggie Biographies

Kyro/German Shepherd Dog

dogonitmaster — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:15:07 +0000

Kyro and His Pumpkin

Name: Kyro

Owner: Sarah

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed:Purebred German Shepherd

Likes: Peanut Butter

Favorite Toy: Kyro’s favorite toy is any cardboard box!

Best Trick: I taught him to “place” on the plastic meter covers at the park.

Arrival Story/Bio:

When I first got him he pulled a lot but now he heels right by my side thanks to Sit Means Sit.

Dunleevy, Keegan and Leeam/Airedales

dogonitmaster — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:39:49 +0000

Airdale Brothers: Dunleevy, Keegan & Leeam

Name: Dunleevy, Keegan, Leeam

Owner: Gary & Linda

City: Cave Creek, Arizona

Breed: Airedale

Likes/Dislikes:

Dunleevy – Likes to WORK, play, eat, watch for animals or cartoon characters on TV, play in the sand on the beach, stare out the den window looking for animals in the desert. Dislikes having nothing to do and hearing gun shots.
Keegan – Likes to sleep on his place mat, learn new things, get his big brothers to chase him, dig in his bone box, pulling out the grass, fetch toys and play tug-of-war. Dislikes having his collar put around his neck.
Leeam – Likes to EAT and play, chase Keegan, run off-lead in the park, stand up on his hind legs and kiss people, chase George the cat. Dislikes traveling in high altitudes and listening to orders.

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk:

Dunleevy - Likes to fetch Air-Kong toys.
Keegan - Likes to beat-up his big rubber duck. Likes to have what ever his big brothers are eating.
Leeam - Likes to play tug-of-war with stuffed animal toys.
All like marrow bones, peanut butter, and dog cookies, and all like to go for walks in the neighborhood or parks.

Best Tricks:

Dunleevy – Catch toys or small treats when tossed to him.
Keegan – Getting his big brothers to chase him.
Leeam – Waiting patiently for his brother to finish their bone so he can take over.

Arrival Story/Bio:

All three Airedales were born at Borderdale Kennels in Idaho and they all have the same parents. Dunleevy and Leeam are 4 years old and from the same litter. Keegan is 4 months old. He is currently weighs 35 lbs and his older brothers weigh over 90 lbs each. They all enjoy getting out every morning for some physical and mental exercise then sleeping on their backs with their legs straight up in the air in the afternoons. They are all clowns and are gifts from God.

Keegan "Belly Up" on his Place

Tazz/Pitbull

dogonitmaster — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:41:05 +0000

Taz the Pit and Brother, Rocky the Boxer

Name: Tazz

Owner: Nancy Viscichini

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: Pit

Likes/Dislikes: Likes Running & Barking. Dislikes Being Still & Quiet!

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Anything Works!

Best Tricks: Down

Arrival Story/Bio:

Valentines Day we got the call about a fostered pit that was being displayed at Petsmart. We had lost our pit of 13 years just 6 months before. My husband was in the drivers seat. If he liked her we’d keep her. I stayed in the car while he met her. When I went to see what he thought, he was signing the paperwork to bring her home. Taz is a personality to be appreciated. She is independent yet loving, hard hitting yet sweet. When we get on the agility course, I expect she will make state champion in no time. She works hard and plays hard. So glad she is part of our family.

Ruffus/English Mastiff

dogonitmaster — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:21:34 +0000

Ruffus - English Mastiff

Name: Ruffus

Owner: Nikki & Taylor

City: Anthem, Arizona

Breed: English Mastiff Purebred

Likes/Dislikes: Ruffus loves to snuggle all day long and he loves to play with other dogs. His pet peeve is being left out of the fun.

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Loves ropes, socks, tennis balls, ice cubes and the occasional flip flop.

Best Tricks: He will give kisses on demand. His Mama loves kisses!

Arrival Story/Bio:

About a year and a half ago I felt the need to bring another dog into our house. Taylor and I love the Mastiff breed and figured that a new puppy could learn from our older English Mastiff, Trucker, who is 7. Trucker has had some health issues and we also thought a puppy would help perk him up. I found an ad online for English Mastiff Pups and decided that I had to go and see the litter. Of the 8 pups, Ruffus was the only one that would go to both Taylor and I. He nuzzled into both of us and kept running back and forth, never leaving us for very long. I truly feel that he picked us! We wanted a loveable dog and he has definitely proved to be just that.

We decided it was time for dog training about 3 months ago. Ruffus is currently tipping the scales at about 150 lbs and he is 20 months old. He is every bit the opposite of Trucker. He has a never ending supply of energy and loves to bounce from one end of the yard to the other. Tigger would have been a very fitting name for him! We want to help him learn to be a polite and obedient dog when people come to the door or approach him to give him a pat. He often get’s so excited he jumps and bumps into our guests. And being a puppy still, he just doesn’t know his size. He has zero aggression in him – just lots of love and bounce! We have been really impressed by the immediate results we have seen with Sit Means Sit and Toni’s team. I know that this program is the answer to our prayers and our ‘little’ guy will be an obedient dog in no time!

Ernie, Bloodhound

dogonitmaster — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:37:38 +0000

Name: Ernest ona Holiday/Ernie/Ernesto

Owner: The Kleins

City: Glendale, Arizona

Breed: Bloodhound

Likes and Pet Peeves: I like, no, looove holidays at the beach with mom and dad, and grandma and grandpa. I am so tuned in I start “singing” a mile from the turn off to vacation land. I also like cuddling up with mom and dad, pestering my older (coon hound) brother and sister, and watching TV. Yep, I really watch it!

I don’t like lawn mowers or vacuum cleaners; they’re way too loud and scary. I also avoid anything to do with dog brushes despite my parent’s best attempts at bribery.

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: I love my “big ball” basketball and my rubber Frisbee. I can’t decide if my favorite treat is peanut butter on a spoon or Charlee Bears ‘cause both of them make me drool. Although you may not believe it if you’ve seen me in class, my favorite walk is actually a run – either running on the beach with my little human buddy or running through the sprinklers at home.

Best Trick: My best trick ever was throwing a tantrum the first day I met Toni on the day she came to assess me when I was 9 weeks old for “Sit Means Sit” training. I bet I made mom and dad so proud! I remember Toni saying, “I can see why you called me, you did the right thing”. I don’t throw tantrums anymore, but I’ve learned other tricks like crossing my eyes, hiding my dad’s socks, and playing “find mom”. I can also catch my “big ball” basketball and Frisbee in the air.

Arrival Story/Bio:
Mom and dad picked me out of a tassel of puppies because of my beautiful eyes and handsome fawn color. They brought me home at eight weeks old, when I was still afraid of the big wide world. My coon hound brother and sister made me feel right at home and showed me there was nothing to be afraid of except one thing – the CAT BROTHER! They told me it would be best to stay away from him because he was rather unimpressed with my big clumsy feet, large floppy ears, and slobbering wet lips.

Now that I’m a “big boy” at one year old, I have more control of my big ‘ole body. I can hold my own when playing with my uncle and I’m big enough that I don’t tumble over when my brother and sister run into me. I just love wrestling about with them. I know I make a pest of myself sometimes, but I know they love me. I’ve even made friends with my cat brother, but I still like to irritate him now and then. Hey – I gotta have my fun somewhere!

As for mom and dad, I know they are happy they chose me as their dog son. I can tell this ‘cause of all the hugs, kisses, and smiles I get every day! And besides, they know I’ll keep them young and full of energy (either that or sleep deprived) – this rather large sniffing machine requires lots and lots of attention and play time!

Lily, GSD/Whippet Mix

dogonitmaster — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:33:19 +0000

Lily at Vallecito Creek

Name: Lily

Owner: Marilyn Stevens

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: German Shepherd/Whippet Mix

Likes & Pet Peeves: Lily likes Snuggling & Swimming. Her pet peeve is when Charlie wants to play and she doesn’t

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Lily’s favorite toy is anything Charlie has at the moment! She loves cheese and walking near streams, lakes, ponds

Best Tricks: Lily’s best trick is diving!

Arrival story/bio:Buddy, our Golden, was lonely now that both of his people were working out of the house all day. He’d been a rescue six years earlier and we knew that our new dog would be a rescue also. I started visiting the Humane Society regularly on my way home from work, but none of the dogs seemed Buddy-worthy.

We even drove way out to a shelter near the White Tanks but that didn’t work out — the very handsome setter and Buddy immediately took to separate corners of the meet-and-greet room, both growling quietly. Back to the drawing board.

The next morning, on my way to the local Humane Society once again, I stopped at Pet Smart to pick up some dog food. And there were puppies there!! One was already adopted, but the other, a frisky little girl with enormous ears, was available. I rushed home to get Buddy and Paul.

The puppy started jumping all over Buddy, and like an avuncular uncle, Buddy accommodated her joyful leaps. A few puppy supplies later, Lily was heading home with the three of us.

Lily brought new life into Buddy, who even lost a few pounds from all their romps together. He’d let her know when he was DONE with a gentle growl, stomping off to his favorite spot — wedged between the tub and toilet in the bathroom.

As Lily grew, her speed at chasing balls (as well as the white spotted blaze on her chest) led us to think she had to be part Whippet. But those ears were pure German Shepherd. Her energy was unbounded and she could dive for her pool toy for hours on end. One of her favorite games in the pool was racing Paul in laps. She absolutely hated to lose, and she’d keep her eye on him as they swam the length of the pool. If she thought that she might lose, she’d cut her lap short and turn early, so that she’d be heading toward the other end of the pool before Paul even reached the first turn, thus assuring her win.

We no longer have a pool, so she contents herself with playing ball in her kiddy pool. Now that she doesn’t get to cheat at laps, her new favorite game is “keep the balls away from Charlie.” No matter how many balls I throw in the pool, she blocks them from Charlie. Watching her try to gather all three balls in her mouth at once is quite amusing; she’ll never admit that it’s impossible.

When Buddy died last fall, Lily sunk into a deep depression. Adopting Charlie pulled her out of that. She took her mothering tasks to heart, raising Charlie just as Buddy had raised her.

Lily thought that Charlie needed some training, so she signed him up for Sit Means Sit. She was less than pleased when she found out the training was for her as well, but she’s adapted quite well and now looks forward to class — wagging her tail furiously when we get within a few blocks of the park.

Duke, Great Dane Mix

dogonitmaster — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:34:43 +0000

Duke

Name: Duke

Owner: Teresa Young

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: Great Dane Mix

Likes: Duke likes ground squirrels

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Duke’s favorite toys and treats are stuffed animals, going on hikes and playing tug of war

Best Tricks: His “begging eyes”

Arrival Story/Bio:

Duke was rescued from the pound in Superior, AZ. We got him one year ago. We had been looking for a few months, and when we went to the foster home and saw those eyes happily staring at us and tail wagging his whole body, we knew he was ours. He’s been a wonderful addition to our family. And now with the Sit Means Sit training I can safely take him on runs on the mountain with me. Though he still has far to go, I have gotten compliments from fellow hikers saying what a well behaved dog he is

Charlie, Pointer Mix

dogonitmaster — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:07:12 +0000

Charlie at Vallecito Creek

Name: Charlie

Owner: Marilyn Stevens

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: Pointer Mix

Likes: His pool & sliding in the grass/when Lily steals his stuff

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: formerly stuffed reindeer, bones are his favorite treat and his favorite walk is Castle Hot Springs Canyon

Best Tricks: Charlie’s best trick is being cute!

Arrival story/bio:For ten years, our gentle Golden, Buddy, was a central part of our family. A rescue himself, he welcomed Lily the Shepherd mix into our home with opened paws. Although Lily tormented him when she was a youngster, Buddy was always sweet and patient.

Last fall, we lost Buddy to an acute brain disorder shortly after he’d had surgery to remove his eye. All three of us, Lily, my husband Paul and I sank into a deep sadness. Lily curled up in a chair in the living room, totally disinterested in anything. I felt the same way.

So began a new obsession: cruising the online rescue websites for a new puppy. Not a replacement for Buddy; there could never be a replacement. More, I was looking for something positive and joyful to focus on. Charlie became that something. A 16-pound puddle of puppy pudding when we adopted him, Charlie amazingly melted Lily’s normally anti-dog heart. She quickly became Charlie’s adopted mom and we all focused on turning Charlie into a fine young adult.

That meant training. After interviewing several companies, Lily settled on Sit Means Sit, feeling it would give Charlie the structure he needed, while focusing on positive reinforcement.

Was she shocked when she found out that she, too, was going to the training!! She was so unhappy at first, she had to be muzzled because all her anti-other-dog behavior came out.

Charlie, meanwhile, could not bear having his mom ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE of the training circle, and cried loudly through most of the first few classes.

Fortunately for both pups, they learned quite a lot in their first few months — enough that they could go on an extended camping and visiting trip with us this summer. Charlie,now 40 pounds, folded himself into the tiny floor space behind the passenger’s seat as his “spot” and traveled there for the whole trip.

Some highlights: chasing away a raccoon (or might it have been a bear?) the first night we were camping when we left the dog food out. Splashing in Vallecito Creek and gopher-digging on Middle Mountain. Finding out how cool it was to stay in a motel after all that tent stuff. Being outstanding house guests in Little Rock, Arkansas. And coming back home to the comfy king bed and fun splash pool.

Charlie brings joy to us daily. Whether he’s chin-sliding across the front lawn while we have our coffee, chasing the sprinkler, playing “Where’s Charlie?” every day when I make the bed (he hides under the covers), or whining pitifully because once again, Lily has hidden his toy.

We’re also proud of his progress in Sit Means Sit class. Just this week, he showed off his superb heeling skills to some of his newer classmates.

Wally, Belgian Malinois

dogonitmaster — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:05:40 +0000

Wally is Super Athletic!

Name: Wally

Owner: Toni Drugmand

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Breed: Belgian Malinois

Likes: Wally loves all toys. He also loves swimming, dock diving and practicing his protection work.

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Wally’s all time favorite thing in the world is “biting the bad guy” aka Billy the human tug toy. If you want to see Wally in action go to http://youtu.be/4e49u_Psh-k

Best Tricks: The Call Off – Wally can go full force at the bad guy and stop in his tracks when given the command.

Shiloh, German Shepherd Dog

dogonitmaster — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:30:16 +0000

Shiloh Foss-Sutherland

Name: Shiloh

Owner: Patti Foss-Sutherland

City: Peoria, Arizona

Breed: German Shepherd Dog

Likes: Shiloh LOVES to run, and chase a ball, and run, and swim, and did I mention she likes to run? Shiloh says her pet-peeve is when the rabbits sit right outside the window of the den in our home. They taunt her by sitting completely still even when her nose is pressed against the window and she “booofffs” at them. (A “booofff” is different from a “bark”.)

Favorite Toy/Treat/Walk: Shiloh’s favorite toy is any ball (tennis, Kong) that she can retrieve. My arm gives out throwing a ball long before her legs give out running after one!

Best Tricks: Shiloh’s new trick is to run and jump off the edge of the pool after her floating retrieving toy. Hmmmmm – can anyone say “dock dog?”

Arrival Story/Bio:

Shiloh is four years old. We got her when she was about six months old. At that time she was all black except for some brown on her legs. Shiloh is a registered therapy dog (as are my other dogs Dakota and Dudley). We volunteer for Hospice Of The Valley in the “Pet Connections” program and currently make weekly visits to 11 patients. She has always been a very energetic girl. Her nickname is “Squirrel” (reminds me of a scene from the movie “Up!”). Shiloh likes to rearrange/re-place things….every morning when I wake up I find she has removed my washcloth from the bathtub and placed it somewhere else in the house. Shoes and magazines are not excempt from her attention. If they are left in the living room, she will simply re-place only one of the shoes outside (usually after chewing only one of the plastic tips off the end of a lace). I think the magazines are re-placed outside so she has something to read as she soaks up a little sun during the day. Shiloh has received her Rally Novice title from the A.K.C. and has one of the three “legs” needed for her Companion Dog title. She can’t seem to get the other two “legs” that are required — The “Squirrel” has a little trouble in the obedience trials during the long-down exercise. In two shows she got up to follow a Bernese Mountain Dog around the ring and once decided to stay in the down position but did a complete circle while watching a moth (which flew up out of the grass in front of her and flew around her). Ahhhh….we LOVE our “Squirrel” even though she drives us nuts!!!