Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Acme K9 Services: It's not always like on t.v.

When we watch dog trainers on television we often think, "Oh what a great job! They must be living the dream." Well, for the most part that would be correct. No one can, or would, stay in this line of work unless they have an great passion for dogs. And to be able to be working with your passion is fantastic. This passion is not a slobbering smooching kind of passion but a deep respect and compassion for our four legged friends. I guess where I am heading with this is that it is not always like you see it on television. Some days, and some dogs, bring us lost sleep, lack of appetite and wondering what has gone wrong.

One of my teachers in this profession told me never to let your guard down around dogs with an aggressive history. That is impossible to do all of the time but luckily for me I do it most of the time. Today I was very glad I did.

I am working with a dog now that is people and dog aggressive. After bonding with him for two weeks we were out for our training session today and he became frustrated and came up the leash at me. I only received a glancing bite but that was luck combined with knowledge of how to handle the situation.

The hardest part of this day was not in getting back on a good footing with the dog. The hardest part of this day was the setback and the gnawing feeling that maybe this dog is beyond being helped. Maybe he is hardwired to be aggressive. Maybe not. Dog trainers are a idealist lot. We think we can help all the dogs that cross our path. I hope I can. I may be his last chance and that is really the hardest part of this day.

Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe the breakthrough will come then. If it does it won't be on t.v.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Next Article

Jazz guitarist Alex Ciavarelli pays tribute to pianist Oscar Peterson

“I had to extract the elements that spoke to me and realize them on my instrument”

When we watch dog trainers on television we often think, "Oh what a great job! They must be living the dream." Well, for the most part that would be correct. No one can, or would, stay in this line of work unless they have an great passion for dogs. And to be able to be working with your passion is fantastic. This passion is not a slobbering smooching kind of passion but a deep respect and compassion for our four legged friends. I guess where I am heading with this is that it is not always like you see it on television. Some days, and some dogs, bring us lost sleep, lack of appetite and wondering what has gone wrong.

One of my teachers in this profession told me never to let your guard down around dogs with an aggressive history. That is impossible to do all of the time but luckily for me I do it most of the time. Today I was very glad I did.

I am working with a dog now that is people and dog aggressive. After bonding with him for two weeks we were out for our training session today and he became frustrated and came up the leash at me. I only received a glancing bite but that was luck combined with knowledge of how to handle the situation.

The hardest part of this day was not in getting back on a good footing with the dog. The hardest part of this day was the setback and the gnawing feeling that maybe this dog is beyond being helped. Maybe he is hardwired to be aggressive. Maybe not. Dog trainers are a idealist lot. We think we can help all the dogs that cross our path. I hope I can. I may be his last chance and that is really the hardest part of this day.

Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe the breakthrough will come then. If it does it won't be on t.v.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

President's Day

Next Article

If You’re Right for This Business, You Already Know It

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader