Diamonds in the ruff

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EXPRESS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

pets

Diamonds in the ruff Troubled doggies learn to sit, stay and be good By Kate Wutz Valley Pets Editor

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ome days, it seems like everyone else in the valley has the perfect dog. When our own dogs are misbehaving, pulling on the leash and barking at everyone who passes, all other dogs seem to trot perfectly and obediently just to the left heel of the owner. But many of these dogs were not always so perfect. Local dog trainers and behaviorists say they have turned many dogs around from furry terrors to confident, obedient companions with nothing more than knowledge, patience, dedication and some ground rules. Feli and Wolf Funke-Riehle, former owners of Bigwood Bread, had no idea they were getting what Feli calls “the dog from hell” when they adopted a cattle dog mix from the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley. The couple had wanted an athletic dog that could keep up with their active lifestyle, so they brought Undi home from the shelter about a year ago. “That was the beginning of getting the dog from hell,” Feli said. Undi, whose name means “joy,” was named after a Sherpa climber who Wolf had met when on an expedition in the Himalayas. Undi soon proved to be about as adventurous as her namesake, dashing over berms and across highways and rivers in pursuit of her “prey”— mountain bikers, motorcycles, horses, chickens and cars. The dog’s speed, coupled with what Feli felt was her lack of control over her pet, almost led to Undi’s surrender, either to the shelter or to a friend. Hillary Hayward, a trainer at the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, hugs her shelter “Last summer, I spent a whole rescue dog, Darlin. Hayward said Darlin was “too smart for her own good” when they met. day doing beautiful portraits of her With training and patience, Darlin became the perfect shelter ambassador. because I was going to put her on Express photo by Roland Lane Facebook,” she said. “We felt that we were not enough owners for her, and “I love the turnaround of a dog pups sometimes are nervous due we should find her a working ranch that was pretty much abandoned, to previous trauma, they are more in Shoshone, that we should just ad- who had too much energy and no likely to be shy or rambunctious mit defeat.” obedience,” she said. “With someone due to neglect or lack of exercise. Luckily, the couple didn’t need to. committing to her, she became just a Jill Bryson, who conducts agility They had worked with dog trainer different dog.” training at the Sawtooth Animal Barb Williams of Hailey before, and Hayward said dogs need struc- Center in Bellevue, said teaching decided to turn to her for help. ture in order to function properly. dogs to run an agility course can Williams, owner of Dogs Play Dogs look for direction from their be a great way to help the animals ’n’ Train, said she has worked with owners, she said, and tend to make blow off some steam. dogs with issues including near-feral poor decisions without rules. “What it is, is taking your kid to lack of socialization, fear aggression, “It takes the stress away from the playground under control,” she alert barking and, as in Feli’s case, them,” she said. “It keeps them from said. “They are out having a good owners who could not gain control living in chaos. The more rules, the time, and it gives them a job.” over their dogs. less responsibility. It makes it easier The dogs are taught to wriggle 4/27/07 1:46:32 PM With obedience training and at- on dogs.” through tunnels, jump over hurdles tention drills, Williams was able to and climb over ramps. Bryson said give Feli and Wolf the confidence the classes provide the dogs and they needed to control Undi, as well owners a chance to work together, as to give Undi jobs—apart from reinforce their bond and give the dog chasing things. Soon, Undi was a lots of positive reinforcement. new dog, Feli said. “In theory, the dog works a lot Williams and other local trainers harder than the human, and you go say that while no two dogs are alike, home with a tired, happy dog,” she setting rules and giving dogs outlets said. for nervous energy are often the best Fran Jewell, certified dog behavways to turn misbehaving dogs into ior consultant and owner of Positive paragons of doggie virtue. Puppy, said leadership is the most Hillary Hayward, Animal Shelter important component to a happy, adof the Wood River Valley behavior justed dog. But she advocates a theoand training coordinator, said her ry known as the “total dog puzzle,” dog, Darlin, was so bad when she arwhich includes components such as rived at the shelter that none of the overall health, exercise, commitment staff wanted to take her out of the and consistency on the part of the kennel. owner. “It was the classic too-smart-for“You have to work on all pieces of her-own-good, too-much-energythat puzzle,” Jewell said, adding that Hillary Hayward and-nowhere-to-put-it,” she said. sometimes things like pain from hip Animal Shelter Hayward began working with the dysplasia can cause a dog to display of the Wood River Valley dog constantly, teaching her tricks, behavioral problems. basic obedience, whatever Hayward Of course, rules aren’t the only Sometimes, however, problems could think of to keep Darlin stimu- thing that guarantees a well-be- can be due to trauma. Williams said lated mentally and physically. Now, haved pet. Hayward said exercise is that one of her dogs, Kimber, came Darlin is what Hayward calls a “shel- a major component, too, as it gives to her as a stray that found its way ter ambassador,” traveling to schools dogs a healthy outlet for some of to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and other areas to show local resi- their energy. 12 years ago. Kimber went to several dents how great shelter dogs can be. Hayward said that while shelter different homes in the county before

“I LOVE THE TURNAROUND OF A DOG THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH ABANDONED, WHO HAD TOO MUCH ENERGY AND NO OBEDIENCE.”

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