Hi Everyone! My name is Laura and I moved to Barrie just over 5 years ago. Having sporting dogs most of my life, my husband and I decided to get a Field English Springer Spaniel. As a puppy, Cedar had incredible fear and anxiety issues, including being touched, groomed, or even putting a collar or harness on. Fortunately, being retired, I have been able to spend all my time working with him to help him focus on basic commands and building his confidence. We have learned a lot together through various online training modules. His favourite game is "search" and he is so fun to watch as he goes into full "snort" mode looking for hidden treats or toys. We neutered him at age 3 and he will soon be 4. He has calmed down and matured immensely, can still be shy and still has "listening challenges"....unless there is food involved. Cedar must carry some energy that some other dogs do not like, as he has been attacked at least 8 times (dog parks (we no longer go); trails (he is always on leash); the Barrie waterfront; and even here in our home complex area. That being said, he has started to become reactive with some dogs that he passes and can stand up on his hind legs and scream at them. This is a real struggle for me, being his main handler and having my own physical health issues. Up until now, we have not taken him to any dog training classes (other than puppy classes) because of his various challenges. He can still go into an over-excited "red zone" when being introduced to new things....by this I mean he screams, pulls and barks with excitement and nothing will calm him down. He is also nervous in the car and shakes during car rides. And yet, in other environments, he can be cool, calm, friendly and will lay down with paws crossed if I stop to talk to someone on our walk. He will "wait" on his mat while all the treats and toys are hidden, until his "search" cue is given. He will also guard food and toys if the opportunity allows. Now that he is more mature, I do believe Cedar is ready to finally get out there and take classes, especially scent work, and more. My goal is to have him be the best, happiest and most satisfied dog he can be and I am willing to do the work. That being said we need to work on : RECALL, Loose leash walking (hard for a Springer who follows his nose all the time); reactivity, building a stronger connection together, and then some, including fun stuff too!

Love this idea! I believe it'll really help me to stay more focused and connected when working with my dog.