Louie's Report Card

Louie boarded with me for 10 days this May. He is just getting over his mange and he looked fabulous! There are just a few spots on his face where the hair is thinner, but other than that he is fuzzy and healthy!

Louie is a very active dog who loves all people; everybody is his best friend and possible playmate. Louie has some good manners when it comes to dinner time; he sits nice and proper at a distance of up to 10 feet and waits patiently for his food dish to be put down. He looks at you and doesn’t rush for the food until he is released from his “sit”. He also sits very nicely for cookies and other treats and takes them nicely from your hand without snatching or biting your hand in any way. He walks right into his crate when told to and sleeps through the night, chewing on a bone to keep himself occupied when not sleeping. He is potty trained and goes to the bathroom outside.

Louie needs a little more work on his manners as he still gets very excited and jumpy when he sees people; his love of people makes him so excited that he forgets his manners. He is still young and therefore a bit mouthy, but with some practice and training he will grow out of that shortly. It helps to give him a toy so he has something to occupy his mouth with. He may be a little too enthusiastic for young children or senior citizens and may knock them down in his excitement to see them. That could change as he grows up and learns more manners. Louie will try to learn anything you can teach him, as long as the training methods are positive and engaging. Forceful techniques will cause him to use his strong will against his trainer and find ways out of the training. Food or toy reward works very well with Louie!



Louie’s favourite game is Tug. He loves to tug on his rope while you hold the other end. It is a great stress-reliever for him and tires him out faster than other games. Due to his high energy and active nature, you must win your games of Tug with him and keep the toy after you play so that his confidence doesn’t build to a level that is beyond managing. Louie likes to play Fetch, but he doesn’t always bring the ball back. Sometimes a bird or a blade of grass will distract him and you have to go fetch the toy yourself.

Louie likes to play with other dogs, but is still learning his dog communication skills. Again, because of his enthusiastic nature, while chasing and playing with another dog, he sometimes forgets his boundaries and gets a bit too close to another dog. This causes some dogs to try to correct this behavior in him by letting him know he has over-stepped his bounds. He quickly forgives and forgets this act and continues playing like nothing has happened. A few play sessions with dogs that are patient and understanding will help him learn how to interact with other dogs without getting too excited.

Louie would do best in an active home where he could exercise his body as well as his mind. While he is still a bit clumsy because he is not fully grown yet, his mind is quite sharp and needs activity to keep him out of trouble. Left to his own devices, he makes up his own games, which generally involve the destruction of an object (usually something you don’t want him to have) to see how it works. Stimulating games such as Tug, Fetch, Find the Cookie and long walks and/or runs are a must for this active boy! He is happy wandering around the yard for a while, but craves attention and interaction. Left alone, Louie would become frustrated, lonely and destructive. He needs a loving, patient family who is committed to helping him grow up to be the balanced, well-adjusted adult dog that he almost is. He loves to see you each and every time you appear, even if you have only been out of sight for a few minutes. He loves to make you happy and he loves to make you laugh. Louie’s zest for life will make his active adoptive family very happy.

Chanone Sanders
Canine Harmony Dog Training Academy