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A Doggone Good Class of 2018
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Wednesday, May 30, 2018
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

The pup-arazzi were out in full force as the 30 students strutted across Keefer Park in Hailey.

And graduation caps never looked more adorable as they topped the droopy ears of Labrador retrievers, the alert ears of a German shepherd and the black and white head of a boxer.

It was graduation night for the students in Stephanie Hotstetler’s Scotch Pines Dog Training School--a chance to honor those who had paws-itively lived up to their pet-tential.

“It starts with small victories that get bigger,” said Hostetler in her commencement address.

The dogs had shown up for their first class nine weeks earlier—and many were clearly out of control.

But, going from kindergarten to grad school in nine weeks, they had turned into four-legged companions that their human companions hoped would fur-ever obey off leash.

“No clickers. No shock collars. No whistles, No food treats. No leashes—after a few classes, at least. It’s all about the relationship with your dog,” said Hostetler.

“I enrolled Bowie for his safety,” said EJ Harpham, looking at the English Springer Spaniel/Shetland Sheepdog/Weimaraner/St. Bernard/German Shepherd mix she got from Save-A-Mutt a year ago. “I never worried with my old dog. But I had to take a lot of hot dogs for Bowie when we went skiing. And, if I ran out, he wouldn’t come back.”

As proud friends and relatives looked on, Hotstetler invited dogs and their companions out onto the field where they showed off their newly acquired skills, including the ability to come, heel, sit instantly on command, lie down on command, stay on command and stand motionless while being examined.

She had them perform a do-si-do where they formed two lines across from one another, then passed one another to get to the other side. Dogs and owners completed the task successfully without a single Australian shepherd, Havanese or labradoodle stopping to sniff or play with another, without a single owner stopping to chat with another.

Then she had them walk to the middle where owners instructed their dogs to stay while the owners retreated back to the sides. The dogs, which had been playing with one another before class began, remained still as they awaited the next command.

One by one, an owner called to his or her dog, rejoicing as each dog passed the test, rejoining him or her in an instant.

“The dogs learn to listen to their names and their person’s voice,” Hotstetler said.

In addition to teaching simple commands, Hotstetler addresses all kinds of behavior problems during class, including jumping, biting, chewing, digging, barking, fighting and separation anxiety, using methods pioneered by a man who was chief animal trainer for Walt Disney Studios for 20 years.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few faux-paws.

When Steve Hutchins’ 3-year-old Toy American Eskimo named Louie jumped up on him, he took him to the ground and the dog immediately ceased and desisted.

“This school is so amazing because you don’t need treats--just well-placed corrections and consistency, and a lot of praise,” said Harpham.”The biggest thing I’m learning is how to correct things so I only have to give a command once instead of constantly having to say, ‘Come, come, come.’ ”

“It’s interesting going through the course, as you learn so much about yourself and how you approach life in general,” said Laura Hubbard, who had impulsively adopted a 9-month-old miniature Aussie during a business trip to Phoenix.

Students ranged in age from 5-year-old Sarah, who had to break five years of bad habits, to a Karelian Bear Dog named Tanner that was two months old when his Dad enrolled him so he could accompany him while hiking in grizzly country.

“Normally I don’t take them that young. But, when I heard what the breed was, I said, ‘The earlier the better,’ ” said Hotstetler. “Those dogs named a lot of training.”

Hotstetler has trained dogs for nine years. She started out as a student and was so blown away by the results that she became a trainer two years later.

The training school she works for, started by a couple in Payette, is the largest in Idaho. Hotstetler herself teaches classes in Ketchum, Hailey, Burley and Twin Falls. She will teach nine classes in Anchorage, Alaska, this summer before returning to the Wood River Valley to teach classes beginning Labor Day weekend.

Her classes involve walking the dogs past open cans of cat food, teaching them to leave a plate of raw ground beef that she drags past them and teaching them to ignore a live goat and bunny.

She purposely teaches large classes to simulate the distractions that come with the hustle bustle of real life. Dogs trained in quiet, calm settings may only obey in quiet calm settings, she said.

Finally, the moment everyone has been awaiting arrived. Hotstetler handed out a graduation certificate to each dog, along with a small graduation cap, a copy of the book, “Lessons from a Sheep Dog,” a dog biscuit and a cookie for their human.

She handed out awards for Top Dog, perfect attendance and, yup, a Teacher’s Pet Award.

She eyed Linda Peterson’s 2-year-old yellow lab Bella, whom Peterson plans to train as a therapy dog for the hospital.

“A lot of the dogs that go through my classes go on to become therapy dogs. They easily pass the test,” Hotstetler said.

Pax, a Visla coonhound mix, was the first dog in the Erin Howland’s family to earn a diploma. Never mind that it’s the first dog she’s ever had.

“It’s so liberating being able to walk through town, trusting him to heel next to traffic without a leash,” she said.

Hutchins was equally impressed.

“My American Eskimo never wanted to come. Now, he actually does a lot better without the leash,” he said.

Hotstetler told graduates that they were welcome to return for refresher courses free of charge.

“If you don’t use it, you will lose it. But, if you do, it won’t take much to get it back,” she said. “And if your dog enjoyed this class, be creative. Come up with new things for the dog to do. And exchange phone numbers—have play dates”

Want to learn more? Visit www.spdogtraining.com or call 208-484-5284.

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