Baby Thor

Baby Thor

Training Thor

In January 2010, Thor, a 5-month-old weimaraner, came crashing into my life.



Here, I will outline the steps taken to train him to be a well-mannered dog,

to do agility, and to perform some service dog tasks.



At five months, he is pretty wild.











Thursday, January 21, 2010

Some Background...

Thor was purchased at 8 weeks from a breeder in Massachusetts. The buyers were given a training book and a purchase agreement that required training classes, neutering, and a return to the breeder should he need rehoming. His new family included a toddler and an infant.

He was taken to the vet twice by his new family. He received follow-up shots and two doses of de-wormer. He has had drippy eyes since his purchase; that was pointed out to the vet who did not seem concerned. Thor was (and still is) underweight; again the vet glossed over the owners' concerns. Thor has been eating Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food. He is a reluctant eater, often not finishing his meal. He is, however, willing to work/play for food...even his kibble.

Housetraining started out well. Thor was kept in a small crate when not supervised. As he grew, he was moved to a much larger crate. He would occasionally urinate in the crate. He was not defecating in the crate until he got sick with diarrhea. At that point, his housetraining took a step backward, and he now eliminates in his crate regular. This morning he needed a bath.

When loose in the house, Thor knocks over the 2-year-old and tries to "bite the head" of the baby. He is extremely active (due to his breed and lack of exercise) and races around the apartment leaping onto any furniture in his path. He often comes crashing to the ground; that does not seem to faze him. At this point, he is spending a lot of time in the crate.

When his owners realized that a puppy was too much for them, they contacted the breeder who blamed the owners and refused to take him back. After a brief search for a new home for Thor, I decided to try him at my house. He is scheduled to arrive here next week. (I have agility events both Saturday and Sunday; don't want to leave him for a long stretch when he first gets here). I have been working with Thor almost daily for the last week. He's excited to see me, and I am pleased with his progress. Still, he will undoubtedly shake up the quiet environment of my home. I feel both excitement and dread.

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