Here are the basics:

 One nine month old daughter that started walking two weeks ago.

One Welsh Springer spaniel that needs MORE JOBS!

One very tired dog trainer daddy that spends all day standing around with dogs.

What’s a dog trainer to do?

When you add all of these things together there’s just one answer that makes sense.  Teach to spaniel to go get my daughter when she ventures to far away or, as is more often the case, ventures toward the "danger zone" of whatever it is on the playground, house, yard, or deck.

We started off getting Gwennie, the spaniel, to go over and touch Iris when I asked "where’s Iris".  After I startd this I though it would be a good idea to break it into two commands.  "Where’s Iris" means just take me to her.  Then I started adding "Get Iris" which means that I want Gwennie to go find Iris (usually not to terribly far away) and to gently "herd" her back in my direction.  We’re still working on the "herding" part but things are going well and I should have it in another week or two.

Now, with all that being said another though has popped into my mind, and that is my daughter will have wonderful stories to tell her therapist when she older about how her dad trained the family dog to "fetch" her.

Like I said, I’m a lazy guy so…..

Steve Haynes
Austin Dog Trainer
Fidelio Dog Works
www.fideliodogblog.com