Who Let the Dogs Out? How does one properly train and care for a dog?

Students will work closely with faculty-owned dogs to learn different training techniques and strategies by working with a certified dog trainer. They will also learn the best dog care practices. Our students will also learn some basic canine first aid and understand the responsibilities and cost of owning a dog. Students will work with K9 Search and Rescue and a local shelter. We will also learn how to make dog treats and toys, which will go to dogs who really need them. If you love spending time with dogs, come join our project!

Day 1: We started the day off in Pilalas where we were introduced to our partners and our dogs. We played a Kahoot game about dog training strategies. For example, we learned about the importance of positive reinforcement (rewarding good behavior) and negative reinforcement (punishing bad behavior). We then headed over to the Master Classroom and watched a video about the evolution of dogs and selective breeding. Many of the dogs we know and love today were bred for specific needs. Did you know that bulldogs were originally bred for bull fighting? After the video, Ms. Sanchez brought in her dog to demonstrate some different training techniques. After we broke for lunch we retrieved our dogs from their homes and went to the turf to play with them. We took them on a quick Husky Mile and returned the dogs before we wrapped up for the day. - Casey Song, Sam, and Henry
Day 2: Today the group took a trip to the New Hampshire Humane Society. We arrived pretty early and got a jump start on the day. The group learned about the great work that the NHHS does for pets around the state and about the process for finding these pets a new home. We also learned a lot about all of the programs that NHHS runs and all the great stuff they do to work towards finding a forever home for their pets. We then got to meet some puppies and work on training them with a clicker. I made a great connection with Bagel and Valencia, and Henry spent a lot of time with his puppy as well. He commented that he learned that puppies smell like ham and cheese. After a great morning, we started to head back to campus and made a pit stop at Dairy Queen. We arrived back at home and had a nice break before gathering our dogs for some training. I was not too successful, but Koby and Sam got their pup to stay for a treat, Henry and Royce got Bella to give them paw, and many other groups found more success than Harry and I did with Roxy. We are looking forward to another exciting day of dog training tomorrow! - Carter and Lulu
Day 3:Today, we started off by gathering our dogs from faculty houses and met at the turf where we decided to walk them on the Husky Mile to get some of their energy out. Then we regrouped and continued to train our dogs and work on the skills we decided on yesterday. After we trained, we let the dogs play before bringing them back to their houses. Then in small groups, we came up with questions for the speakers we were having in the afternoon. We shared out our questions and then broke for lunch. After lunch, we met in the Master Classroom and welcomed Lee and Shadow (her service dog) along with Shoshawna over Zoom with her service dog, Ursa. We were able to learn a lot about service dogs through their presentation including how much service dogs cost, different disabilities they can help with, laws regarding service dogs, their training process, and much more. We were able to ask all of our questions and we were all able to learn something new facts. Shoshawna showed us some of the tricks Ursa can do while we all got to say hi and meet Shadow. We then thanked Lee and Soshawna and wrapped up for the day. - Nellie, Steven, and Harry
Day 4: We started our day off with an introduction to K9 Search and Rescue by watching a video and analyzing different parts of a rescue. Did you know that there are many different types of scent detecting dogs used for rescues? The three dogs we learned about were ground scent detectors, air scent detectors, and HRD dogs. After our introduction to K9 Search and Rescue, we got to talk with a real search and rescue team. They told us about all of their equipment they use for their rescue missions and the advanced GPS technology. After learning about the training for search and rescue dogs, we went outside to do a real life demonstration of what the K9 Search and Rescue teams do. We then went and got our faculty dogs so we could continue training with them! Overall it was a really fun day filled with a lot of learning and a really cool demonstration. - Casey Stores, Lisa, and Royce
Day 5: Friday started off with the groups preparing for a dog show. A group of students and faculty came to watch us show off what tricks we taught our dogs. Some of the tricks included the dog rolling over, staying in a spot before receiving a treat, and giving their paw. It turned out to be a success and it felt rewarding to show what we worked on for the past week with some of our community. We spent the afternoon creating gift baskets for the dogs to thank the owners for trusting us with their dogs. There was one group that made dog toys and the other made homemade dog treats. The day ended with each person making a thank you card and assembling the gift baskets. Lulu and her group added a special touch by making banana bread to go along with each gift for the owners! - Roman, Key, and Koby