By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
Getting a dog is a lifelong commitment but is most rewarding. Yet, to appreciate the bond between the dog and human, having a well-trained dog secures the commitment. Local trainer Ashleigh Morris understands what it takes to overcome obstacles and have a relationship with our companion animals.
“I always tell people that they don’t have to train their dog, they get to train their dog. It’s a bonding experience and a natural, benevolent way to establish leadership. It’s fun and rewarding to see your dog start to get it and progress in their learning. It helps your dog to succeed if you teach them how to live in the human world,” she said. “They don’t come just knowing these things. It’s also great for enrichment. So many dogs are intelligent and some are bred for specific jobs. Positive reinforcement training gives dogs a mental workout and helps them not to become bored, which can sometimes lead to unwanted behaviors. I believe in the adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Morris added that if people start early to train appropriate behaviors, they have a better chance that their dog won’t develop behavioral issues. Training can also go a long way in helping to keep dogs safe and happy.
Morris took over training classes at The Dog Spot back in 2005 and also works as a training consultant for Caring For Creatures. The classes focused on basic training and then working their way through levels. But dogs react differently in various environments Morris considers that when planning her clinics, which are smaller, shorter classes for dogs who need some tweaking.
“They’ve been fun and successful. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback about them. They are a great way for people to continue practicing with their pups without committing to a full class schedule.” The clinics (and classes) are purposely kept small so that each student gets some individual attention even though it is a group training setting.
The classes meet twice a week instead of weekly which Morris changed during the pandemic to expedite things in case of another shutdown. Overwhelmed with positive feedback from students who said that they prefer this format she decided to keep it this way since she saw a benefit as well.
Dog Obedience Clinics at the Dog Spot at the Fluvanna Community Center require basic skills to get the most out of the clinics, whether completing a class or working with Morris privately.
“The clinics are a perfect way to practice your dog’s skills in a practical setting and take them to the next level.” No two clinics are the same. The clinics are designed as semi-private sessions, with a minimum of four dogs and a maximum of six. Once Morris receives the registration list, she reaches out to inquire what the owner’s main goal is in taking the clinic. She then takes the goals of all students and comes up with a personalized clinic to benefit each dog and person team. “We work on things like greetings, having your dog respond in the presence of distractions, commands at a distance, and other fun things to build on your dog’s skills and manners.” She adds that there is no need to commit to a weekly schedule, the one-hour clinic will give dog owners the tools they need to practice on their own.
“My dog and I recently attended a single-session socialization-themed clinic with Ashleigh at the Fluvanna Parks & Rec Community Center in Fork Union. In a small group environment, we learned skills to help make exploring new places and meeting new people, more fun and less stressful. The class was informal, yet structured so that we could all learn a trick or two we could put into practice right away,” said dog owner Nora Byrd.
A New Leash on Society clinics practices public behavior around Fluvanna County. Students requested the Dog Spot take teaching to the streets. In these one-hour clinics, students will meet at locations around Fluvanna to practice with their dogs in real-life settings.
“We’ll be taking their skills to an even more practical level as they enjoy fun outings. Dog etiquette and safety will also be discussed.” As with the Dog Spot Clinics, Morris personalizes the Outing Clinics to meet each dog’s individual needs and goals, making each clinic unique to the students participating. Again the prerequisite is completing a class or private training with Morris.
“My daughter and I and her puppy Harper have attended multiple classes of Ashleigh’s, most recently a clinic that helped our shy pup gain more confidence. My daughter enjoyed participating along with Harper and Harper got to where she would get so excited when we arrived for the clinic. Ashleigh is an amazing trainer/instructor and tailors the clinics to the needs of the pups/people in that session. She’s a blessing to the community,” said J. White.
“I have worked with Ashleigh both privately and in her group training. Having taken multiple classes with my dog Bo years ago, who went on to be a blessing to many as a therapy dog, I called on Ashleigh when we adopted Max, a 10-month-old poodle whose former owner said he was downright stupid. He loved greeting me in the morning by knocking me over with excitement. I called Ashleigh and she had a foolproof solution to this nonsense. A simple, easy-to-use method that helped Max learn new behaviors and he never jumped on me or anyone else ever again,” said Betsy Gunnels. “We then signed up for the Intermediate Obedience Class with Ashleigh, Max had already had some basic training when we adopted him. At the first class, he was so excited to be there he would not stop barking no matter what I did to try and calm him. Ashleigh quickly put an end to that with another simple, quick method to help him not only stop the barking and calm down but also learn better behavior in the future.” Gunnels adds Max did well in this class and continues to listen in his classes without talking.
Those who have been through training know what a difference it makes in the dog’s life and the owner’s commitment to the dog. Particularly shelter dogs who have issues do wonders with training. Making that commitment to train shows love and caring and what the owner gets in return cannot be measured.
Fluvanna County Parks and Recreation (FCPR) handles Morris’ group training registrations. Contact FCPR at (434) 589-2016. The schedule is printed in its quarterly program guide and can be accessed on their website https://www.fluvannacounty.org/parksrec/page/parks-and-recreation-progam-guide. Sometimes classes and clinics are added in addition to what is in the program guide. There are August clinic dates that are not in the current program guide. On Wednesdays, Aug. 7 at 4 p.m. and Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. will be dog obedience classes. The new Leash on Society Clinics will be on July 31 at 6 p.m. at Court Square and Ace Hardware on Aug. 13 at 5 p.m.
For more information about clinics or classes, contact Ashleigh Morris ataymorris@hotmail.com or call 434-589-7209 and leave a message, Monday-Friday.
