Steve Mann - Easy Peasy Awesome Pawsome: Dog Training for Kids

Every epic journey starts with a single step, so lets make sure we take the most important steps first.

Were going to learn how to become your dogs favourite teacher, then were going to look at dog training kit, safety, then move on to the training of our two classic exercises, Sit and Down.

Right, eyes to the front, sit up straight, and lets get learning!

Hello!

Im Steve.

Ive always been obsessed with dogs.

Not just interested or keen to find out more... OBSESSED!

Strangely enough, I wasnt as lucky as you growing up because my family never had a dog, which I think only increased my obsession with our furry friends.

There used to be a few neighbours dogs that I would play with all day out in the streets. I used to spend my long summer school holidays in Ireland, and my family over there always had dogs knocking around on their farms for me to hang out with.

One day and I cant tell you what a big deal this was for me a local dog training school opened up near where I lived!

My excitement level when I heard this news was the same as if a rocket ship had landed in the middle of the playground , or as if I had been offered free ice cream for life.

I didnt let the mere fact that I didnt own a dog get in the way!

I was DEFINITELY going to attend!

So, first week, there I was, a kid without a dog, surrounded by adults WITH a dog, waiting to go into class.

I was really shy when I was younger. I couldnt even look adults in the eye when they spoke to me and the best I could ever reply was yes, no or maybe a shrug of the shoulders.

However, chatting to dogs? Now that was easy!

Waiting by the entrance to the dog training classes, the adults stood talking to each other, ignoring the dogs. There I was, crouched down on the floor, talking to the dogs, ignoring the adults.

All of a sudden, the doors to the hall were thrown open and, with wide eyes, I saw the technicoloured world that I wanted to stay in for the rest of my life. The world of dog training.

If I close my eyes now, I can still see the bright colours of the striped dog jumps, hear the tippy-tap of the dogs feet on the hall floor, the sound of their breath ing and the buzz of the excited praise coming from the owners. I can still recall the sensation of petting the dogs, their hair running between my fingers, and I can still smell the dog treats, along with the sweet aroma of cleaning fluids should any of the dogs have had an accident!

Everything seemed bigger, louder, clearer and better.

THATS how I felt when I stepped through the doors of my first dog training class I instantly KNEW this was where I wanted to be for the rest of my life.

The magical world of dog training.

E ven at my ripe old age, I recall the very first competition I entered with a dog.

Remember, I didnt even have a dog of my own at the time.

No, the dog I rocked up with to the competition was Flo, a pretty big Rottweiler. In fact, scratch that. Rewind. She wasnt pretty big. She was very pretty and she was VERY BIG. In fact, she was MASSIVE.

And theres me, a skinny little ten-year-old on the other end of the lead. Like a monkey holding a rhino.