Scout needed some guidance to find her way in the world of humans.
Before being adopted by Dr. Steven C. Guy and his wife, Susan, earlier this year, the West Highland white terrier spent the first nine months of her life with a breeder and lived in a crate with a goal of becoming a show dog.
"As a result, she had not learned a lot of basic commands," said Dr. Guy, a periodontist at Watertown Dental Health Group.
Scout also would have occasional "accidents" in the couple's Watertown home.
When he brought Scout in for a check-up at their veterinarian, Dr. Diane Ferry of Adams, Dr. Guy found out about a new dog trainer in the area who set up her business in March. He said there's a big need for such an endeavor.
"There used to be another dog trainer in Watertown who conducted 'classes,' but she moved away," Dr. Guy said. "When I started to inquire about trainers, I learned about Kristi."
Kristi A. Martin, owner of Hounds Unleashed! is a veterinary assistant at Dr. Ferry's office. She's moved on since being forced to leave her job in 2006 as animal curator at New York State Zoo at Thompson Park after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's license renewal paperwork to display animals wasn't completed on time.
"I only have nice things to say about that place," Miss Martin said. "I loved all the people I worked with and the animals."
Miss Martin previously worked at a variety of zoological parks, including Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Columbia, S.C., The Oakland Zoo, and at the former Conservation Society at St. Catherine's Island, Ga. She created Hounds Unleashed! in March.
Miss Martin is a graduate of Kent State University with a major in anthropology and a minor in art history. Last year, to expand on her animal training experience, she began attending a slew of dog training and workshops. Her first was in October 2008 at a five-day conference in Louisville, Ky., hosted by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
In June she attended a "dog behavior, medication and training" seminar in New Jersey hosted by Drs. Nicholas Dodman and Ian Dunbar that focused on the role of veterinary medicine in treating severe aggression, fears and phobias in dogs. That same month she attended a workshop in Pennsylvania that focused on dog-dog aggression, dog parks, day care, shelter groups and multi-dog homes.
She also is attending workshops this weekend in Accord, N.Y., and Wolf Park, Ind.
THINKING POSITIVE
Miss Martin does the majority of work in people's homes and has begun hosting classes at Dr. Ferry's establishment.
She said she began Hounds Unleashed! after seeing so many dogs come into Dr. Ferry's office with behavior issues.
"Most problems start out when dogs are young," she said. "It's a critical period of development."
Miss Martin said she focuses on positive reinforcement, rather than negative-based techniques such as choke chains and shock collars.
"There's a definite science behind it," she said. "It's proven to be more beneficial to the dog."
The positive, desired behaviors are reinforced by Miss Martin through food, praise and play.
"Negative reinforcement has been shown to deteriorate very quickly," she said. "It's a relationship based on fear."
She focuses on physical fitness for dogs.
"The number one reason dogs are surrendered is because of behavior issues," Miss Martin said. "The number one reason for behavior issues is lack of exercise."
Miss Martin, the owner of Seamus, a border collie, said many people also make the mistake of getting the wrong type of dog, often based on looks and not the dog's energy level. "They get a high-energy dog that doesn't fit their lifestyle," she said.
She also stresses socialization between dogs and other dogs and between dogs and humans.
"It's important to have as many different interactions with as many people and other dogs as possible," she said.
Miss Martin said any training program won't work without the cooperation of the dog's owner.
"If the behavior isn't reinforced by the owner, it all falls apart," she said.
She said some people may expect results in hours, such as seen in episodes of the popular National Geographic Channel's "The Dog Whisperer."
"That's all fancy filming and editing," Miss Martin said. "That's not how it works. It takes several months for lasting results."
SCOUT ANSWERS THE CALL
Scout has found those lasting results, although she learned quickly.
"Kristi trained her such commands as 'sit, lay down, stay, come, and heel' within the span of an hour at our first meeting," Dr. Guy said.
At the second meeting with Scout and Dr. Guy, Miss Martin taught Scout how to ring a strap of Christmas-like bells wrapped around a door knob that could either hang inside or outside the door, depending on Scout's location. Scout rings the bell when she wants to go outside to relieve herself, wants to come back in or even if she wants her leash fetched by the household humans.
