POE'S PAGE

Jake and I teach at Francisco Middle School in San Francisco. Jake is the cute one in the picture.He's a vizsla. He's been teaching since he was ten weeks old.

His students have learned how to behave around dogs, how to handle them, how he learns and how soft his ears are.

I've found that dogs and humans aren't that different in how we learn. We like clear expectations, directions in a way we can understand, repetition, and PRAISE.

Dogs have inherited intelligence that can be quite specialized. Some dogs have a basic understanding of how to herd sheep or cattle, hunt for specific kinds of game or pull a heavy load. People just need to refine these traits with training.

When I chose vizslas, I didn't know anything about dog activities or competitions. In fact, I wasn't interested. I chose a vizsla because they are sweet and comical. It was later that I realized how the dog/human bond becomes stronger when you work together to accomplish a goal. I found that vizslas are very versatile! The first AKC triple champion was a vizsla. That means conformation, obedience and hunting championships. I've been raising vizslas for 15 years and all have "made a name" for themselves. Click here to see pictures of my other stars.

Click here to see one of Jake's lessons.