Jasper rocks!

 

Here is my rescue pup, Jasper. He was born in New Mexico in February, 2021. He’s about four and a half now.

When he was born, he was feral. He had no human handling or interaction on the reservation from which he was grabbed and thrown into a truck when he was three months old.

For the next few months, he lived in a pen with other dogs, including two of his siblings, until I got him at six months. He had no experience of grass, humans, carpet, houses, cars, or anything home or human-related. He had to be slowly and safely exposed to everything.

I worked with a non-aversive, force-free trainer for several months to help him gain confidence and learn check-ins, markers, basic skills, and house manners. Then we did all the basic classes at the Boulder Humane Society. Then, I spent two years working with the amazing dog behaviorist, Kara Polansky. She helped Jasper work through his “big feelings” about the world.

Having big feelings means you can’t pay attention and you get over-aroused by triggers in the environment, and then you either escalate or shut down. We learned how to work through fear and anxiety around scary things like big trucks, loud trains, people carrying ladders, other dogs staring at you, raccoons on the roof, strange sounds at night, thunderstorms, and much, much more. Now life is calmer and way more fun.

We do lots of advanced dog sports and non-reactive skills classes, such as:

  • Competitive Agility at Team Spirit with Bev Brinson and Janey Bell (three years).

  • Canine Scentwork with National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) elite trainer Patrice Kuiken (three years).

  • Intermediate Control Unleashed with Patrice Kuiken and Kara Polansky at InGoodPaws dog training (two years).

Jasper loves other dogs and is learning that people also rock. He is smart, kind, and thoughtful, with a gracious, calm temperament. Now, he jumps happily into the car, loves the vet, is nonplussed by garbage trucks, walks well on a leash, and loves a good snuggle. Jasper rocks!

 
 

The first two pictures are Jasper as a 6-month old puppy. Look how short his legs are!