By Laurie Lechlitner
InkFreeNews
ROCHESTER — “Those who have dogs may not think the animals are being trained, but they certainly are,” stated, Cory Woodcox, Rochester.
“An owner is always training a dog. The animal is learning things that are either good or bad just by being with its owner. I’ve found that a well-trained dog is a more confident, happy, easygoing pet.” Woodcox is the owner and operator of Country Road Boarding & Obedience, Rochester.
“When I started my drywall business in 1999, people’s dogs were always a challenge on the job. One lady owned a chow that was chomping at the bit to attack me. When she told me she was going to the post office and leaving the dog and me alone together in the house, I told her I’d wait outside until she got back. I didn’t like dogs at all.”
It was during a vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia that his aversion to dogs changed. “We were sitting outside at the campfire, and a small stray dog joined us. We pet it, sharing our hot dogs with the dog. It was time to go in and the little canine followed us. My son was petrified. He didn’t like dogs either. I decided we needed to get a medium-sized dog as a pet when we got home to cure my son’s phobia.”
Woodcox purchased a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix named Rosko. “I began training the dog for Schutzhund competitions. That’s a dog sport that emphasizes tracking, obedience and protection. We trained in Indianapolis.”
He then purchased a young female German Shepherd named Suvi. “I built the kennels on my property to get Suvi out of the house. She had superior drive and energy. But we were working on channeling that energy in a positive way.”
After he built the kennels, people started asking him to board their dogs. Some also wanted him to help train their dogs. “I’ll house the dogs from two weeks to a month and train them to be obedient and to channel their energy.”
When he was scheduled to train a black lab, he began with a meet and greet with the owner. “Often, I can size up the problems when I see the dog and owner together. This lab had no manners. He nipped, jumped and paid no attention when we attempted to call him back to us.” Woodcox had his work cut out for him.
“It helps to understand that all dogs are trainable. We just have to figure out what motivates them. For example, I was training a female German Shepherd that was afraid of people. She barked and was nervous around strangers. However, she had a high food drive. I trained her by offering small treats for successes. That also built her trust in me and other humans.”
Some dogs love to play ball. “In that case, I’ll give a command. When they obey, I’ll throw the ball. They retrieve it. I’ll give another command. When they obey, I’ll throw the ball again.”
Woodcox and his dog Athena were featured in a YouTude movie titled “Pulled from Darkness.” “Since I’ve worked in police dog training I was featured in a scene where Athena was depicted as biting me. She’s well trained enough to calm down at command. Dog training has opened many doors of opportunity for me.”
