Who’s Training Who?

Story and Photos by Andy Hicks/ Staff Writer We all saw on Facebook that you want to start the new year with a four-legged friend! Dogs can be such fantastic and loyal companions, so why wouldn’t you want one? I hope for the sake of the many dogs in our local shelters; you will first start at the Ponca City Animal Welfare or the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society. It may not be the exact make and model you want, but I promise it will be a great pet.

Also, I realize how cute and adorable puppies are. Few things compare to puppy cuddles, but in reality, only puppies for a brief moment of their life. Before you know it, your little fur ball is a lanky-legged teething menace that must also be potty trained. To that end, consider adopting a slightly older dog that’s already housebroken and is past its teething stage. If you want absolute love and adoration, adopt a senior dog!

Before you rush off and get your new friend, here are a few things to consider. Firstly, most healthy, mixed-breed dogs will live 12 to 14 years. That is a long commitment and one you shouldn’t take lightly. Second, it might take a few days for your friend to warm up to their new home. Keep in mind the big 3s. It can take up to three days for your dog to feel secure in their new surroundings; it can take up to three weeks before they feel comfortable with you and three months before it might start to feel at home.

To help your dog ease into its new life as your #1 fan, many experts recommend doing some training. I recently adopted two dogs, and after a few rocky moments in the “settling in” stage, I decided to take them to a dog trainer to see if we could smooth the transition. Several friends recommended Angie at AC Dog Training in Newkirk. After a few Facebook messages, we had our first training date on the calendar. I asked her how training would help my dogs, and she explained. “Training benefits your pet; it helps your new dog bond with their new owner and builds lifelong skills.”

Angie has been training dogs for most of her life. She comes by it honestly. Her parents were also dog trainers, and she began helping them at a young age. From large breeds to small breeds, she loves them all.

“I knew I wanted to work with animals since I was very young, watching my parents working with dogs. I believe it is in my DNA! Dogs always make me feel better; I knew this was my calling. Making the dog world better is my goal!”

Eight years ago, she followed her heart and opened AC Dog Training. Her facility in Newkirk includes a large indoor training area, outdoor training, and several climate-controlled kennels for boarding. In addition, she also offers at-home training and a group walk at War Memorial Park in Ponca City.

AC Dog Training offers a wide variety of dog classes, so there is something for every experience level. Puppy Obedience: Getting started with a new puppy Basic Obedience: Adults getting started with obedience Advanced Obedience: Next level of adult obedience Expert Level: Mastering obedience

Additionally, she offers agility classes for fun and exercise (we called it circus training) and group classes where multiple dogs learn and socialize at once.

“ I recommend starting with basic obedience and working up to group classes and then advanced obedience,” Angie said.

Following Angie’s direction, we started with the basic obedience class. We focused on sitting, shaking hands, turning in a circle, and lying down. It was apparent one dog was already trained. The other dog was stubborn and loved getting treats but not so much doing tricks. Eventually, we got both dogs to follow all their commands and graduate basic obedience.

Stubborn dogs are just part of what makes the classes fun. Angie explains, “Once you get your new dog home, it can take up to 3 months for them to adjust. Build a routine and use positive reinforcement.” She also recommends getting plenty of exercise with your new pet. Most importantly, she adds, “have lots of patience ‘cause they will test it!!”

In addition to obedience classes, she offers several AKC (American Kennel Club) certifications, including; AKC Evaluator AKC STAR PUPPY Test (STAR = socializing, training, activities, and reponsible ownership) AKC CGC (canine good citizen test) AKC CGCA (canine good citizen community test) AKC CGCU (canine good citizen urban test)

Angie and her team are phenomenal to work with, and you can see her passion in the way she handles all sizes of dogs. You can find out more about AC Dog Training at facebook. com/acdogtrainer or by calling 580-362-0884.

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Review by Lorrie Layton BOOK REVIEW

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By Nic Stone

Shenice “Lightning” Lockwood has “batball” – her brother Drake’s word for any base-related ball – in her blood. Her GreatGrampy “Jumpin” JonJon Lockwood was one of the very best players in the Negro Southern League and was almost one of the first Black players recruited to the MLB. But something happened. His son, her PopPop, loved baseball, but Black men couldn’t support a family playing baseball in the 1970s unless they were in the major leagues, so he had to leave the sport he loved when his wife became pregnant. Her daddy blew his knee out while stealing home in college. That ended both his season and any chance he had of playing professionally.

Shenice is captain of the Fulton Firebirds – the first all-Black team in the 12 and Under division of the Dixie Youth Softball Association (DYSA). FYI, the Firebirds being the first all-Black team sounds like a big deal, but they’re also the only team in all eight states of the DYSA with more than three Black players on the roster. Shenice’s goal for the Firebirds this year – The DYSA 12U championship. A team with just one Black player has never made it through the district tournament, so it would absolutely be huge to even make it to the state championship – to let folks know that girls of color do belong in the sport. (Some fans of opposing teams have strongly suggested otherwise.)

In the midst of all this going on in Shenice’s life, she discovers that her Great-Grampy JonJon didn’t make it to the MLB because he was framed for the theft of a signed Joe DiMaggio glove. She meets her Great-Grampy’s brother, Uncle Jack, who begs her to clear JonJon’s name. What’s a girl to do? Rely on the greatest friends in the whole wide world, of course.

Absolutely loved this book!

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By Bethan Roberts

My Policeman was originally published in 2012, however a movie starring Harry Styles, Emma Corbin and David Dawson was released in November 2022. Trust me when I say the movie was great, but the book was even better!

Harry Styles describes the theme of this story as wasted time. I think wasted time is a more eloquent way of describing it, but if I had to choose, I would call it devastating!

No one wants to look back on their life and think that their time was wasted. That is the core of this story. Marion, Tom and Patrick all fell into a loop that ended in wasted time. Set in 1950s England, this novel highlights the oppression toward the LGBTQ+ community during that time period and illustrates the lengths people had to go to hide their sexuality. In this book, we follow Tom the policeman, Marion the schoolteacher and Patrick the museum curator. It flashes back and forth from the 1950s to present day. Tom has known Marion for quite some time, but he meets Patrick when he reports an accident to Tom. Marion has always had eyes on Tom and their relationship begins with him teaching her to swim. Patrick shows Tom another side of life that includes the arts and traveling. It is safer for Tom to marry Marion and meet Patrick in secret, which creates a devastating ending.

The struggles and heartbreak were a whirlwind to read. I was left confused about who was right. They all went through it together, but seeing each perspective made it difficult to decide who to side with. I think that is why I was so heartbroken over the book, because I could see why every character did what they did.

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