Shelter Dog Goes from the Cage to the Stage for Rally Obedience
A goofy and intelligent pit bull’s second chance to prove that she can be a “good girl”.
By Kimberly Tyborowski
December 9, 2014
STATE COLLEGE- Unfortunately, most shelter dogs aren’t lucky enough to find a home but Ember, a six and half year old pit bull, was one dog that was saved and is on her way with her trainer, Amber Irwin, to the top in Rally Obedience, competing for a third title in the novice division class.
Ember was found in the Bronx, NY, stranded in a cage by her former owners at one year old. She was brought to the shelter, Animal Care and Control Center (NYACC) where she was fostered and returned several times. Pictured Above: Amber and Ember posing after
Amber’s graduation from Penn State at
University Park, PA. Obedience training
allowed for this picture to be perfect. Credit:
Amber Irwin
As the owners became burned out with Ember, the last woman that adopted her in particular, allowed for the perfect moment for current owner, Irwin, to take the dog that was surrendered.
The connection of Irwin and Ember was instantaneous. It was love at first sight.
The two went on many adventures and visited the dog park frequently.
Ember played well with other outgoing dogs and was popular amongst her dog best friends, until another obstacle approached around Ember’s peak of maturity.
At the age of three, Ember began to uncontrollably bark at every dog in sight and even the jingle of their collars signaled her intensity.
The excessive barking was a sign of reactivity; an aggressive trait that is possible for fully matured female dogs.
Irwin began training Ember around two years old and realized that she was doing it in the wrong fashion.
“I used a prong or pinch collar and even a choke collar. Nothing worked. Her reactivity became worse,” said Irwin.
The breaking point for Irwin to switch her training techniques was one incident where Irwin and Ember were hiking Mount Nittany.
Irwin noticed that there were a group of dogs ahead and moved off to the side. Ember lunged and barked at the dogs in the distance, which caused Irwin to fall onto her tailbone.
Ember was immediately signed up for obedience training at Manners’N’More in Bellefonte, PA.
Ember took many classes of training over the past three years, which include: primary puppy class, canine good citizen/novice class, prep and practice (rally obedience), a recall class, a beginners tracking class, and agility foundations.
Irwin assisted at Manners’N’More in following courses: kindergarten puppy training, primary, canine good citizen/novice, and prep and practice.
Through different levels of training, Irwin also became highly interested in teaching Ember rally obedience.
Rally obedience is a gentler version of obedience consisting of signs, which involved different commands that engaged both dog and owner to follow.
Irwin has been formally training for three and a half years and explains her interest in rally obedience training, “I fell in love with rally because it gave Ember, and myself, a lot of confidence. While training in rally, I learned that Ember could focus and work through distractions, and Ember learned she could rely on me for direction.”
In June and July, Ember and Amber competed in three rally Novice A courses.
The team qualified in two of the three courses in first place.
The next competition will be in June 2015 and Irwin and Ember are currently training for the Novice A title.
Not only has Ember excelled in dog training but she has become a figurehead for National Pit bull Awareness Day advertisements two years in a row.