CORRECTING K9S

I knew early in my life dogs were special. Like most kids, I loved our family dogs. They put up with my rough play and were always there for hugs. As a constant companion, they were eagerly ready for the next great adventure... Living in Lansing Michigan, in my early adult life, I got my first dog, a German Shepard named Johann. He was very intelligent and though I had no formal training at that point, I taught him mostly to do lots of what I call "party tricks" on command such as fetching my shoes, picking up dropped objects, army crawl and retrieving his leash off of the wall hook. He would follow basic commands like sit, down, come and speak in both English and Spanish, as well by hand signal. People took notice and told me I should pursue working with dogs. I smiled, said thanks and went on with my life. My biggest regret, looking back, was that I never taught him obedience. Sure, he could "WOW" my friends or family while visiting, but take him for a walk? Forget it! He would drag..