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…and they lived happily ever after
People come to us for a variety of reasons. For those owners facing difficult behavioral problems, we are often their last hope. Their beloved dog has become aggressive or destructive, fearful or high-strung. They love their dog, but something has gone terribly wrong and life is becoming increasingly unbearable or even dangerous.
But not everyone's story is the same, some people simply want their dog to stop begging at the table, stop pulling on the leash, or to be a little more quiet. We are also often called in to help a prospective owner find that perfect match.
Whatever the story, we've been crafting happily-ever-after stories for dogs and their families for over twenty years. Below are just a few of the stories that illustrate the range and uniqueness of the dog training and behavior services we can offer you.
From helping you find just the right dog to solving the most difficult behavior problems and everything in between, let us design a dog training program for your happy ending.
Taming TK: The little dog with the big attitude
A small business owner took her behavior problems.
John went to her office to witness TK's aggressive behavior in person. By the end of this first visit, TK was retrained to respond to the bell with more appropriate behavior. John then worked with TK in other social situations.
The result — After a total of only six sessions, TK learned to live without fear and not only tolerates but enjoys people. Her ecstatic owner can't believe the change. Having learned basic obedience and with her aggression at bay, TK is much more enjoyable in and out of the office.
"blah blah blah quote from audio" Listen
– TK's owner
Finding Hope: A Chocolate Lab finds a home for the holidays
The CEO of a Fortune 100(?) Company wanted to find a fun-loving year-old Labrador Retriever for his children. He didn't want to leave this important decision to chance but knew he didn't have the time or knowledge to find the perfect match. John met him at his home to discuss his needs and assess the family situation first hand.
After weeks of researching, calling, and traveling to breeders, John located a wonderful young Chocolate Lab female. She was brought home to live with our 5 children and our own dogs where she learned basic obedience, house manners, and given plenty of exercise, social interactions and structured play time.
The result — a Christmas morning that will last a lifetime, a cherished new family member and a quick and easy transition that ensures a picture perfect ending.
Lola the super-charged esspresso jumping bean
Lola, a super high energy year old Rat Terrier was out of control. Pulling, spinning and jumping, she didn't come when called and would nip one of her owners mercilessly. She was difficult to walk and went after other dogs. Lola's mind and body were in constant kinetic tension.
Lola came to live with us for 3-4 weeks where she learned to how to stay in control and channel her energy into more constructive behaviors. Once she gained control over herself, she was taught house manners, socialization, and basic obedience.
The result — By relieving her from the anxious tension that had previously characterized her life, Lola learned to keep her mind and body under control.
Three's a Crowd: Helping Hudson fit in
Hudson was a rescue lab who was out of control. Besides general disobedience and behavior problems, Hudson didn't know how to interact appropriately with the two older labs in his new home. His family of five humans and three dogs was having a hard time dealing with their new rambunctious member.
Hudson came to live with our large family full of kids and dogs of all ages. In the two weeks he was with us, he learned to play retrieval games, how to respond to children and other dogs and beginning obedience. Once home John worked with Hudson's family showing them how to play and work with Hudson and the new house rules that would set Hudson up for success.
The result — One big happy family that continues to refer dogs and their people to us year after year.
Raising Riley: Our Sweet Golden Girl
A busy New York City attorney was looking for a family companion but knew his schedule wasn't compatible with properly raising a puppy. He had researched several breeders and located a couple of older puppies he was interested in. He wanted us to check out the dogs and their breeders to help him make the final selection. We were then to raise this special puppy for him and have her ready when his new home was finished.
John spoke at length with him about his dream dog and then went to look at the first puppy. Although she was very nice, she wasn't a match. The next dog, sweet Riley, a gentle 6-month old Golden Retriever was just right. We took her into our home and raised her as our own.
The result — Riley arrived trained and ready to move in to her new home where she provides her beloved owner with limitless joy and serenity.
A Drug-Free Rusty
A young paramedic/firefighter and his teacher wife were very much in love with their half American, half European German Shepherd dog. This combination of hard-line Czech border patrol ancestry and soft-nerved showlines proved disastrous. Poor Rusty was neurotic and miserable and rarely at peace. His working side compelled him to be on near-constant sentry duty, but his soft-nerves made everyone and anything seem threatening. He spent his days bouncing on the couch and going ballistic whenever anyone passed by his front window. Having already bitten several people, his owners were afraid to take him off the property. He became overweight and under-exercised exasperating his problems. They were afraid to entertain and worried about what would happen when they had children.
Because of their devotion to their beloved dog, this young couple went from trainer to trainer desperate for a solution. The breeder was the first trainer. He took Rusty to his kennel for a few weeks; using only aversive training methods, returned Rusty to his home and declared him 'fine'. But Rusty wasn't fine and when a neighbor came by, he promptly bit him. The next trainer was a clinical certified animal behaviorist (??). He wrote a prescription for XXX and told them XXXXXX. The 'training' manual he left behind was overly academic and showed a lack of practical experience - to put it bluntly, it was arrogant and stupid. After two years on pills with his behavior becoming worse, a third trainer came to the house. She told the couple to just let Rusty come up and sniff her. They did and Rusty bit her. Hysterical she insisted they put him to sleep immediately.
Distraught, the paramedic called John begging for a solution. They spoke several times on the phone and traded emails. They agreed to meet, but based on previous experiences, the paramedic was skeptical that any training could work out. John's advice sounded good, but why would he be any different?
Rusty came to our house fro several weeks of behavior modification and training that included confidence building, constructive play, obedience and socialization. Rusty learned he could handle a lot of things and that not everything was a threat. John taught him appropriate outlets for his pent up energy and countered his aggressive behavior helping him learn how to stay in control.
Back home, Rusty lost his job -- he was removed from sentry duty and his owners were taught how to read Rusty's facial expressions and body postures, allowing them to counter growing anxiety before it became aggression and to channel this energy into more constructive behaviors that would lead to successful outcomes. Over time Rusty's anxiety would greatly diminish. Additionally, John taught the couple how to lead their pack so Rusty didn't have to.
The result — No more death sentence, no more pills. Rusty learned to relax and enjoy life. His owners can now take him off their property to get him the exercise he needs to maintain his physical and mental health and they can finally enjoy the loving, playful, loyal pet that was underneath all that anxiousness and aggression.
"blah blah blah quote from audio" Listen
– TK's owner
Two Generations of Care: Bruno and Hugo
Over a decade ago John was asked to train and care for a wonderful year-old Rottweiler on a beautiful estate in Connecticut. Nearly every day John took Bruno out to play and train. John trained and titled Bruno in Schutzhund earning the SchH I, SchH II, and SchH III training titles. Bruno even lived with our family when his owners travelled. We were his second family. When Bruno's son was born, we raised him and then continued the training and play for both dogs after Hugo was ready to go home. We were there for Bruno and his family through cancer treatments, helping Bruno adjust to the loss of one of his legs, and eventually we were there with his family to console them in their loss when Bruno passed away at a ripe old age. To this day, we keep Bruno's legacy alive as we continue to care for his son Hugo.
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