Positively A Four Legged Success!

I recently had a gentleman bring his dog to me – a young dog, who had a lot to learn.  One of my clients recommended me to this man who was having a really tough time with his dog.

After getting some back ground on the dog, I said I would take it for a few days and work with him.  He had no aggression issues.   He was just super exuberant.  After a long chat I felt I should at least give the dog a try.  I was positive that this animal just had no training or anyone to teach it right from wrong.  He was after all just a baby.

He arrives and I can hear the owner unsure of my capabilities.  He wasn’t necessarily being disrespectful, he just figured that if he couldn’t manage the dog, then how could I.  He kept telling me about all of his negative behaviors, which to me were all boundary issues.  He was not aggressive, just unruly.  He was worried he’d knock me over, worried he’d wreck my place, and worried the dog would drive me crazy.  I just kept saying to bring him in.  “Let’s do this.  I am not worried”.

He wanted me to take the dog straight to a kennel, and he wanted the dog kept outside at night.  He thought the dog would rip apart the entire place and if he was kenneled he would kill himself trying to get out.  This went on long enough that I had to firmly say that I was quite positive I could work with him as I have seen so much worse.

The dog just had absolutely no boundaries.  He tried to jump up all over me even on my back, he barked non-stop, he ran around trying to climb fences and up walls and on the washer and dryer even.  All this in three minutes.  I looked the owner in the eye and said, “I can work with him.  He will be crate trained so he can be safely left when unattended, he will no longer jump up and he will learn to play well with others, but you have to trust me”.  He was surprised at my confidence and sureness.

He left and within a few hours this dog was a different dog.  He has been taught what’s right and wrong and was actually a joy to be around.  By bedtime, he went right in to a kennel and never argued once.  He was happy to have direction and to be allowed to run off steam being a very active dog.  This is just one example of a negative turned into a positive – and very easily.

Success for me is always helping to make animals an enjoyable companion that can be a part of the family.  This was total success!