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| - This review is late in being posted but we wanted to ensure that maximum credit is given to Bob for developing a program that is a life saver for problem dogs and to Erika for the outstanding training she provided to our dog Clare while at boot camp and the follow up sessions.
We adopted our 4 yr. old Golden Retriever/Chow mix when she was about 2. The foster family we got her from were probably not as forthcoming about her issues as they could have been but that's another story. Clare is a very independent, energetic dog. It's been determined that part of the problem is most likely a result of her first year or more not having any real discipline and running with a pack of other dogs on a large property with no supervision and little attention. Left to her own devices, she developed traits that were not good. She would not listen to commands and if she did, would respond in her own time.
Once we had her home, we realized that we had a real challenge on our hands. Clare would bark at the oddest times and things, chased rabbits, cats, birds, geckos and any other creature that moved. She would jump back and forth from the front seat of the car to the back, and cry in a high pitched whine off and on. It was distracting at best as she loves to go for car rides but would not settle down. She would jump on visitors, walks were a frightening experience and the list went on.
We tried the traditional PetSmart program and a couple of others, all of which were a waste of time and money. We researched trainers here in the Valley area and finally settled on All American K9 after reading all of the positive reviews and the programs they offered seemed to be in line with the results we wanted for Clare.
During my first conversation with Bob, he took a substantial amount of time with me to make a decision on which program would be best for Clare. We agreed that the 2 week Boot Camp was the best option. I want to mention here, that when you fill out the information form do so completely and honestly. The trainers need to know what are the behaviors and issues you are having and if your dog has real problems that you want to have solved, be truthful. No one likes to think that their dog is the worlds worst, but if you are not upfront about the problems, then getting a positive result is going to be more challenging. Bob and Erika are true professionals and don't think that they are not going to figure out very quickly that you may not have, for what ever reason, given them all of the information on your dogs issues. If your dog bites or is aggressive towards other animals or humans, say so. The more information they have is going to help them focus in on correcting the problems.
On our initial meeting with Bob and Erika and Pat, their associate, they determined that Clare had a lot of excess energy which needed to be channeled and refocused. During her training, Erika would give us email updates on her progress along with videos. It was so encouraging to hear that she was responding well. We were very impressed with all of the information Erika provided.
Well, jumping ahead to our pickup day 2 weeks later. It was as if there had been a dog swap and we got back this well behaved, responsive dog. We joked with Erika and Bob, wondering what happened to the real Clare. In all seriousness, we now have a dog that is much calmer, obeys the commands and is able to really enjoy being a dog. We still have a lot of work to do and that is part of the commitment of owning a pet. Understand that this was not a laying of the hands miracle and you don't have to do anything else because All American K9 did it all for you. What Bob and Erika have given us back is a clean slate to work with. The basics have been instilled and yes, we do have a wonderfully trained animal. But we have a responsibility to work with Clare on a regular basis so that everything she's been taught becomes so ingrained that it is second nature. If you had asked me a couple of months ago that we would ever see this kind of change in Clare, I'm not sure I could have answered yes. But Bob, and Erika in particular, as she handled Clare's training, have changed our lives and enriched Clare's in a positive way and have enabled us to enjoy being dog owners.
Thanks are not enough, Bob and Erika. Keep up the great work !
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