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| - So short version store is good, but from my experience I was here for dog training specifically and that makes 5/5. I feel like Mike saved my life, he certainly saved Jacks life (my dog).
So long version....I've had Jack for years. He was a rescue, he came with a lot of issues. He's a sizeable dog definitely part pit and probably a little of everything. If he wanted he could drag me down the street with little effort. For years I kind of just avoided his problems, and find ways or made time to work around them. He always tries to rush out the door, he's very stubborn, and...he hates dogs. So he pretty much stayed inside 90% of the time.
Last year he had an incident he attacked another dog and I knew it was time for help or idk what I could do with Jack. More than likely, and I know its horrible, i was gonna have him put down. It wasn't his first incident and I was started to fear for my own safety.
I searched endlessly for training options. I got quotes, had private trainers give evals, but it ranged from several hundred dollars to thousands. I couldn't afford it...so I had to look at retail stores which I never was a fan of. At the time this PetSmart had no trainer, but a "new" one was transferring in. So I found out who it was from the store so I could do research.
Ok so now I'm going to sound like a stalker...I got his name and what PetSmart he was transferring from and started to look up reviews for him. Apparently transferring from California!?! I even looked him up on Facebook, like I said stalker. When we had our first meeting I was impressed from the start. He had been with PetSmart for a couple years, had an endorsement or certificate outside the company from a well known training association that I can't even remember the name to now, and even had a few akc show titles for a dog that he fully trained in PetSmart in California.
So the evaluation, he asked me a ton of questions. He then took Jack from me and went off with him into the store for about 10 min. I was terrified I could just picture Jack in a dog store ripping little puppies to shreds (sorry to graphic). He came back told me to stand in a specific spot in the store and just watch and refrain from interacting with Jack. He then sat Jack in the checkout line behind another big dog. SERIOUSLY WITHIN 3 FEET OF ANOTHER DOG!!! I could see the lawsuit from the dogs parents in my mailbox already. Jack got up, Mike snapped his fingers and looked at him...and Jack sat right down stopped staring at the dog and gave Mike the biggest I'm sorry face I've ever seen on a dog. At this point I had pooped my pants first out of fear and then out of disbelief.
To say the least I signed up for as much private training as I could afford. Mike made me PROMISE repeatedly that I would practice almost every single day and give Jack as much exercise as I possibly could or this would be for nothing. That he would train me how to control Jack for the immediate future, and that with enough time the training we give Jack we will see his behavior start to change.
Ok fast forward because this is too long. Within 2-3 months Jack was completely controllable on leash and in the house. He wasn't going nose to nose anytime soon with dogs, but he could see them or pass them I could command him and he would pass without incident or obey when he needed to.
It's almost a year later and we've gone back to training several times some private and some group classes and you would never know Jack use to be the way he was. He has some dog friends now that he plays with, hes much smarter, he's about 20lbs lighter with all the exercise he gets now, and most importantly he's alive. I spent several years of my life worrying or afraid and in a couple months that had changed.
I cannot stress the importance of the commitment to practice and exercise for your dog though. Early on their were a couple weeks where I ...neglected it and you could see it in Jacks behavior, and unfortunately Mike could tell almost as if Jack literally told him so their was no hiding it.
I don't think I've ever typed a review this long and heart felt before but I consider Mike a life long friend now and I'm sure Jack does too.
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