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| - I am happy to share my post training update. My now 1 year old German Shepherd is doing amazing. My once tiny pup is now 85-90lbs. Trust me when I say if you put in the time and do what Orlando tells you to do it does pay off a thousand fold. What I struggled with during the process was the focus on how Dex interacted with me more so than everyone else. Understanding if I didn't get with the program when he was 20lbs he would not be manageable once full grown. While I certainly baby him more than my husband the commands are clear, I am not perfect but consistent enough to be effective (smile). The training is truly for us the dog owners. The dog is going to be a dog. The issue is whether or not we are going to be consistent over the long haul. So was it worth the money and time. Absolutely. It is an investment like anything else you have to put in the work, and there were evenings I didn't want to do training and I saw the decline very fast.
Quick story, I was at Petsmart checking out with the Vet. A man came around the corner behind me fast and rather aggressive. Since I had my back to him, I had no clue. Dex, however, for the first time began barking like he was a full growth dog, hair from his tail to the top of his head was up, and he was ready to pounce. At this moment all the training came into play. I turned around to see what was happening, dropped my purse, and yelled "foose" so he would sit immediately, then "plots" to go down on his stomach. Because he was in a protective mode I had not seen before I was pleasantly surprised when he responded so fast (usually does it quickly only with husband). In short, I was proud of myself for using what I learned, and proud of him for alerting me to a potential situation. BTW the guy immediately turned around and left, Dex waited for me to release him, "BIS" and we went on about our business of shopping. The staff and others standing around were impressed (smile) with my control and Dex well because he is an awesome GSD. At that moment I knew the investment paid off because I now was able manage the situation... having real tools is everything BUT OMG you have to practice.
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