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| - Wow. I read the last reviewer's comments and couldn't have had a more different experience. Our dog came to us from a shelter with a lot of behavioral issues. We thought training might help and so we had Thom from K9katelynn come out to the house.
He met our dog and we talked at length about the issues we were facing and Thom assured us that with proper training that our dog could get beyond those issues. Our program was twelve weekly sessions of 1-hour each (at our home).
I know it's called "dog training" but what we quickly learned is that most dogs are very sensitive to our cues as a result, they tend to reflect our behaviors as owners. In other words, what might make sense to us as humans may have a very different meaning for the dog. If we act afraid, our dogs feel it and get nervous. If we are aggressive, our dogs want to protect us by being aggressive. To me, that makes sense.
As a result, we found that some of our normal behaviors were actually making our dog's problems worse. But through proper "owner training" we learned how to actually communicate with our pet in a way that he truly understands. It's really amazing stuff - but as an owner, I think it's important to understand that you are the one being trained. The goal is to be clear, consistent and predictable in your behavior and commands, so that your dog knows exactly what you want and how to make you happy.
Well, it's been twelve weeks and I can't tell you how much this training has helped our dog. He's much easier to manage and a lot of the problems we had with him have diminished and disappeared entirely. The same dog that I literally had to "drag" on walks now stands tall and walks at my side, at my pace and follows my every instruction. People stop us on the street to comment on how well behaved he is and they are shocked to hear that we've only been at this for a few months!
In addition to commands and behaviors, Thom also recommended equipment, toys, treats, etc. for our dog that would keep our him busy when we were out of the house. This helped the dog be "mentally stimulated" throughout the day so that when we came home he wasn't over excited and out of control.
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first but all have worked as advertised. Thom even trained our dog to run on our treadmill for extra exercise when we didn't have the time for a lengthy walk. If you knew our dog, I think this would qualify as amazing. I still have a hard time believing it but he just jumps right up onto the treadmill and waits for me to turn it on. Unbelievable.
I've been a dog owner off and on my entire life but before this process started, I have to admit, I was pretty clueless about my role as an owner. I guess I never gave it much thought but what my dog needed from me was to be a better communicator.
After going through it, I would say that to get the most out of dog training with Thom or any other service, you have to know that you'll need to be trained as an owner first.
You'll need to fully understand subtle things you do as an owner that send mixed signals to your dog and you'll have to be willing to correct your own behavior as the solution. You can't change your dog's behavior without changing your own first.
I've learned that through countless hours in working with our dog that it takes precision and timing to establish lines of communication and trust with your pet. You have to be committed to practicing your lessons, receiving direction and making improvement. There is no "magic command" to get your dog to behave. It takes time to develop a system of trust and communication between the two of you.
If you are willing to set some time and your ego aside (because you will make a few embarrassing mistakes as part of the learning process), you'll make a real connection with your pet. For us, this has been a life changing experience and we couldn't be happier!
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