Dog Name: Eva
Dog Age: 1 yr. 6 mos.
Dog Breed: German Shepherd
Behaviour issues:
People aggression, unpredictable in public, overly protective, wouldn’t respect basic commands like “come”, pulling on leash.
Eva was very aggressive to family friends, neighbours and family members in the house, getting to the point of growling and lunging at them. Her unpredictable behaviour in public was very stressful for Eva’s owners. At any given moment she would growl and lunge at dogs or passer-bys. She would not come when called if distracted.
Outcome Descriptions:
Eva’s aggression was a result of feeling very vulnerable in situations involving people. This fear resulted in her lashing out at the “threat”. Within the first 3 hour session Eva’s demeanour and confidence had improved to the point of respecting door boundaries, allowing people to enter and exit the home without incident. She would come every time she was called. In short she was more relaxed. The owners were happy to report that they had visitors over since the first session without incident. We met again 3 weeks after our first session. When I arrived Eva was quiet and stayed away front the front door area until she was invited to greet me with manners. At the end of this session Eva was walking beside the owners, ignoring distractions by being focussed on them. While in the backyard off leash she would reliably come when called regardless of the distraction.
Client Comment / Review:
When Eva came into our family, as a young German Shepherd with no training at all, we spent a frustrating 6-8 months trying to manage this energetic, family-friendly, ultra-protective dog. Finally we contacted Barkbusters, and within hours, we had the tools, the training and the knowledge in place to enable us to begin to make radical changes in managing the dog's behaviour. Her loud barking and aggressive behaviour were intimidating friends, neighbours and anyone who ventured onto our property. Now thanks to the Barkbusters program and consistent work from our family, she has quickly become a dog that will give a controlled welcome - and taking our lead, will shift into quietly accepting our guests. [Previously terrified friends are now amazed that she'll lick their hands, play with them and curl up beside them!]
The sessions and ongoing support are helping us make dramatic, positive changes in her behaviour - and ours! Now we're learning to better manage her walks and her socialization skills. The entire family, including Eva, is relieved, relaxed and happier.