Hi my name is Allison and this is Freya. Freya turned two on December 11th and she is by far the smartest and most challenging dog I’ve ever owned. To give some background on the two of us. I have worked in the animal industry for 16 years overseeing dog boarding and grooming. I’ve worked with enough dogs to have learned what breeds woul
Hi my name is Allison and this is Freya. Freya turned two on December 11th and she is by far the smartest and most challenging dog I’ve ever owned. To give some background on the two of us. I have worked in the animal industry for 16 years overseeing dog boarding and grooming. I’ve worked with enough dogs to have learned what breeds would work with my lifestyle and what breeds would not. The two groups that were last on my list were the working dogs and the herding dogs. Freya’s DNA test came back that she is half pitbull and half cattle dog.
I knew I was in for a treat but I was not prepared to accept or even acknowledge the early signs of what her behavior would turn into. I remember at one of her first puppy vet visits, the vet gave my husband a pamphlet of how to socialize a puppy and how to correct unwanted behavior. I honestly thought the vet was overreacting. Freya was part of a litter of pups dumped in the middle of night at a vet clinic in TN. She was then brought up to Michigan with her siblings, nursed to health, and the we adopted her. I thought she had every right to be shy.
I started to notice at home Freya’s trepidation with new people. She was terrified. We do have two other small dogs in the home who bark and carry on with company. I know this did not help the situation but our two “littles”, as we lovingly refer to them as, come in pretty hot. Angrier it seems, than afraid. There was one afternoon a relative came over with her husband and Freya was so afraid of them walking up the porch, she had an accident while trying to corner herself as far away from them as she could.
I tried my best to socialize Freya. I would bring her to work with me to meet other dogs. I took her in the car every chance I got. We would go for walks all the time. Freya was just getting worse. She would lunge at every car that drove by. A very dangerous habit that could have had tragic consequences. Freya also chased skateboards, roller blades, and bikes. On one occasion, I had arrived home with Freya in the back seat of the car. I opened the back door to grab Freya’s leash and she bolted out from the car after a kid on a bike. The kid was terrified and kept pedaling faster toward the busy street. I yelled for him to stop but knew that a dog was chasing him and he may not want to stop! Thank goodness he did so that I could catch Freya. When I tell you I was embarrassed, upset, and relieved that everyone was ok- that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as emotions go. I was also angry and defeated.
Freya’s behavior did not get better at the vet either. Instead of just hiding under our legs, she would put her hair up. She would growl. Behavior’s that I could not believe were coming from a dog who was not even a year old yet. Our vet who is absolutely amazing sat us down and had a serious conversion about how important it was to get Freya into some sort of training. In order for Freya to thrive, she needed exposure in a safe environment with someone who knew how her mind worked. I was given a list of trainers to look into. After researching the leads, I found Amanda and the team at R.E.S.C.U.E.
When I say that the training, I received from this group is priceless, I MEAN IT. And yes, I was the one who needed to learn. Starting with the first class that was only for us humans. Amanda engrained in us the foundation that everything else would be built on. “YES” means food. I had no idea that a simple 3 letter word would change the course of our lives, but it did indeed.
We worked hard in those 6 weeks. There is an incredible amount of work that was put into the course and a stack of information to read and then reread. Then if you were struggling, you read it again. Learning to communicate with a reactive dog requires a lot of observing. It requires a lot of practice and patience. It requires commitment to continue on. It’s much like learning a new language. You need to speak it every day, or you’ll lose it.
Amanda was very honest and upfront about expectations. She made sure we knew that a reactive dog will never be cured, but the reactiveness can be managed. She was absolutely right and Freya’s habits are a reflection of that.
We’ve worked incredibly hard especially on walks. We’ve utilized fundamental tools in our routine. There was one week when we worked on eye contact. The dogs were rewarded when they looked at us. We did that so many times that I ran out of the treats we brought to that class. These simple things are what you build on to change the course of these pup’s lives. Freya went from chasing after cars on leash uncontrollably to walking past them without thinking twice. Every now and then there will be a special situation. It could be a noisy car, a line of cars, it could be a car driving by too fast. If Freya is faced with something like that, she will slow down, turn, and look at me. I “yes” her and she sits while eating her treat, ignoring the scary car.
I need that to sink in with you for a second, because I had to let it sink in myself. My dog was faced with something she was afraid of. Something that used to cause her to hit her threshold. We have gotten to a place now where she can look at me for help. One look from me makes it better.
If that’s not unconditional love and trust, I don’t know what is.
Even typing that brings a tear my eye because without Amanda and R.E.S.C.U.E. I wouldn’t have that connection with Freya. They had to teach me. I had to listen. I had to work.
Is Freya perfect? No. I know she won’t ever be. Can I trust her with new people and situations? Absolutely not. Can I help her through it though? YES. Can I do my best to keep her from hitting her threshold? YES. Is it worth it? YES
Just like with any dog, a reactive dog is a lifelong commitment. We must work with Freya everyday for her to thrive.
I am forever thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from Amanda. She is such an incredible resource and we look forward to working with her again.
I have loved Alvin from the moment I adopted him, but I didn't really know how to interact with dogs. The classes that I have taken with Amanda were instrumental in teaching me how to communicate with Alvin. This was a game changer for our relationship. Amanda equipped me with essential tools for obedience in a positive, fun environment.
I have loved Alvin from the moment I adopted him, but I didn't really know how to interact with dogs. The classes that I have taken with Amanda were instrumental in teaching me how to communicate with Alvin. This was a game changer for our relationship. Amanda equipped me with essential tools for obedience in a positive, fun environment. Both Alvin and I grew our confidence in ourselves and in each other, which gave us more freedom to go on joyful adventures together. Dog behavior isn't always intuitive for humans, nor is human behavior intuitive for dogs, so having an expert helped Alvin and me learn how to understand each other.
Although the progress isn't linear, I can look back at where we started and know we are headed in the right direction. It takes a lot of time, patience, and persistence to shift deeper-rooted issues, like separation anxiety. However, it's empowering to have a plan of action rather than feeling hopeless and uncertain of how to proceed.
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