Chase, my male Labrador Retriever, was about a year and 6 months old when I first reached out to Josh last November. After his first birthday our lives changed a lot. I separated from my spouse, we started a new life just the two of us, and right when he was getting used to that, we moved to a new apartment with a new roommate and her dog. He's always been wild, jumping all over guests, stealing socks/clothes, getting overly excited around other dogs, being suspicious of male guests, barking non-stop in his crate, pulling me all over town on walks, demanding attention, etc. This 85 lb monster was controlling my life and quickly became the main source of my stress and anxiety... but I love him and I couldn't give up on him, so I just kind of dealt with it.
When he became reactive on leash though, that's when the stress and anxiety increased tenfold. I purchased a prong collar and shock collar to "fix" the problem, but I was literally in tears the first day I put the prong collar on him and it didn't fix anything. All the prong collar did was cause him to whimper while still reacting and it added guilt to the many negative feelings I was already experiencing. I couldn't bear mistreating my sweet boy and I could never give up on him so I knew I had to call in professional help.
This is by far the best decision I could have possibly made for myself and my pup.
My story isn't one where we had 1 session and I had the perfect dog right after, but instead it's one where my roommate and I look back to the time period before I hired Josh and refer to that as "the dark ages". We frequently converse about how much better Chase is and how out of control he used to be. Josh did mention that most dogs are not as confident as Chase is, that they submit to their owners much faster and easier... but his confidence is one of the many things I love about him. :) He has taught me to be resilient, tenacious, and stronger both mentally and physically. Chase is a completely different dog than he was in November. Josh gave me the tools and the mindset to work with my pup and develop a stronger connection with him and deeper understanding of his behavior. I returned the prong collar and never even opened the shock collar. We are able to have guests over now, he goes in his crate without making a peep, we are able to finish our walks around the block even when he sees triggers, we go hiking, he stopped stealing, he does not pull, and he knows better than to demand attention. Thanks to Josh, I'm finally able to enjoy my dog's company and make new happy memories with him in and outside the home. Thanks so much Josh!!
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Bark Busters dealt with Aggression, Barking, Chewing, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling
