Our only regret is that we did not call Lynne from Bark Busters the minute we brought home our new dog from the Humane Society. Buddy was an abandoned, neglected dog that started out very friendly and loving, but once he became comfortable in our environment, he became aggressive and overly protective to the point that we couldn't have anyone over to our house without fear of them being bitten by our dog. I knew that the usual training programs from Petsmart or the Humane Society wouldn't work on the specific problem we were having, as Buddy responded to heel, sit, stay, etc. rather well. This was something deeper that we assumed was related to his past experiences with his former owner. We were very frustrated and felt we might have to surrender the dog since we couldn't deal with his behavior. Based on their website and other reviews, it seemed that Bark Busters could be the ones to help. Lynne came out and sat down with us, discussed how the program would work, and observed Buddy's behavior. She was able to discern that Buddy, who is a Alaskan Malamute/ Lab mix, had a very strong need for a "pack" environment, and needed a strong owner to lead his behavior. He was not getting enough leadership from us, so he felt he had to take over and be the boss. Thus the assertive, often dangerous reactions to strangers to protect his pack. Lynne required that we learn to be commanding and confident in our interactions with him, as he was constantly protecting his home and neighborhood from other people and other dogs, which was natural to him. Lynne worked with us many weeks (at several weeks more than the typical client, I am sure) and was determined to help us, as she saw that Buddy could be a great pet and companion. She worked with us in our home environment, at local parks and public places, to further evaluate Buddy's reactions. Our program was definitely tailored to us and our dog. Lynne also showed us how some of our ignorance about dog behavior (first time dog owners!) led us do things that confused and frustrated Buddy, and eroded our leadership role in his eyes. We now have a dog that is loving to us, and accepting of our extended family in our home. He looks to us for direction, and we know how to give it to him. Whenever we have a question, Lynne is available and responds within hours to our questions. She even helped us find the right leash for him, since he is a immense puller (sled dog!) on walks and needs something to help curb his overpulling tendencies. One of the most important things we learned is that training your dog; is an ongoing process - you can't expect a quick fix for deep-seated issues like our Buddy had. But Lynne worked VERY patiently with us to help us see that Buddy could be helped.
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