Kelly from Tempe, AZ called us to help her newly adopted rescue, Kuma, a Poodle/Terrier mix because she knew after only a few days home with her and her sons that Kuma was a bit more than they could handle. There was no real background information on Kuma as the county found him as a stray, but Kelly could tell that he had some reactivity issues with other dogs. Kuma, during walks would whine and growl pretty heavily as they got close and while passing by another dog. Kelly, knowing this was something she didn’t feel comfortable handling on her own, wanted us to help.

Kelly and her sons felt like our Unlimited program was the best fit for them as they felt a little concerned about leaving Kuma for two weeks and also liked the idea of a slower training process. During each lesson we worked with Kuma on leash walking with different speeds [for each person] and how to understand commands in different voices. We also worked on calming Kuma’s mind as he was an anxious dog after getting a little more settled with the family. Reducing his anxiety also helped with his reactivity around other dogs on walks.

Once Kuma fully started to understand what Kelly and her boys needed from him [to be a happy and healthy family companion] he really started to like his new routine and structure in the home. He earned more freedom inside the home because they could continue to trust his reactions more and more. He was also listening to commands much better where they only had to say them once instead of multiple times before he would comply. Kuma also stays with us on occasion so he is able to socialize with other dogs and learn to understand their needs as well as his own much better. He is much more comfortable and relaxed in his social skills that now he often helps us to introduce new dogs into the mix and teach them how to engage and play properly.