Rosie from Mesa, AZ called us when her Tennessee Walker Hound Ranger was overreacting to dogs on walks in her neighborhood. Rosie, a petite woman, couldn’t handle her 75 pound hound safely and needed help because his lunging and barking were too severe for her to manage. Ranger also had a bad habit of slamming into the window at their home whenever a neighbor would walk by with their dog. He almost broke the glass on several occasions. Ranger also had a habit of being afraid of certain things while walking, including grates, drains and loud motorcycles.

After sitting down with Rosie it was agreed that signing up for our Unlimited program was the best option for them. It would help Rosie to feel more confident at a slower pace and have more time to make the changes without feeling overwhelmed herself to do the work. The first thing we worked on was leash walking and handling. With the correct tools and being taught the right way to use them, Rosie started building her confidence after lesson one. We also taught Ranger how to listen to commands and respond more appropriately to dogs while both on and off the leash. He learned commands like “place”, “sit”, “down” and “come” to help with his over excitement, especially at home.

Rosie now tells us that Ranger can go to restaurants [with other dogs on the patio] and takes wonderful hikes in the woods whenever they get a chance and no longer pulls or lunges at other dogs. We also get to see Rosie and Ranger at group lessons on occasion to help keep in touch with the huge progress both have made in such a short time.