Train Your Dog

Author: Margaret Angus

Before: Casper had ""earned himself quite a reputation around town for being a vicious dog"" After: ""By applying the principles outlined in Train Your Dog to Casper, he has improved out of sight"" ""My husband and I have a very spoilt 3 year old Border Collie/ Retriever. At about 18 months old, he developed a severe case of fear based aggression towards his own territory, other dogs, strangers, anybody that comes to close to me, even people he knows, he even growled and lunged at the local vet, whom Casper knows. He has growled and lunged at a teenager walking too close to me. He seems to have a comfort zone around him, anybody coming closer than that look out. He has earned himself quite a reputation around town for being a vicious dog, which is unfortunate, as at home he is a very placid, big softie that we can do anything with. He has made a real spectacle of himself in the past, when out on a lead with me, in the car etc. which is sad, as that is all most people see of him, a dog that looks threatening and menacing, which he does. It is not very nice to have to say, when out walking with your dog, when people want to come up and talk to you and the dog to have to say keep your distance, don't come near the dog. By this time Casper is usually growling and they don't come close anyway, which is a shame as Casper does look very cuddly and pattable. Having never owned a dog, we thought all you had to do was to love them to bits, and spoil them, and that was it. Train Your Dog taught me that this is not so, there is a lot more to it. He failed miserably at Dog Training School, by this time we were getting desperate, when I ran across Train Your Dog on the internet. Train Your Dog has been invaluable in helping us gain control of Casper, by showing him that we are the boss, and he doesn't have to feel threatened, or feel he has to protect us, as he obviously lacks the confidence to do so. That is our job. We realize we have never been the pack leaders, and that we haven't done him any favors by giving in to him and spoiling him, treating him like a baby etc. By applying the principles outlined in Train Your Dog to Casper, he has improved out of sight, he still has a way to go, but now we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Even from the feedback from around town, people have seen the improvement in him, and wonder how we have accomplished this. I have recommended Train Your Dog to several people, as they can see the improvement in Casper, even the dog school had to admit that he had improved since he was there, they gave him up as a lost cause, even suggesting putting him down. I am very grateful to Train Your Dog. Casper is getting to be a pleasure to take out for a walk, not the nightmare he used to be, I used to dread taking him out. Thanks to Train Your Dog, I am gaining my confidence with him, and this in turn makes him feel better. Thank you."" -- Margaret Angus and Casper (New Zealand)

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