Building Bonds

Kim Silver is an absolute wizard. Our two rescue littermates, Quimby and Huggins, are delightful. But they were also very fearful. Born at the height of the pandemic, they hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to socialize with the rest of the world. Add in the twins’ factory-installed anxiety settings and we found ourselves with two dogs having regular meltdowns. A visitor to our home, the neighbors in their yard, taking a walk, an empty box – just about anything could trigger incessant barking and alarm. To top it off, the twins were attached at the hip: They couldn’t stand to be separated, even if it was just a few feet of distance. And sometimes, when one was frightened, it would trigger the other. I enrolled the twins in Building Bonds’ Fearful Fido course – and what a difference it has made! I wasn’t sure Kim would take on two anxious dogs at once, but she didn’t bat an eye: Two completely separate personalities? Two completely separate sets of triggers? No problem. To us, it seemed like an impossible situation. To Kim, it was a challenge she was totally up for. We are so impressed with her work, which is clearly a labor of love. She did a thorough pre-visit diagnostic to get to know the twins, their environment, and their distinct personalities. Her observations during home visits were equally as thorough – and very interesting. From day one, Kim made it easy for us to understand what our dogs were trying to communicate, and how to make simple adjustments to our environment that help the dogs feel less anxious and build their confidence all at once. Based on her observations, we started working through a variety of strategies and systems to introduce the dogs to novel stimuli in a way that felt safe to them – and their confidence has increased markedly. We’ve learned so much more about what our dogs are thinking or feeling at any given time. (If you’re a person who wonders, “Why does my dog do that?” or “How do I know if my dog is happy?” her coursework is for you.) The best part is that so much of the work we did involved play! It turns out dog training can be cleverly disguised as fun activities for dogs and owners. (We’ve really enjoyed putting together scent training games and other enrichment activities that the dogs go crazy for. And there’s always something new to try!) We’re also deeply thankful that Kim believes in (and fights for) force-free training methodologies, the efficacy of which continues to be proven time and time again. Training and behavior modification not only *can* be achieved through force-free methods, but are best achieved that way. Positive. Reinforcement. Works. Kim is a brilliant instructor who accounts for lots of different learning styles. Between working with her one-on-one and all of the great training assets she’s put together (videos, infographics, lesson plans), you’ll have lots of different ways to make sure that you always remember (and can reinforce) what you learn in her coursework. The name “Building Bonds'' hits the nail on the head. If you wanted to, you could measure the success of Kim’s hard work by the sheer number of incredibly happy clients she has. But even better than that is the improved quality of life her dog-clients achieve, and the lasting bonds built between dogs and their owners. We're sorry to say goodbye to Kim as we move out of state, but along with building the dogs' confidence, she's given us confidence that we have the tools and skills to help our pups navigate the new environment ahead. We cannot thank her enough for her incredible insight, patience, and expertise. She has a rare and important skill set that can benefit any pet owner. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with her – and Quimby & Huggins would agree!