FirstBark
The best thing I did was to contact Canine Case Squad and ask for help with our rescue puppy. We adopted Holly at 3 months old, and I enrolled her in a group class held locally (not at CCS). She did not respond to the training in a positive manner. She was easily distracted duri…Read full reviewClose full review
The best thing I did was to contact Canine Case Squad and ask for help with our rescue puppy. We adopted Holly at 3 months old, and I enrolled her in a group class held locally (not at CCS). She did not respond to the training in a positive manner. She was easily distracted during class and was a mass of anxiety. She would bite me in class, but I was told it was normal puppy biting because puppies bite and chew everything. We persevered and even joined the second set of classes, but Holly did not progress as I would have expected, and her behavior in class and at home was stressful and exhausting. Holly was always a biter and chewer of anything and everything, but she began to bite me more and more. I even had to go to Urgent Care, and the Dept. of Public Health was contacted because I had a puncture wound. At that point, I knew I had to do something more regarding training Holly if she was to stay with us. In no way did we want to give Holly up for another adoption, but our grandson was terrified of her, and I was clearly the target for Holly wanting to show me she was the dominant female. I was desperate for help, and I googled and read everything. Luckily I came across Canine Case Squad. I brought Holly for an evaluation session that was incredibly informative. Shari and Cindy observed Holly during various situations, and their feedback gave me much more insight into Holly’s behaviors (or lack thereof). Shari and Cindy even got out a bike and rode it up and down the road past Holly because she was very afraid when bicycles would go by us when we walked. The evaluation session was well worth the time spent. By the time I got home, I had received via email, video clips of Holly and a detailed report/analysis of what had been observed. I was so relieved to learn from Shari that Holly's behavior was not as out-of-control and aggressive as I believed. To learn from the observations of such experienced people that Holly and I would be able to work together and get the improvements we both needed was beyond encouraging. I realized how little I knew about canine behavior and canine mentality--what an eye-opener!! It was not an easy task for us, and I remained a target for Holly's biting for a few more months. But, with the confidence I gained from Shari and her team, I did not give up, and I have not purchased band aids in months!! We now have a sweet pup (she is 14 months old now) who has responded positively to what she has been learning, and her behavior has improved dramatically. Holly will cuddle, our grandson loves to play with her, and she is much more relaxed. There are still areas that need improvement, so Holly and I remain "works in progress" but it is enjoyable work, and we look forward to going back for sessions to help us with fine-tuning desired behaviors. I knew from the evaluation session, I was going to learn how to engage, handle, and feel confident and less afraid with Holly. The best news is after each training session that is exactly what happened! Shari, Lyz, and Cindy are extremely knowledgeable and very patient in their approach to working with Holly (and yes...also me!). Their use of their own canine trainers was fascinating. This was, and remains, the best decision I ever made. I hope that anyone else feeling upset, worried, concerned, or desperate (trust me, I get it) regarding how to train and interact with their dogs will contact Canine Case Squad and reap the benefits. In addition to the quality work with our puppy, the outstanding response to questions and concerns was always prompt and very helpful. I also love Canine Case Squad’s use of social media!