Pence K9

After adopting our 9 month old mixed breed, we quickly realized that he had some anxiety issues and we would need some professional help to give him the best possible life. We took him to Pence K9 for a 3 week off leash retreat. He came back a much more obedient dog and has been settling back in at home well. We are still working hard with Jason’s assistance to boost his confidence and he is getting better everyday. Jason really loves what he does and you can tell by just talking to him. His facility is very nice and we highly recommend his services.

We enrolled our dog, Louie, in a three-week off-leash board and train program. We recognize that not every training program works for every dog, and the style of training utilized was not a good fit for him. Health Findings: After giving him a bath at home the night of pickup, we discovered several sores on his neck in the areas where the stim collar had been placed. A veterinarian later diagnosed him with a bacterial skin infection (pyoderma) at those locations, likely from improper rotation or tightness of the collar. The vet also noted Louie’s increased stress and reactivity since returning home and recommended transitioning him to positive-reinforcement, fear-free training as soon as possible given his young age. Additionally, the vet recommended we give Louie trazodone for the near-term to manage his heightened anxiety until he decompresses from the training program. Pence K9 did reimbirse us for Louie’s veterinary bill, which we appreciated. Behavior Since Return: Since coming home, Louie has shown significant anxiety on place and in his crate, despite being previously well trained in his crate. He growled at the trainer during a follow-up visit later in the evening the same day as pickup, and at the veterinary clinic he was reactive, growling and hiding. His reactivity toward people has noticeably increased, and the return home has been very stressful and difficult for him and for us. Training Outcomes: While Louie does know a place command, it is an anxious command for him, rather than calm. He also learned new commands for sit, heel, stay, and leave it, but does not perform those reliably without the stim collar. He does not execute down or seem to have any awareness of come/recall. That said, we see the commands he did start to pick up as a base we can now build on through positive-reinforcement training. We do not have the off-leash reliability that was the purpose of the program upgrade, though this may have been strengthened if this style of training was more successful for him and we were able to continue with Pence K9; however, we chose not to return for follow-up lessons given Louie’s heightened anxiety and reactivity. Next Steps: We have decided to instead work with a positive-reinforcement behaviorist.