· Some Testimonials and Success Stories

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Mylo

Although Mylo is friendly dog with humans and other dogs we did have great problems
Before starting training Mylo was a nightmare to live with. He wouldn't let anyone in the house without jumping on them, he wouldn't let you touch any of his toys etc or give him any treats without him grabbing at it. Mylo wouldn't sit or heel or come back when shouted. Before phoning John an putting into practice his advice Mylo was ruling the house and out of control he would never let anyone sit in the house without craving attention and jumping all over the couches and didn't like anyone new coming into the family the prime example beingmy partner Mark. Mylo was taken to the vets due to his behavioral problems and on one occasion giving my mum a bad bite. We where advised to put Mylo to sleep but I definitely didn't want that and didn't think that was the answer to mylos problems and neither did John when I called him.

Mylo After Training
Since taking on John's advice and coming along to the training classes and walks Mylo is now much easier to live with he now knows the pack order of the house and knows the boundaries. The whole family now enjoy walking Mylo and are able to come into the house without too much problems although Mylo does still chance his luck. Mylos aggression level has cut down and now enjoys classes and walks and we are all able to live in a safer and happier environment. Since the one occasion when Mylo bit he has never attempted this kind of behavior again and not shown any signs of that level of aggression again. There is still along way to go Mylo but am just grateful that we are now going in the right direction to giving Mylo and the family a happier life.

Dodge's Story
 
We got Dodge just before his third birthday.  I was his third owner.  He had been rescued from the dog warden in Aberdeen by a charity for homeless dogs and been passed from pillar to post.  He was a wanderer and would not settle in any of his homes.
 
I had been looking at him for a while on the German Shepherd Rescue website ( I am a volanteer with German Shepherd Rescue).  It took a couple of months for my homecheck to be completed and me to be considered for a dog.  The homechecker who visited me was a dog behaviourist who volunteered with GSR.
 
I mentioned that I would like to consider Dodge and her reply was 'dont touch him with a bargepole, he would be a nightmare for you, he is an escape artist'.
 
The next day one of the co-ordinators contacted me and asked if I felt able to foster Dodge. I had previous experience of Shepherd ownership and the idea was I would socialise him to either keep him myself or for him to be adopted out to another family. If he became too much for me I could hand him back. During the time that I had been watching Dodge on the rescue site, his owners had intitially agreed to keep him until he was re-homed then given up on him completely and handed him over to the rescue, they were not even willing to keep him until the rescue found a new home for him.  He had been scaling their 6 foot fence and escaping on a daily basis.
 
He was placed in kennels and had been kept there for 5 weeks.  He was becoming more and more antisocial and withdrawn.  Strathclyde Police were interested in him, but he just would not engage with them. And would not enter into 'bite' activity  (never so reticent with the postman!!)
 
I collected Dodge and brought him home.  He sat in the back of the car and would not make eye contact with me, but watched everything going on around him intently.  When we pulled into the street and he realised he was going to a house, he started to cry loudly, my heart was breaking for him. 
 
On our first outing he lunged on his leash and tried to attack every single dog he encountered.  When I got him home and tried to dry him off, he placed his teeth abeit gently round my hand and growled at me, I understood from this he did not trust me engough to handle him in this intimate manner.
 
Over the next month, I began to dispair.  I was stressed and panicked each time I took him out, he was so aggressive towards other dogs, but too large a dog to keep on the lead 24/7.  I decided with the support of other dog owners in the area to let him off the leash and give him the benefit of the doubt.  Big mistake.  He had every dog he encountered by the throat pinned to the ground.  For two months I would not let him off leash without a muzzle on.  This did not stop his aggression, he would body charge the dogs and still pin them to the ground.
 
One day I contacted the rescue and told them he was just too much for me.  It had been a particularly bad day - he had attached every dog he had seen in our local area.  One small terrier had been pinned to the ground, his owner was screaming and the dog ran off squealling.  Every person we passed in our local area that morning either picked their dog up, moved off the path or put their dog on leish.  He was a social outcast, no wonder, and I was completely humiliated, dispairing and out of my depth.
 
I contacted my local trainer John, aslo a GSD owner, who invited me along to class.  I took Dodge along and he growled at everything that moved. John was trying to demonstrate a sit stay and offered to hold Dodge while I moved to the opposite end of the room.  Teeth bared and growling, Dodge let him know exactly what he thought of that idea.  But with perseverience he began to settle over the next couple of months. 
 
I still had terrible problems with his dog aggression.  Also Dodge still did not like to be handled. There were days I spent crying on the phone to John or emailing him, I was at my wits end.
 
There were gradual improvements in his behaviour with the exception of the dog aggression. He was becoming a great dog in the house, very obedient and you could see him trying really, really hard to 'be good' and 'to please'
 
I was still really struggling and the German Shepherd Rescue behaviourist who had completed my home check came out to work with us for an afternoon.  She was amazed at the difference in Dodge  She told me she could see a softness in his eyes.  She told me that when she had tried to work with him in kennels she gave up. He had an emptiness to him - his eyes were dead, flat, but at times he got  a look that said 'dont mess with me or I'll have you' - she freely admitted she was very wary of him.  Now she could see that he was'nt so much aggressive but dominant. which was what John, my trainer, had already identified.
 
John is a great believer in Pack Order and we spoke about this at great lengtho me at length and we agreed I should cut down on the kissing and cuddling - right now Dodge did'nt need love as much as he needed consistency and leadership.
 
One of the things I love about our dog group, it is not just a half hours training session a week, it is advice, John was willing to spend time giving me advice and offered to walk with me to assess Dodge and advise me
 
 
Two things happended around the same time. which turned my life with Dodge around.  One was we were introduced to a prong collar. Something I initially thought as barbaric, but John explained that it mimicked the actions of the mothers teeth round the pups throat.  The collar certainly instilled some respect for me from Dodge.  Where as before he was on his hind legs or belly on the leash trying to get to any other dog he passed, he now walked to heel - to a degree - Shepherds always like to be out front - but was controllable. and I could give him a correction which he would heed.
 
Secondly, and most importantly, John the trainer introduced a walking programme for the dogs during the break in training.  I was terrified to take Dodge along as I saw any small dog, particulary of the white jack russell or terriers in general type as just being prey to my boy.  I was not alone in my fear.  Most of the owners were affraid to let the dogs off leish in a pack.  John said the way we were going on anyone would think our dogs were possessed.  I felt mine was.

Dodge went along on the walks and my life turned from anxiety and fear when out with Dodge to walking him being a pleasurable experience.  It was not immediate, it took a few months, he would behave in our 'pack' - who am I kidding - he tried, mostly successfully, to dominate everthing with 4 legs, but everyone was tolerant and knowing John was there to control things gave us all the confidence to let the dogs sort it out for themselves.  But he gradually lost the need to lunge, relaxed into the walks and is actually now know as the 'sherrif' as he likes to sort out any problems among the other dogs.
 
One of the proudest moments of my lifewass when John told me I had given Dodge enough belief in himself to be the happy confident dog that he should be. 
 
Sometimes I take the change in him for granted and it is only when someone reminds me of how wired and wild eyed he was that I appreciate how far he has come, how hard he has worked to put his trust in a few of us humans.
 
He is still pretty dominant, probably one of the most dominant dogs within our pack, but he tempers it and has never harmed a dog.  He now completely ignores most of the dogs.  A few weeks ago his best doggie pal had him in a submissive position and a few of the little dogs piled in, tumbling on top of him, grabbing mouthfulls of his fur.  He completely ignored this and was happy to be submissive for a while and enjoyed the play.  A year ago he would have been like a fiend.
 
This may not sound a huge thing but when I had this dog at first I would arrive home from a walk covered in sweat, shaking to the core and feeling physically sick with the stress of the walk.
 
He has been kicked for sure and is still foot shy and I suspect generally beaten. He was not tursting of any human being, but now lets those he trust, an ever expanding group, pet him, hold him, put his leash on, and just love him.
 
He is a really special boy with a few problems, but no one ever gave him the chance.  At times I wanted to hand him back but was fearfull that no one else would give him the chance he needed and he would end up being put to sleep. 
 
Basically Dodge is a strong willed dog, who wants to please, but has to respect his owner, loving his owner is not enough - Dodge is a 'work in progress' and I will never be able to sit back and relax completely.  He pushes the boundaries all the time.  I know our journey together will be a lifetime of strict pack order enforcement - He is my life's greatest achievement, I feel I have saved him form certain destruction down the line.  He is one of my life's greatest loves.  Sometimes I feel I am not a strong enough owner for him, but with the help of my John, who reminds me on a regular that I need to keep on top of him, and with the help of our very unique and special group, We have a wonderous adventure in front of us - The Dodger and I.

Kirstine Connor

Cumbernauld Dog Training School has turned Oscar into a pleasure rather than a hassle. Prior to attending the dog classes I was about to put Oscar up for adoption due to his aggressive nature around other dogs and his lack of obedience, as I thought I had tried all avenues without success. The training classes have given Oscar the opportunity to learn obedience with the distraction of other dogs around in a friendly and relaxed environment. Further more, the School also arranges dog walks, where the dogs and owner can walk in a pack and I have found this socialisation to be the making of Oscar. From the large, over excitable and aggressive appearing devil dog, I now have a dog that runs away from dogs as high as his ankles. A big thanks to the trainers and pupils, as Oscar would not be the dog he is today without their commitment. The School offers training class’s, dog walks, internet forums and a wealth of advice, which can only benefit owners and dogs, like Oscar and I.

Thanks again, Ross & Oscar.