Aggressive dog training

Reactive German Shepherd Training

February 7, 2023 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Lewis came to us as a typical reactive German Shepherd. His owners were in need of help and decided to enroll him in our Board and Train Program. This is where a dog comes to live with a trainer for a month minimum to get fully trained both on and off-leash!

Lewis has now finished our Board and Train Program and is living his best life! 🤩🙌

His owners have been loving having him back home. Here is what they had to say 🥰:

“This is Lewis my four-year-old German Shepard. I absolutely love this guy!

Lewis is your typical GS a loyal, loving dog to me, my husband, and my kids, I was shocked and dismayed how reactive he became and how he scared people with his fierce barking and lunging especially toward cars and strangers. I thought to myself, will he bite someone?! I had no idea how to change this behavior.

A friend told me about Unleashed Potential in PEI and there I met Sara Bryanton. In a few months under her amazing care and training, Lewis returned a changed dog. Now when someone new approaches us, Lewis will stay in a sit command and calmly wait while I chat.

How can this be the same dog?! I’m still shocked that he listens to me lol. I have been bringing him to work daily and continue to socialize him. He’s such a happy guy because he gets to go everywhere with me.

My heart is about to burst I am so proud of him and of the incredible work Sara did with him!

Thank you so very much. Our lives have changed for the better!”

– Owner Patricia

Thank you for the kind words! We sure will miss having this big loving fella around!

➡️ Looking to unleash your dog’s potential? Book your free consult to discuss all your training options with us: Click here _______________________________________________________________

Looking for help with your dog’s training?

Sign-up for our Free Dog Training Mini-Series to get started!

Follow

Subscribe

Like

_______________________________________________________________

Would you like your dog to be an off-leash dog? Or looking to explore our other services?

Click here to explore: Dog Training Services

Bear and Gunner Together Successfully! UPK9 Dog Training Success Story!

June 14, 2019 By Camellia Saunderson 2 Comments

Bear and Gunner

Bear and Gunner trained with Unleashed Potential K9 because they would fight with each other in the same home, with no known trigger. Their owners were living a stressed out life with a baby on the way, managing two dogs that they were too afraid to have out together. Once we determined that their trigger was resources, we were able to start rehabbing their relationship. Apart from that, Gunner used to act extremely fearful when people would come to the house, refusing to socialize. After 4 private lessons and 3 weeks of Boarding and Training, here is what their owner, Jasmine, had to say.

“Major breakthrough, have to share.

We have people over for a regular poker night. Normally Bear would be downstairs with the guys and Gunner would be in the bedroom before anyone even showed up because he would lose it and bark out of major fear. That’s where he’d spend the night. I’d tried to bring him downstairs before but there was too many people, he’d bark and run away.

Tonight…..

I left Bear in the kennel and put Gunner on Place. Our first friend arrived and Gunner didn’t bark, he was happy. Eventually we broke him and he smelled our friend and didn’t seem too bothered. People arrived one by one which worked great, it gave Gunner time to see them and they all knew better than to try to approach him because that was the closest they’d ever gotten to him!

To make a long story short (sorry but I’m flabbergasted)… he didn’t bark once at anyone and didn’t run away. He even wagged his tail when a few people petted him carefully and gave him treats.

We got Bear out and placed them both. I went even a step further and brought him down to the poker room and this is where I was mind blown…He came in and walked around the table wagging his tail! Being normal. First time he ever went in the basement during a poker night, and he was comfortable and not sketched out. Some of these guys had never even seen Gunner because he was always hiding, and Bear did amazing too! He let Gunner do his thing and didn’t bother him, he was calm and obedient and respectful. Bear is getting some bed time with the guys and I’m with gunner upstairs on bed so they can each relax. ”

Ahhhhhh success!

Are you at your wits end with your dog’s behavior and would like to have control, sanity, and above all else, safety? No matter the age or breed, please contact me now, I assure you, I can help!

Book your FREE consultation and demonstration today!
Send an email to camellias@upk9.ca Like us on Facebook!

Not in my area? Find a trainer near you!

For more information on how you can purchase Duke’s Dog Training Genesis and become a member CLICK HERE

Don’t Worry, He’s Friendly (he’s never bitten before)

March 31, 2016 By Camellia Saunderson Leave a Comment

Don’t worry, he’s friendly; he’s never bitten before. Famous last words that many of us have heard time and time again. As a dog trainer, I look back on the many times I have taken other people’s word on this and honestly cannot believe that I haven’t found myself in more trouble.

These days, I consult with numerous dogs of varying degrees of dominance and aggression every week, making a point to ensure each one is secured properly on lead, never taking a moment to ‘get to know’ any dog by touching or getting in their space. Unfortunately for me, this wasn’t always the case, but I learned my lesson the hard way.

I remember when dropping Tank off for his board and train a few years ago, before I became a trainer, despite how many ways I expressed that he was relaxed and happy to be meeting his new trainer and would in fact not have any problems, I was instructed to put his muzzle on before they would begin. At the time, although I did what was asked of me, I didn’t see the necessity in doing so. These days however, I can most certainly appreciate the precaution, but ‘why,’ you ask?

Lets go back to September, 2015 when I first met Baxter. I was called to do an in-home consultation for an insecure dominant yet friendly newfoundland/bernese mountain dog with poor greeting skills. I came to the property and was met outside by a 115lb dog being held on lead by an owner who appeared to be at least half his size and weight. Baxter was pushy and dominant, but since he appeared relaxed and his owner, the person who knew him best, said he had no bite history, I allowed him to come into my space so I could see first hand how rude he was when greeting strangers. Moments later Baxter grew tired of my presence and laid on the ground next to the patio furniture where he remained throughout the duration of my time there, and that was that.

A few weeks later, Baxter was signed up to come for a board and train and I was back at his house to pick him up. I did as I always do and brought my brief case along, the very same brief case I bring as precaution to protect myself in case a dog tries to attack me during a consultation. However, since I had met Baxter on his property just weeks prior and it went so well, I let my guard down. I put my defence mechanism on the BBQ so that I could load this very large dog into the car before going over the necessary paperwork with his owner. I looked at the narrow steps leading up to the door and the very large dog right behind it, and decided to stand back at least 20 feet to allow as much space as necessary for the duo to meet me outside safely. What happened next, was over just as quickly as it began.

As I stood in wait, Baxter pushed his way out of the door dragging his owner behind him, barrelled excitedly into me, wrapped his leash around my legs, and jumped up and bit me. Despite quickly turning away, he had a clear shot of my face, and he succeeded. Not wanting to exasperate the situation, I quickly covered the wound with my hand and went inside in search of a compress and a mirror. Afraid to look, I peeled my hand away and covered it back up just as quickly.

After a 2 hour visit at the hospital and some stiches, I was back at Baxter’s house where I promptly instructed his owner to place a muzzle on him before I loaded him into my car, something I now know I should have just done in the first place. I never hesitate to muzzle an aggressive dog, but Baxter was friendly, wasn’t he? Obviously, be was not as friendly as everyone thought and despite what happened, everyone involved was extremely lucky.

I count myself lucky that it was a single fear based warning bite and Baxter wasn’t actually trying to rip me up. Baxter was lucky that he chose me of all people to prove just how ‘unfriendly’ he could actually be; had this have happened to some stranger on the street, it is likely that animal control would have been involved and who knows what might have happened. So what became of Baxter?

Baxter lived with me and my pack for 6 weeks where he learned obedience, manners, impulse control, and above all else, proper social skills. When he went home, he was a new dog, one who now greets everyone calmly, confidently, and under control; he can even be found lazing around the local nursing home from time to time and is welcome back in my home any time. As for me, I will wear the scars from that day on my face and neck for the rest of my life as a constant reminder to never underestimate the power of a ‘friendly’ dog. As for you, I hope you will see this as a cautionary tale and understand that just because your pushy, dominant, or out of control dog has never bitten before, does not mean that they never will, so take precautions, be proactive, and start training today!

Are you at your wits end with your dog’s behavior and would like to have control, sanity, and above all else, safety? No matter the age or breed, please contact me now, I promise you, I can help!

Book your FREE consultation and demonstration today!
Send an email to camellias@upk9.ca Like us on Facebook!

Find a trainer near you!

For more information on how you can purchase Duke’s Dog Training Genesis and become a member CLICK HERE

Why I Became a Dog Trainer with

March 18, 2016 By Camellia Saunderson Leave a Comment

Why I Became a Dog Trainer

I never dreamed of being a dog trainer, in fact, it was never something I even considered until the day I decided to become one. So what lead me to that point?

In 2012, I opened a pitbull rescue which quickly became known for taking in difficult cases; that’s when I met my soul mate. In late October, I walked into the city pound and noticed this big-eyed blue beauty named Tank. In awe, I placed my hand on his kennel door and stated that if he was dog friendly, I was taking him home. Two weeks later I got a call telling me that he was in fact dog friendly, but he was extremely, irrationally fear aggressive toward people and thus would not be available for adoption. I went in to meet him and was given the choice to take Tank in under my rescue and save his life, or leave him for a very certain fate. Naturally, I couldn’t allow that to happen, so the very next day, he was mine. We started our relationship on the right foot, working with a trainer to overcome his issues, but after 7 months, a fight broke out between him and one of my own dogs, resulting in multiple serious injuries. At this point, I was left with another choice to make; either get Tank the help he needed or euthanize him. That was something I was not willing to do, despite what multiple other trainers were telling me, and adopting him out was certainly not an option. That’s when I called Duke Ferguson who introduced me to trainer Becky Herman, and in no time, Tank was on his way to bootcamp. It broke my heart to send him, but I knew it was exactly what he needed.

Tank was away at training for 2 months, the entire time of which I was terrified that he would come back the same dog and I would have to euthanize him anyway. To my sincere amazement, when Tank returned from training, I could walk him down the Halifax board walk on a sunny Sunday afternoon with children, adults, and dogs everywhere, and he just walked at my heel, looking to me for reassurance and ignoring everything else. He was truly happy, and so was I. I’ll admit at first I was terrified, but for once, it wasn’t because I thought Tank would bite someone, it was because I didn’t want to ruin this new dog that he had become. Thankfully, with lifetime group classes, ongoing support from multiple UPK9 trainers, and a truly amazing rehabilitation, that was the last thing that myself nor his new foster needed to worry about. My soul dog, the dog I knew he could be, was finally the dog everyone else could see too. That was the moment I decided I wanted to become a trainer, because I never wanted to experience such a horrific event again in my life, and I wanted nothing more than to help the dogs like Tank who truly need it and their owners who have found themselves in similar situations as I did.

To prepare myself, I left my job of 8 years for a position at the city pound where I could get firsthand experience handling dogs of all temperaments. It was during that time that I met Blitz, but unfortunately due to a non disclosure agreement, I cannot tell you the details of his background. Needless to say, I lost my job saving his life, which simply fast tracked my plans to becoming a pro dog trainer. As soon as I got Blitz out safely, I packed our bags and we were off to PEI where I attended Unleashed Potential k9 Academy and studied one on one with Duke Ferguson, living in his training centre with 5 other dogs in need of a little help.

On April 4^th, 2015, I opened Unleashed Potential K9- The Valley, dedicated to all dogs and owners in need, but specializing in aggression and bully breeds. Today, I am proud of the work that I do, and happy to say that if it wasn’t for the negative and extremely emotional experiences that led me to this point, I wouldn’t have the ability to help so many others in their time of need, just like Unleashed Potential did for me. Since my time in PEI, Blitz has become a CKC Canine Good Neighbor, friendly toward people of all types and all other dogs, happy, humble and obedient in all situations, and assistant to me, helping to train and rehabilitate other dogs and people in need too. I am also extremely thrilled to announce that today is the first day of the rest of Tank’s life. After 3 years of training, Tank has been adopted and will finally be going to his forever home. And THAT is why I became a trainer, to help dogs like Tank and Blitz find their true potential.

Blitz’s Canine Good Neighbour Certificate

Are you at your wits end with your dog’s behavior and would like to have control, sanity, and above all else, safety? No matter the age or breed, please contact me now, I promise you, I can help!

Book your FREE consultation and demonstration today!
Send an email to camellias@upk9.ca Like us on Facebook!

Find a trainer near you!

For more information on how you can purchase Duke Ferguson’s Dog Training Genesis online, step by step training videos CLICK HERE

Chino and Java’s Rehabilitation

December 17, 2015 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Java and Chino came to train with Camellia at Unleashed Potential- The Valley because they were getting into fights with each other in their home. Java, who’s issues were insecurity with dogs and pushy controlling behavior, stayed for 4 weeks, while Chino, who’s issues of dog aggression and generalized anxiety were much more extensive, stayed for 9 weeks before he was ready to go home. Today, both dogs live together without issue, something their owner wasn’t sure could be possible. The day Chino returned home, she was so overwhelmingly happy, that she decided to write a letter explaining her experiences;

“I have two bully breed dogs that are absolutely amazing in my eyes and they are my life. Java (brindle) is turning three this December and Chino (black) is a year and a half. When Chino turned one, his personality was quite different from when he was in puppy stages. When he was young, he would follow Java around like crazy; you could sense the loyalty he had towards her. I had a sense that Chino had some issues even during puppy hood. He would whine profusely and for long durations to the point where the only thing that APPEARED to work was cuddling him and keeping him close to me. I thought I had it figured it out; he needed more “mommy time.”

This only made matters worse. Chinos behaviour continued to deteriorate, even when I starting simple obedience training from home. He appeared to be anxious 99.99 percent of the time, which affected Java in major ways and before I knew it, I had two dogs that were now acting aggressively in all situations they were well subjected to in past (dog parks, playing with other dogs, being together outside and inside the house). There had been multiple major fights between the dog dogs that resulted in me taking them to get medical attention. For those who have never experience a dog fight, I can not describe all the emotions that are attached to seeing it, but it’s probably on my top things I never want to witness again. It broke my heart because I thought I have failed both my dogs.

I contacted Camellia from Unleashed Potential because I could not handle the aggression between the two dogs or trust that something serious wouldn’t result from trying to break them up. Camellia came to meet the dogs and hear about what had been going on with the two of them. She gave me hope, as other organizations told me even before meeting me that Chino and Java would most likely not be able to Co exist in the same household. Camellia explained personal experiences with the same behaviours my dogs were displaying and made me feel a connection. I made the decision to board and train both dogs as I felt that both had major issues that needed to be addressed quickly.

I had huge issues with leaving my dogs in another’s care, but Camellia made this experience easier for me and I received updates and pictures of both dogs on a regular basis. When Java returned home, she was a completely different dog and I was blown away with her progress. Java was finally calm in her mind, and was very obedient, making me feel proud of all her accomplishments. Camellia took the time to help me understand Java’s needs and guided me through our now very different, healthy relationship. I went for a walk with Java the other day and two new moms were pushing strollers on the same path as us. As they approached I tested Java’s ability and put her into a “down” until both moms passed us. Java was successful and she never broke her command. One of the mothers turned around and expressed how impressed she was and that Java was an extremely obedient dog. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy this made me feel.

Today was Chino’s first day home. Chino had been a very difficult case, as his anxiety slowed the training process a little. Camellia never gave up on Chino or my goal to have both dogs Co exist in a safe environment. He is a completely different dog now. Chino’s body language and demeanor are totally different to the point where I sat here in tears while he was on “place ” and I was reflecting on the dog Chino used to be, versus the dog Chino is now. These results are all due to the work and dedication Camellia had while training my dogs and supporting me through the process. Camellia has made my dream come true of living in harmony with both my dogs under the same roof. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication with us.” – Amanda Wile

Are you at your wits end with your dog’s behavior and would like to have control, sanity, and above all else, safety? No matter the age or breed, please contact me, because I promise you, I can help you!

Book your FREE consultation and demonstration with me today! Send me an email at camellias@upk9.ca Like me on Facebook! Not in The Valley, NS? Find a trainer near you ! Be sure to sign up for Duke’s Free mini video series HERE