Unleashed Potential- The Valley

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

Training Small Breed Dogs like Jake the Shih-Tzu

April 18, 2015 By Camellia Saunderson Leave a Comment

Recently I noticed that all of my clients are large breed dogs; does that mean that there are more large breed dogs with behavioral issues than there are small breed dogs? I don’t believe so. I feel that many people see small breed dogs as being easier to manage than large breed dogs, so often times they get tucked away, picked up off the ground, left at home, and have excuses made for their behavior, rather than actually dealing with it.

Jake is a 7 year old Shih-Tzu who came to me as an owner surrender. He had an extensive bite history, having bit every adult and child in his home on multiple occasions, and was going to be euthanized before the new baby arrived. He was human aggressive, biting on contact, and dog aggressive, reacting at the sound of another dog. Jake lived a very sheltered life in the past, never being socialized or even walked; he was allowed on the furniture, was fed for free, had no boundaries, and ran the entire home, demanding things when he wanted them and biting when he didn’t.

Like many small breed dogs, Jake was a tough little cookie! I taught him to work for his food, gave him boundaries, exercised him on a daily basis, socialized him with other dogs, taught him obedience, and taught him respect for humans. He now gets along great with other dogs, fitting well into my pack of pitbulls. In fact, he is the toughest out of all of them! He meets new dogs and new people on a regular basis, and has spent some time with children.

Will Jake ever bite again? He certainly has it in him; he spent the first 7 years of his life biting and it is going to take a lot longer than 5 weeks to teach him not to, but he now enjoys being patted, getting belly rubs, being picked up, laying on his back, and above all else, living a balanced life style. Jake needed a home with a strong leader, because he is a strong dog himself. He needed someone that would continue to socialize him and exercise him on a daily basis. He needed someone that would continue to train him and make him work for his food so that he would continue to respect his humans. Above all else, Jake needed boundaries. What did Jake not need? Someone that would allow him to take over the furniture, or sleep in their bed. Jake did not need someone to carry him around, feed him treats all day, and love him to death. For Jake’s rehabilitation to be successful, he needed a leader, so when he was fully trained and ready to go home, I trained his owners too!

What we must remember is that small breed dogs are dogs too, and they require everything a large breed dog does; exercise, mental stimulation, socialization, leadership, boundaries, and guidance. I encourage everyone with a small breed dog to keep this in mind, and if you are having issues with your little ones, do not hesitate to contact one of our family of upk9 trainers who can help you solve the problems; a dog with behavioral issues is not a happy dog, and all dogs, regardless of breed or size, deserve to live a balanced lifestyle.

Jude’s Rehabilitation

April 15, 2015 By Camellia Saunderson Leave a Comment

Me and my husband adopted Jude, a Rottweiler-husky mix, two years ago from the humane society. She had separation anxiety, pulled on a leash, and can be aggressive toward other dogs, not knowing how to interact and play. We started working with her alone, which I thought we could handle, until she attacked a smaller breed dog, resulting in euthanasia due to the severe injuries she caused. We had to take action at that point, since putting her down was not an option, so we contacted Camellia.
I have talked to trainers before her and I can say for a fact that no one has made me feel that my dog was going to be in safe hands more than she, so we sent her for the board and train program. Camellia let me know that she was doing great everyday, which made me feel like I was part of the training process. She also analyzed the issues with Jude, what caused them, and the best way to solve them; she socialized her with different types and sizes of dogs and Jude learned to follow commands perfectly.
After we got her back, Camellia spent 4-5 hours teaching us what we needed to do next and how to continue her training at home. We went to our first group class and I’m happy to say that Jude did amazing; I’m so proud of her. We could not have done this without Camellia at unleashed potential in the Valley; it was absolutely worth it having a healthy good dog back.
-Bana, David, and Jude

Book your FREE consultation and demonstration with me today! Send me an email at camellias@upk9.ca Like me on Facebook!
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