Board and Train Goldendoodle, "Percy"

Percy is a 7 month old golden doodle that came to us for basic training.  He was nervous, actually more like terrified, of things.  Not of people or noises, but of things such as car rides, stairs, doorways - you know, the things that usually excite most dogs.  

His owner started with private lessons.  After just one lesson she knew that this was a little tougher than she was prepared to fix.  So she decided to send Percy to our Boarding School doggy bootcamp program, where he would board and train for 10 days.  

Percy's first few days was a little rough for him.  When he was afraid, he would freeze and become stiff.  He wouldn't move his legs, his head, nothing.  Just freeze.  So we started by building a relationship with him, and working on some basics like coming when called and sit/stay.  Once we gained some ground with the basics, it was time to start working on the fear.

Our first major breakthrough for Percy, was coming through our side screen door onto the landing that went to the basement steps.  We were able to successfully get him through the door, and up and down the stairs.  Our next breakthrough came with getting him to place on a large patio chair, and turn around to jump off.  Then it was getting into his kennel and turning around.  The confidence just starting boiling over with this guy in all aspects!  All of a sudden he turned into a normal dog!  We knew it was in there, we just had to help him work through his paralyzing fear, and learn that these things were fun and not scary!  

Percy went home yesterday, and his mom brought him to his first group class last night.  They did amazing!  He walked in strutting like he owned the place!  Results like these are why we do what we do!

Board and Train Catahoula Leopard Dog - Royal Oak, MI

This is “Coco”, a 5 year old Catahoula Leopard Dog that came to us for separation anxiety and aggression with other dogs.  Coco spent 20 days with us in our Immersion Boarding School program, to help work through his problems.

During Coco’s stay, we had a lot of ups and downs with his anxiety.  We were able to get him to stay in his kennel without destroying anything in it, break out, or bark continuously.  We worked immensely on self control for many reasons, mainly including his anxiety and his dog aggression.  We were also able to get Coco integrated with our pack, and around many other dogs without aggressive outbursts. 

One of the most difficult things we help clients with is separation anxiety.  The reason it’s so difficult, is because it’s hard to train your dog when you’re not there.  Coco went home with a full list of activities and drills for his owner to work on while she is home, and guidelines for her to follow when she was not home.  

Since his return home, Coco has made major improvements with his anxiety in his kennel, as well as his self control around other dogs. He still has a long road in front of him, but he’s off to a great start!

If you’re dealing with separation anxiety at home, you’re not alone.  It’s one of the most common behaviors we work with in our program, and we can help.  Please contact us for a free consultation to discuss training options for your dog. Serving Royal Oak MI, Troy MI, Birmingham MI, and surrounding.