In 2014, I found myself in a familiar space that a lot of families found themselves. My family was ready for a dog and coincidentally my neighbor was fostering a dog looking for his forever home. The sweetest most laid back dog I could ever imagine. No barking. Low energy. All he wanted to do was lay up under us. That’s ALL HE WANTED TO DO! Sure we loved the attention and giving it right back to him, but we did not know that this was creating, well reinforcing, some issues we didn’t see on the surface. Presley, a four year old pit mix, who hated being in the crate when no one was home. He would do ANYTHING to get out of that crate, even if it meant causing harm to himself. Frequent accidents, whining and staring out of the window for hours at a time. It was so bad that he even jumped out of the window once. Jumping out of his sleep if he heard you move from the couch. I could not pour myself a glass of wine if I needed to (and some nights i definitely needed to) without him peeking his head out for approval then going back to his bed.

That was terrifying! I knew that in order to keep this dog I would have to do something. I reached out to a few trainers. Read a few articles on separation anxiety. I listened to others who had “experience” with dogs. It all came around to the same conclusion, “That dog is messed up, he’s four years old and he’s stuck in his ways, you may have to put him down”. These are trained professionals and experienced dog handlers giving me, someone who has no experience whatsoever, advice on this dog. We gave it a few more months and no change, so we surrendered the dog. We thought he would be fit best for an older couple who was always home to cater to his needs.

That didn’t sit well with me and eventually I started the search again going to local shelters. Checking the local rescues. Until I eventually came across Cooper. I got Cooper at 8 weeks and I was ready to have the best life with this guy. I knew it would be a breeze because, well hey, I got him as a pup and all he’ll know is us, so he will have to be a well behaved dog. Wrong again! This time I’m actually going to call a trainer out to help me with my issues. I did a few one-on-one sessions with a guy to no avail. I was to treat and reward my dog heavily, ignoring any unwanted behaviors. On walks, I was instructed to make sheep like noises and throw water balloons down on the ground to get my dogs attention. As you can imagine I felt and looked like a moron! All I could think of is here we go again.

I wasn’t going down that path again. I was determined to find a way to get the well balanced and well behaved dog that I deserved. My search led me to my current mentor who taught me the simplicity of a balanced approach. Teaching my dog yes and no, was life changing! I realized how many people like myself who were struggling with simple things such as a walk, basic obedience, and experiencing the same frustrations I was. I also realized people were surrendering their pets for these same reasons because they knew no other way.

For the past few years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping my personal dogs and others by educating them and working with their dogs as well. I continue to work with one of my local rescues, helping to educate fosters and potential adopters on having a well balanced dog. When I’m not training dogs I’m spending time with my wife and four kids. I also coach flag football throughout the year.