What do our clients have to say….
Norah
Norah is a Kangal (Anatolian Shepherd) x Great Pyrenees. She is a guard dog that we got to protect my sister's heritage poultry (PINES BAY ACRES). Norah does an amazing job to protect all our animals and gardens from predators and she is an incredibly smart dog, but she also developed some behavioural issues...
Norah, at only 1yo, became very dog reactive and had some heavy resource guarding issues. In the family, she was the pack leader and we didn't know how to deal with that. After some quick research, we came across Camellia's website. We called references and immediately jumped in; we needed help to save Norah from ending up in a bad situation.
Camellia has proven to be an exceptional trainer. She explained our mistakes without making us feel guilty. She explained dog and training psychology in a way we could understand easily. She guided us step by step, to make Norah a better dog. She adapted her course to all the very specific needs and special conditions we had and even learned some French commands for Norah.
I am the one who attended all the lessons and did all the training homework with Norah at home. I can testify, it is a long journey, and not always easy. But now, even though her training is not over and she isn't perfect yet, I can walk Norah past other dogs without her losing her mind, and her resource guarding is under control.
If your dog has some behavioural issues, or if you want to have a good start from puppyhood, don't wait until it get too out of hand. I will recommend Camellia's Wild Dog Training to anyone without hesitation. I can't thank you enough Camellia, for the difference you made in our lives.
-Rachel
Ginger
A few months after getting Ginger, daily life started to become stressful. The kids did not want to play with the her because she would bite at them and knock them over, and my husband refused to walk her because she pulled so hard on the leash even a no-pull harness did not work. Ginger was relentless; she went after anything that moved: cats, birds, leaves, ect. She would eat everything she looked at, including large rocks. Life just got crazy!
We tried a trainer that taught us how to get her to sit but she would not stay. It got to the point where her day was spent getting yelled at or locked away in a kennel because we could not take her anywhere or do anything with her. I was very skeptical that training would do anything to change her hyper personality but the only other option was to give her away, so after some research and asking around, we found Camellia.
I could see changes in Ginger immediately after beginning private lessons. A 20 minute session had her panting exhausted, but she LOVED it and I was enjoying spending that time with her. Whenever I had questions, Camellia quickly responded and gave advice that actually worked! After hitting a rough spot with some behaviors, we sent Ginger away with Camellia for a 5 day board and train. You would not think that much would change in 5 days, but it has tremendously!
Now my family could not be happier because life is way less stressful for everyone, including Ginger. She is actually now a part of our family, not an annoyance. I am able to take her out with confidence and my kids are begging to do stuff with her. She has become something I am proud of, not something I am apologizing for when I have guests over.
I would completely recommend Camellia as a trainer to anyone who is possibly hitting their breaking point or who wants to avoid that in their future. Her level of knowledge of dogs and their behavior is exceptional. We are so pleased and content in knowing that no matter what challenges we come up against, Camellia will be there to guide us through it.
-Nadine
Sadie
“Thank-you Camellia for changing my life. Thank-you for taking a chance on me when no one else would. I lived a life of constant fear and anxiety. I was told by many professionals that there was no way to help me aside from heavy medications. I was told I was too old to change. I was told I had been through too much to change. I was told because of my breeding and genetics I would not be able to change. I was told I would never be able to have a ‘normal’ life. I was told I would never be able to fight my demons.
But look at me now… Look at me! We showed them, didn’t we?
Thank-you for proving to everyone that your past does not need to equal your future. Thank-you for believing in me and helping me learn to see the world in a whole new light. I am now living a life I did not know was possible.
It’s funny isn’t it? We all have our story, we are who we are for several reasons, and maybe we don’t know all of them… but even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from here. I came from a world of deprivation and full of neglect… I didn’t know my life could be what it is today, but you did. I guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks…”
-Deanna
HUNTER
Hunter, a 4 y/o Doberman mix, came to us highly dog reactive, pulled on leash, and was a very pushy dog. We had tried previous training and it just didn't click with us, or with him. Even at our initial consultation, Camellia made us feel at ease with her wealth of knowledge and way of making training make sense. We immediately knew it was a good fit for what we wanted and made the investment in her private program. Not even a week in and we were already seeing results - a more rested dog, less whining, more focus on us, no more bombarding doorways. By the fourth session, we had an incredible breakthrough - his first time working beside another dog - and he was looking at me, laying down, hip flipped on his side. It was incredibly beautiful and emphasized to me how far we had come. Thanks to Camellia, I was armed with the knowledge to step up and be the leader my dog needed me to be. We have an incredible relationship now, can clearly communicate, and he is a pleasure to live with. I would highly recommend her services - and often point owners who are struggling in her direction. To those struggling with reactivity: your world gets a whole lot bigger, and better, with meaningful training. ❤️
- Jess & Hunter
Ryder, Mogley, Calli, Dexter, Rogue, Ty and Ollie
We contacted Camellia because our pack of 7 dogs were struggling. We started with 2 dogs initially,
Ryder, who did not like being told what to do and would threaten to bite me, and Mogley, who was
reactive to anything outside the home that moved fast. We choose to train with Camellia as we had
heard and saw great things, loved that her dogs and the dogs that trained with her were happy with
personalities and were not robotic.
Training was hard, a lot of work, and Mogley didn’t appear food or toy motivated at all, but it was worth
every tearful, frustrating, happy moment. We started seeing progress right away, our goals were to have
better management and structure in the home which came quickly. We had no expectations for pack
walks, off leash and the continued training we now can do with such ease.
For us the 12-14 month mark was the most amazing, it seemed like everything we had been working on
had clicked. Our dogs are all off leash, we have better structure and control in our home, the dogs are
happier and healthier, Mogley now has minimal reactions and if he does react he quickly recovers, and
Ryder doesn’t threaten to bite me anymore.
There is something truly amazing about the relationship and trust you build during the training process
and continued work. I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without Camellia’s guidance and
knowledge. I love the continued support, pack classes, pack walks, and the fact that these events help
keep you motivated to keep training. Camellia is an amazing trainer; she is patient, kind and
approachable and I would/do recommend her to everyone.
-Taarna and Sean
Chevy
As parents that lost our family dog who had been with our autistic son for his 6 years of life, we decided it was time to get another. We did not know how different it would be this time around and we got a large shepherd/pit bull/husky puppy who was taken from his mother too young. After a couple months we decided we needed help, so that’s when we reached out to Camellia Saunderson with Wild Dog Training. She met with our whole family and got a feel for our needs and discussed personalized training options that would support us throughout Chevy’s life. Chevy was a quick learner and caught on to her way of training and communication, which was also passed along to us. The whole experience has not just trained our dog, but it has taught us more about life and relationships then one could ever imagine. I would recommend Camellia’s Wild Dog Training to anyone, whether you have special needs or you just want a more structured relationship with your pets. Thanks again Camellia Saunderson for your very real and practical approach to changing our life.
-Jason
Cooper
My experience with Camellia and her training is different than most. Cooper was surrendered back to his breeder by his previous family because of learned aggressive tendencies. That breeder then reached out to Camellia to help train and rehome him.
After having Cooper in my life for over 4 years now, I can say without a doubt that he would have likely been put down without her help and training. We have so many tools to help his brain be calm and controlled in any situation, and I have managed to stop many potentially dangerous situations by learning to speak his language and by being his pack leader! We have off-leash freedom and confidence in every situation.
I can't say enough good things about Camellia's training... she teaches people most of all!
-Stephanie
Sadie, Wilson, and Raven
“WOW…. Is about all I can say about this program. Our story started about three years ago when I finally convinced Glenn to get a female Rottie puppy. Fast forward a couple months and we had Raven home. We quickly realized that we had no idea how to train her properly and started looking into our options and found Camellia Saunderson, I knew right away she was what we needed. Her compassion, and love for what she was doing was so evident and through this I also gained a friend. Here we are five years later with three Rotties and I still stand by my decision 100% that this was what we needed. After only having Raven a couple years we had Sadie basically dropped in our laps and without hesitation we put her in training right away. Well, here we are again with yet another, Mr. Wilson, and again my first contact was Camellia, who told me “you know what to do, and I’m here if you need anything.” So I broke out the lessons, did a little reading, and we are well underway with his training. When people ask how I can do it with three large breed dogs my answer is always because of my trainer who is there no matter what, who has not only trained my dogs but me as well. Thank you Camellia's Wild Dog Training for all you do and continue to do.” 🐶🐾❤️
-Corinna and Glenn
Kona
I have wanted a Rottweiler forever. I did all kinds of research to be sure I could handle their personality and physical needs, yet when I finally found my baby Kona I quickly realized I underestimated how strong willed she was and unprepared I was. At 9 weeks old she showed me that I was clearly not in control; she would attack over a bone and launch at me aggressively in play. I researched dog trainers and programs all over the valley and am so glad I found Camellia. She came highly recommended overall but specifically for bully breeds like Kona. The moment I saw her interact with Kona in our first meeting I knew she was right for us. Kona is now 2.5 years old, she still challenges me all the time and we are always training because she loves the work, but because of Camilla’s support and training, we have a great relationship, she no longer acts out aggressively, I confidently walk her off leash on trails, take her into stores, and she has learned to pull a sled. She is a happy and well socialized dog that has even won over a few people with a strong fear of dogs. I am grateful not only for the initial training but the ongoing support and social pack activities that come with ongoing support programs. I would recommend Camellia to anyone with a dog!
-Alanna
Zoe
I am so proud of how far Zoe and I have come together! We have overcome obstacles that I never dreamed possible. Before training with Wild Dog Training, Zoe was out of control. No fault of her own, I just never know how to handle her dog aggression and even made it worse. In the last couple years we both learned so much, including how to control her and keep her focus on me, and we have built her confidence, and mine. Since training began, we have participated in parades, the pumpkin regatta, and the anti Breed Specific Legislation march in Halifax where there were approximately 150 other dogs. I have had random people say things like, ‘wow, she listens so well!’ and ‘what a disciplined dog, I wish my dog behaved like that.’ It makes me so happy to see her behaving so well and being a great ambassador for the breed! Her off leash recall is amazing which honestly blows my mind; we hadn’t been able to let her off leash since she was a puppy!
I am so happy we trained with Camellia’s Wild Dog Training! Zoe is happier, more confident, and way easier to handle, which makes like so much easier and eases my mind! We have a lot of fun learning and going to Pack Class where we have met many new friends. We could never be where we are today without Camellia. I am so grateful!
-Shannon
Ember
We started Ember in training when she was about 15 weeks old, only three weeks after getting her. I knew I needed help, so we signed her up for the lifetime puppy program. At that point, I did not know that Ember was going to want to lunge and bark at everything and everyone. She was smart, but I needed education on how to train myself while also training her. It was a mindset shift on what I was used to, it was a lot of hard work, but I knew it was paying off when the first person just walked up to us during training and Ember didn’t react. It took me a moment to realize, but it was one of the most rewarding feelings having someone in her space without her staring them down or trying to scare them away from me. We’ve learned so much. At almost 3, we can now interact with people in set environments without any issues. We are still working on interactions with dogs, however this is so much easier now- and we also have a plan in place if we run into other dogs on walks. Training with Camellia isn’t just training your dog. This is training you how to build that bond with your dog, let your dog know they can depend on you, and working on your confidence to match your dogs’. We still have a long ways to go, but I’m confident I made the right choice with Camellia and Wild Dog Training. I’m not sure where we would be without her.
-Melissa
Luv
Luv joined my family at 8 weeks of age and we immediately began training. She learned quickly and as she got older I took her to basic obedience/socialization training. Despite this her behaviour was terrible. She had no respect for me and it is almost impossible to train effectively when your dog does not look to you. She was a typical German Shepherd pup, a total land shark who got over the top excited very easily, pulled, jumped, barked and growled at people and dogs. No one wanted to be around her especially not my husband, whose health issues meant that when she jumped and mouthed at him, the resulting bruises and torn skin were serious concerns.
One day I sat down and cried because despite the potential I saw in this beautiful pup I was sure she and I were headed for serious trouble. I knew the breeders contract said they would take her back but I didn’t want to fail her, she deserved better. So I sought professional help and found Camellia Saunderson of Wild Dog Training. After the evaluation, I was immediately impressed with her approach to training, her ability to handle Luv effectively and with how well Luv responded to her leadership. I grabbed the chance to work with her to overcome my dog’s bratty puppy behaviours, deal with reactivity, encourage respect, and a calmer state of mind so we could work on obedience.
Camellia recommended, among other things, a daily training schedule that included regular kennel time throughout the day. By following her recommendations, we very soon saw that the process was working. I saw little positive changes in my puppy’s behaviour that gave me hope and over time the results have been truly amazing. While we are still a work in progress, Luv is much calmer, more pleasant to be around, walks without pulling, follows commands, gets along much better with other dogs, is respectful and can even remain calm and well mannered when we go to the pet store. More importantly, life is so much less stressful now that she can be calm and well behaved around my husband.
I love knowing I can always ask questions or get help from Camellia no matter the training challenge we are facing. The best part is ..... Luv enjoys the daily trainings and gets so excited to go to pack classes and pack walks. We have come so far despite the challenges of training during a pandemic, because Camellia handled the COVID restrictions with calm, ease and creativity so that we were still able to learn and train effectively.
I am glad that I persisted and found the right trainer, the right approach and the right spirit to help me help my beautiful girl be her best self, fulfill her potential and live a happy life. I can honestly say I have loved every step of this journey with Camellia. I recommend her to all my family and friends because her love for all dogs, her positive nature, her generous spirit, her amazing knowledge, understanding and training skills as well as her experience working with a wide variety of behavioural issues, results in amazing transformations and equally important, training with Camellia is engaging, enjoyable and well worth the commitment.
-Mary Taylor and Helwinn’s Luv Never Fails
Bobo
We adopted Bobo in May 2019. When he first arrived, he was very nervous of my husband and much of the world. He would pee, cower, and hide and had no training at all; he didn’t even know how to sit! We also soon discovered he had a high prey drive and reactivity issues with anything on wheels! He began lunging and trying to attack bikes, strollers, wagons, the lawn mower, wheel barrow, bikes, etc. We started seeing improvement in his confidence over time, however with this, his reactive behavior worsened. It was getting difficult to take him out in public, and we have also been taking steps towards adding children to the family. We thought a lot about what our future looked like and decided it was time to get help!
I knew Camellia from volunteering with a dog rescue she had previously run, Buddy’s Bully Rescue, and I already had the utmost respect for her. A couple of my friends started training with her after she started up her dog training company and they had nothing but positive things to say about the program.
We joined in June 2020 and I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life! It has been less than a year and the improvement in Bobo has been drastic. He has learned all of the basic obedience commands, loose leash walking and heeling, impulse control, focus, recall, and he has become a much more confident, humbled and happy dog! I am so impressed with what he has learned but even more so, with what I have learned!
Camellia’s teaching technique is easy to understand and she is always there to support you. She teaches the humans how to communicate with their dog effectively. Her understanding of the way a dog’s mind works is incredible! After completing private lessons, we now attend pack classes which are available to attend ever week! Bobo and I absolutely love going to pack classes because it gives us the opportunity to practice, learn, and socialize. She puts us in real life situations, which is extremely valuable.
Following Camellia’s training approach and recommendations has made me a better dog owner and has created a much more fulfilling life for my dogs with off-leash freedom, mental stimulation, socialization, and control. Which in turn makes my life more fulfilling and less stressful! Although training is a lifelong endeavor and we have a ways to go, we are off to an amazing start thanks to Camellia’s Wild dog training! I can’t recommend her enough!
-Tysha
Addie
Before we started training, Addie was very protective of her space and owners when it came to other dogs, she was very reactive and had poor social skills. I met Camellia in the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom parade line up, I got her card and tucked it away for a while. One day Addie left the yard for the first time and took off towards a man with a child in a wagon and dog on a leash. She greeted the man and child with an excited tail, then sniffed the dog, and when the dog tried to sniff her back, Addie snapped. It took me standing over her holding her collar and letting the dog move on to break her focus. That day I reached out to Camellia for help.
I felt confident hiring Camellia because she had so much experience with Addie's breed and only saw her potential. Camellia was calm, confident, and assertive. When I training started, I was determined to overcome this with Addie, but, I was nervous and didn't have confidence in myself. I had never owned a dog before and I didn’t have any experience with reactivity. The initial training stage was emotional, to take away all of her privileges and snuggles and make her earn them, but it was all a part of the process and it helped make the process successful.
As Addie began to understand the training process and learn her place in the household, I began to gain confidence in my abilities. I could tell that Addie was seeing me as a leader that she could depend on to handle any situation that we found ourselves in. One day Addie and I where hiking near a well-traveled local trail. Three off-leash dogs noticed us and started running towards us. I yelled to the owners asking them to put their dogs on a leash as my dog was not “dog friendly”. They had no control; their dogs did not respond to their owners calling them back. Addie looked to me to keep her safe, she went to the far side of the river away from the other dogs, I placed myself in front of Addie and began to yell to the other dogs to go. Addie let me take the lead while she stayed by my side and avoided the other dogs. That was the day I knew that it was all worth it; all the early morning training sessions, the uncomfortable and nerve-racking situations, it was all worth it because I could see the change in my dog!
This was also the day I truly realized that the training was more for me than for her. To gain the confidence and take control of the situation, find my voice and keep my girl safe. Addie has learned patience with other dogs, she has learned to turn away and avoid situations that make her uncomfortable, and more incredibly, she now lives with two other adult dogs. She is still cautious around dogs that she does not know but she has doesn't feel the need to be protective.
I am truly grateful for everything Camellia has done for me and for Addie Grey. I cannot imagine what kind of life we would have if I was still living in fear of taking her anywhere there may be another dog. Addie and I have seen amazing things on our adventures and I know it would not have been possible without Camellia’s firm but kind heart. I would definitely recommend Camellia’s training skills to anyone looking to better their relationship with their pet.
-Christine
Java and Chino
Java and Chino came to train with Camellia’s Wild Dog Training 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. Chino’s behaviour continued to deteriorate, even when 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 the past (dog parks, playing with other dogs, being together outside and inside the house). There had been multiple major fights between the 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 is probably on my top things I never want to witness again. It broke my heart because I thought I had failed both my dogs.
I contacted Camellia from Wild Dog Training 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 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
Oreo
Before training, when another dog approached, his sole focus was on the other dog. No sounds, food or commands could get him to turn his attention towards us for longer than a second. While, most of the time, his behaviours towards other dogs seemed to be playful, as a 100 lb dog, they were problematic and stressful – he would bark, lunge and rush other dogs and their owners. He dragged me across the ground twice in his attempts to get close to another dog, and sometimes, his behaviours did not seem playful to us or to others at all. When people were around, although he rarely barked, he still would pay more attention to them than to us. We were not comfortable with him approaching people and, sometimes, those people were also not comfortable with him, given his size.
We chose to contact Camellia, initially, because the relationship between our two dogs broke down, resulting in Teddy attacking Oreo. Camellia has an impressive back story and track record of success with addressing failing dog relationships and she specializes in addressing problematic aggressive dog behaviours, and she has created a method of training that works.
Honestly, our interest in hiring Camellia started from a place of stress and desperation, but it transitioned into trust because Camellia supported Tim and I through one of the most difficult life events we ever encountered, surrendering a dog. After adopting two dogs in the span of two months and floundering through 7 months of life with them, we lost control (or, we now realize, never had it). Our second rescue, Teddy, who began as an affectionate, albeit dominant presence, began attacking Oreo. What started as apparent resource guarding quickly escalated and it became a daily struggle to either keep them apart or be hyper vigilant when they were in the same room, and we simply had no idea what we were doing wrong.
We had every intention of hiring Camellia to help us get Oreo and Teddy back under control and addressing their failing relationship. Between the time we first contacted her, and our first scheduled training appointment, Camellia supported us without us even having formally hired her. However, during this time, we also made the excruciating decision to surrender Teddy to a home with no other dogs. Camellia also supported us through this difficult decision with compassion, care and truth. We realized that anyone who cares enough to council someone through such a stressful and saddening event truly cares about the quality of life of the dogs and their families.
At this point, although we were now a one dog household, Oreo still reacted strongly to other dogs and it was stressful to not know what to do in those moments – so, we sought Camellia’s expertise and began training with Oreo. My, personal goal, was to never feel so out of control again. In the beginning of the training, it is hard to see what the outcome will be, so while we felt hopeful, we also felt overwhelmed at times. After each lesson, it would usually take me 1-2 days to process the task assigned but then, by the third day, I would feel like I had a grasp of the goal. The first few weeks were the hardest for us. We found it tough to instil boundaries in the house because we were used to Oreo always being in our space, and our “problem” was outside with other dogs. It took awhile for us to realize that everything is connected, even though, logically, we knew that.
Camellia was great during the whole training process – I would message her to express my weakness and difficulty with keeping Oreo crated and she would reassure me to trust the process and to stay strong. Having that accountability was amazing and it got us through the hardest parts of the training. We also felt supported in the teaching part of the training as well. We sent Camellia so many videos of our training sessions at home, and she gave us feedback on all of them! With every video we sent, it built our confidence. Pretty soon, I was taking Oreo off property twice a day to work on our homework in other environments.
Long term goals can be challenging because you forget how much work you have done in the past. Throughout our ongoing training journey, there were small moments of success – when Oreo didn’t need any leash pressure during an entire training session, days where all the training sessions went smoothly, or the first day I opened the front door because I knew there was a dog in front of our house and he didn’t bark or rush out of the door. These successes instilled growing confidence in me throughout the process. THE moment when I knew that we had made real progress happened on April 2nd. I was walking Oreo on the sidewalk in our neighbourhood and another dog approached from the opposite direction on the opposite side of the street. We had had very few of these encounters since starting training in January because we were not ready for that kind of interaction with other dogs and avoided them, but that can only happen for so long. As the dog and their owner approached, I followed through with our plan to turn Oreo in place so his back was to the other dog and he was facing me. He listened immediately and as the dog passed by us, whenever he turned his head/attention to the dog, I called it back to me with the look command. Oreo sat there facing me, yes turning his focus back to me while the other dog passed by, no barking or lunging, not even when the other dog went bananas on the other side of the street. It was an amazing feeling and one that fed my confidence even more.
When we first got Oreo, we wanted to take him everywhere. Oreo was, essentially, our child, so it was a hard realization that we couldn’t due to his behavior. As I am typing this, we have just gotten in from a 2km walk around our block – our block, which has no less than 20 dogs living in the area - this is a route that my husband and I have walked many times and, up until a few weeks ago, a walk that we only dreamt about including Oreo in. While this may seem like a simple example, it demonstrates the fact that we just wanted to be able to have Oreo as a a complete member of our family, incorporated into our everyday activities. Now that we have grown as dog parents and have the tools to provide Oreo with stability and security, having him involved in all aspects of our lives is possible!
I also want to add that we just began Pack Classes that have highlighted the possibilities in life for us. It is highly unlikely that Oreo will ever be more distracted than approaching a group of 20 dogs and their owners!! I am SO EXCITED to get back to class. In the first class, we had to stop about 50 feet away from the group so that we could get Oreo`s attention back on us but we improved from needing to be about 50 feet away from the pack to about 30 feet away from the pack (in 30 minutes!!). By the next class, we were working right next to the pack of dogs. Can you imagine what it will mean for our life with Oreo when we can be actively working within the pack? It is amazing to think about the possibilities.
The training process cam be hard in the beginning and you may feel like it is too much and, even that you want to stop. You might start feeling that you don’t need to follow the program through because your dog’s behaviour doesn’t seem as bad as it used to be, but that is because what you are doing is working! So, stick with it! Remind yourself of why you sought Camellia’s help to begin with and remember that you don’t want to back slide to that feeling of no control (whatever it is that is problematic with your dog’s behaviour IS a loss of control). It may seem like you are doing the same things over and over again but when Camellia tells you that repetition and consistency is what will drive success, she is not telling you what you want to hear – it is 100% accurate.
We would, without hesitation, recommend Camellia to our friends!
-Stephanie and Tim
