Many dog owners are nervous that their dog’s personality or spirit will be broken during/after training. The thought of that bums us out.
This perception exists because there are trainers out there that simply suppress behaviors with no regard for how the dog feels.These trainers are attempting to create “robot dogs” that respond to commands regardless of the human/dog relationship or the environment.
This approach is not one we understand nor does it truly rehabilitate psychological or behavioral issues. We believe there are 4 components to a balanced dog - behavior (or knowing how to “be”), training (knowing how to “do things”), relationship (humans understanding of dog psychology and how well they execute on that knowledge), and management (the process of dealing with or controlling things). We want to change your dogs world-view from fear, nervousness, uncertainty, insecurity, over-arousal, hyperactivity, aggression, and/or reactivity - to calm, balance, harmony, confidence, contentment, peace, and joy!
When your dog moves from unbalanced to balanced is when you actually see the true spirit or personality of your dog. With that said, is the rehab process all rainbows and cotton candy? No. Confusion takes place. Uncertainty takes place. Frustration takes place. It can be difficult for a dog to let go of a mental state that he/she believes contributes to his/her survival. It takes time and the process can be challenging.
But I can tell you this.. Your dog will not come home from us in a broken state. They come home ready to flourish and live their best life when the owner does their part.