I came to Rob feeling defeated, insecure and with a highly human and dog reactive dog. Heli is a 1 year old german shepherd who burned through 5 trainers in a few months with zero progress. I had heard things such as “I’m not the trainer for you,” “she’ll never be a dog-park dog,” and my favourite, “have you considered putting your dog down because she won’t ever be rehabilitated?” I was so discouraged by the time I reached out to Rob, I was looking at rehoming my dog.
At our consult, I watched Rob stand with his head by my open Jeep window with my 70 pound german shepherd’s mouth 2 inches from his ear barking like a maniac. Within a few minutes, Rob had a lead on Heli and was walking her towards me. Keep in mind, this is a dog that really struggles with men, physical touch and guarding. I was so sure I had adopted Cujo 2.0, I was near tears watching them.
For 5 weeks we had a few sessions a week and Rob trained me on how to handle Heli and helped us build a trusting relationship between dog and handler. He was so attentive to Heli’s behaviour, my demeanour and how we worked together.
As we progressed each week, I watched Heli become more and more of a “dog”. She was curious, and excited of her surroundings and other dogs. She was more attentive to me and seeking affection at home. She was actually initiating the play with my other and she was spending less time in her kennel and more time nuzzled up with me on the couch. By the fifth week we were a unit.
Week five, Rob met us at the dog park and for the first time, I took Heli off leash. To my amazement she made great decisions in approaching dogs, she was gaining more confidence in her interactions. She was just cruising the park being a dog!
Rob has completely changed our life. I am confident with my dog, I am confident in bringing her places and I trust her to make good decisions. I am confident as her handler and know how to guide her through moments of arousal. Rob gave me all the tools to continue to work with Heli and how to progress with her.
Thank you for working with us, we are forever grateful.
Chelsea & Heli
Robert Hynes Dog Training
Serving Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas.
admin@roberthynesdogtraining.com