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Sorry it took so long to send this. Guinness is doing really well, though Jack had to have a mast cell tumor removed recently (he's recovering nicely though). Hope you guys are well!
Greg
In March of 2008 we took in Guinness, a 2 year old male Rottweiller. Guinness had been abused in his previous home- his former owner had beaten him with a 2x4. Not surprisingly, when we brought him home he was painfully shy- we needed help from a shelter worker just to lure him into our car, and when we arrived he hid in our bathroom, only emerging after hours of patient coaxing.
He soon grew more comfortable with us and with our two dogs, but remained very fearful of others. However, we did not realize how severe the problem was until he cornered a young woman we had hired as a dog sitter. It was clear that we needed help in order to correct this behavior.
We brought Guinness to Dave and Paula for an evaluation, and they recognized the problem and assured us that they could help as long as we were committed to the training. We began to meet with them once a week, working on different facets of his behavior problems each time. For example, we brought out a 2x4 and gave him a treat each time he saw it, helping to break a negative association. At the end of each session, we were given “homework” so that Guinness would continue to gain confidence in us and in himself- this was most critical to his improvement.
In time, he became much friendlier towards other people, and we learned to recognize his “danger signs” and thus correct him before problems occurred.
Throughout, Dave and Paula proved very flexible in their approach to his training, providing a mix of constructive criticism and positive reinforcement. We soon began to look forward to our weekly visits, and by the end of the sessions Guinness was a new dog- friendly, happy and healthy.
Others have recognized the difference- passerby now compliment him on our daily walks, and friends who new him from the start have remarked on his dramatic improvement.
Thanks to Dave and Paula we have a new member of the family who will bring us joy for years to come.
Gregory Hammond
