A lot of people like to see a dramatic before video when a new dog comes in, and l have been asked many times why l don’t usually show those. It is because I don’t usually see the really bad “before” once the dog is here. But we all know owners will not pay thousands of dollars to send their dogs here if there is nothing wrong. What happens is that l spend a lot of time to help the new dog to feel safe and secure around me and inside my house upon arrival. I take lots of time in ensuring a great first impression - an impression that is built upon protection and direction. It is about being the “rock” for your dog - the “rock” your dog can completely trust and count on. That is usually my first order of business with a new dog. When a dog looks at the human as the “rock”, the dog can find her inner peace, and behaviour will change. Board and train is in a way like doing a retreat in a monastery. Imagine you work on Wall Street and live in the city centre of New York and you are under lots of stress on a constant basis. It is hard for anyone to relax in that kind of environment. But if you can go to a very peaceful and calm place like a monastery, you can put your burden down, you can stop being so tense, you can start to slowdown and reflect - and you can work on the emotional problems you have. The last thing you need when you come to the monastery is for someone to try replicate New York and put you through the craziness all over again. I don’t intentionally stress a dog to get a “before” video, if anything, l try to avoid it. I want to change the dog’s state of mind right from the start so she can loose up and slow down. Many dogs are the way they are because they never have the chance to do so. Providing this monastery-like environment for the dog has been really helpful for dogs to feel more confident and flourish. That is why l don’t usually try to make some dramati

#affection #balancedtraining #boardandtrain #anxiety #aggression #crating